Shedding issue that I have never seen before

[user 41856]

Hi peoples,

My adult male Stimson Python is having difficulty at his last shed, the stuck shed is crispy and will not come off. I have bathed him and tried to remove it, but he doesn't like it at all. This is the second time this has happened to him, he is in a room with other enclosures with snakes in them, which some had an incomplete shed during winter. That one is now fine as the weather has warmed up, next winter the room will be warmer - It gets to subzero here. The stuck shed comes off scale by scale but it is well and truly stuck on.

He has been trying to remove the shed himself but isn't getting too far. Does anyone have a better method of removing stuck shed, possibly, an Oil of some kind or some other technique.

Thanks
Noel

 

[dragonlover1]

I used to use a tub of sphagnum moss post shed several times but it's difficult after the horse has bolted .You need to up the humidity pre-shed. I use a tub of damp sphagnum moss in my childrens enclosure to keep humidity over 70%. he is the only 1 who has problems. All my other Ants are fine

 

[user 41856]

I used to use a tub of sphagnum moss post shed several times but it's difficult after the horse has bolted .You need to up the humidity pre-shed. I use a tub of damp sphagnum moss in my childrens enclosure to keep humidity over 70%. he is the only 1 who has problems. All my other Ants are fine

Thanks Dragon Lover, I will give that a go and see what happens. I have been told about Sphagnum Moss for gravid Pythons as a nesting material. Maybe this is what he needs.

 

[GBWhite]

Hi Dustproof,

Whatever you do...please don't use oil or a similar substance.

More than often what you've experienced with your snake is caused through dehydration. Basically without going into too much detail,,,Dehydration limits the production of the layer of fluid that develops under the outer layer of old, dry caratonised skin and used as a means to assist with the shedding process.

I'm sure you are aware that snakes drink water (and fresh drinking water should always be available) but they obtain the majority of their hydration via food items. However, food items that have been frozen and stored for a period of time can cause the fluid to dissipate and result in the food item "drying up". If you've had a couple of snakes experience the same thing then this could very well be a consideration. So as a measure to counter this, purchase a 2ml syringe and an appropriate sized needle from a chemist and use it to inject the food item with a full syringe of water prior to feeding.

In addition to providing fresh water it can be advantageous to also provide a bowl large enough for the snake to soak especially during hot weather or leading up to a shed,

In the past when I've had snakes experiencing a difficult stuck shed after coming out of winter I have had success by soaking them in a secured garbage bin with enough water to just cover the body along with a couple of bags of chamomile tea and a clay paver. The chamomile tea seems to assist in softening the hard stuck shed and the clay paver provides a rough. surface to help the snake remove the old skin. As a rule I use to leave the snakes in the water overnight and up to 48 hours in some cases. Initially the water temp is moderate (feels slightly cool when run over a hand) but I would never top it up with warm water and just leave the snake in the bin as the water cooled. It's an old but proven method and well worth a try.

If done correctly you should be able to see pieces of the old skin floating about in the water. If that's the case then remove the snake and use a soft towel to rub over the snake to remove any excess old skin remaining on its body.

Cheers,

George

 

[user 41856]

I found out from my Vet that Bacteria will bind the shed to the scales so it won't come off... The fix was easy, I had to give him a soak for 20mins in 2L of warm water in a tub with 10ml of F10 every two days. It released the shed and came off easily. The Bacteria will floress under black light, this is how we found it. The things we learn...