Opinions on Sticky snake

[disintegratus]

So I've got a roughly 2 year old Murray Darling python, he last shed just over 9 weeks ago.His colour's been a little dull lately, so I figured he's be coming up for a shed soon, but I haven't seen any of the usual signs of shedding, so have been handling him as per normal (pretty much everyday except for a couple after feeding and when I think he's gonna poop).
This morning I pulled him out and he was fine, but this afternoon I pulled him out again, and he feels almost sticky. The best way to describe it is he feels like a freshly shed skin, icky, kinda sticky-but-not and pretty unpleasant. Of course I put him right back and left him there. I've never experienced this before, I did a search of the forum but couldn't find anything, so does anyone know if this is normal? Is he going to shed very soon, and could I have caused him any damage with the minimal handling that happened? Also, behaviour wise this morning he was very pleasant, but this afternoon he was mad as hell, but that's fairly normal, he's a nutcase. I've handled all the others when in various stages of pre-shed (only by necessity), and it's never felt like that.

Oh, and it seems to be all over him, it's not like he just writhed about in his own poop.

 

[CrystalMoon]

I really dont have anything intelligent to say.... except, if he had shed there would be a skin laying about somewhere? perhaps he is in the process of shedding? I know their freshly shed skin(the old one)feels bloody awful when it is still wet (yuck) it would explain his cranky tude....

 

[serpenttongue]

Are you sure there isn't a tightly rolled up skin in a hide?

Such a sticky body usually comes from a premature shed, and doesn't end well. The sticky, damaged scales usually heal but remain scarred, or the snake dies.

Perhaps the snake had 2 skins stuck to it, and it managed to get the first one off, leaving the second one still firmly attached and sticky with the shedding oils?

You could try bathing it to see if the stickiness washes from the scales.

 

[disintegratus]

Definitely no skin anywhere in the enclosure. He's always shed perfectly in the past, not even left a tail tip. He's fed roughly every 10 days on a small rat or a day old chick or two, he's been eating day old chicks consistently for a while now as we ran out of rats. The last time he shed was 23/12, so is it possible there's a stuck shed on him?
Crystalmoon, that icky yucky feeling is what he feels like at the moment, but slightly different. Like, not quite as moist.
I'm tossing up whether to try bathing him just in warm water tonight, or leave him overnight in case he sheds.
He's a cranky little bastard, but I don't want him to die

 

[MissBree]

Not really an expert on this, but i googled 'premature snake shedding' as i was curious. The top link was an interesting read although being about a completely different type of snake. Might be worth a read? Best of luck

 

[disintegratus]

That's a little disturbing, but there's no shed in his enclosure. I think I'll go ahead and give him a bath tonight, hopefully it can't make it any worse:S

 

[MissBree]

Sorry if i made you panic any more, that wasnt my intention.

 

[vampstorso]

Haven't their been cases of snakes eating sheds every now and then? Probably more common in replie eaters like black heads, but I guess it's not totally unreasonable that maybe he ate it.

 

[disintegratus]

He would, the greedy little so-and-so, though I've never heard of it before. I've got him soaking in warm water for now, hopefully that will do something, and I can make a vet appointment for him tomorrow. Poops, another sleepless day I suppose.
MissBree, don't worry about making me panic, I can do that just fine on my own, thanks
And Vampstorso, I've never heard of it happening, but if he did eat his own shed, would that be a potential sign of some kind of deficiency or something wrong?

I only soaked him for about 10mins, because he expressed his extreme displeasure by dumping urates in the water. His belly is starting to look like it normally does when he's coming into a shed, it's all hazy, but I can't tell if he still feels gross as he's wet. I've put him back in his tank and changed his water bowl over to a massive container so hopefully the humidity will rise, which will hopefully help.I'll check him 5 to see if he still feels icky sticky. I just want it to be tomorrow already so I can take him to the vet already!!

 

[MissBree]

Any news? How did he go at the vet?

 

[snakelady96]

Just a suggestion, someone please correct me if i am wrong but would it be a good idea to spray betadine on the scales and softly rub it in with a cotton bud or something?

 

[disintegratus]

Here's an update:
I didn't take him to the vet because the local snake vet's not in today, and the other vet said she wasn't confident in diagnosing him. I bathed him in warm water last night for a little while, and put a large container of water in his enclosure to raise the humidity and he is heaps better today, he's not sticky anymore, and not nearly as mad as usual now he looks just like he usually does when he's coming into a shed, just yucky and dull. I'm confused, I don't even know if I should take him to the vet tomorrow, because now it's like nothing happened, and if it is something like a premature shed, they wouldn't be able to find anything out from doing bloods would they?
I don't know. Should I take him anyway, even though they're going to look at him and say he's fine? :s

I take back my comment about him being pleasant today. Little bastard just bit me on the face. After biting me on the hand. ***.

 

[tarafritz2011]

You could still take him just to be sure.. just because it's cleared up now doesn't mean it might not be a serious underlying condition causing it.. no mean to alarm but you never know! Your decision though.

Here's an update:
I didn't take him to the vet because the local snake vet's not in today, and the other vet said she wasn't confident in diagnosing him. I bathed him in warm water last night for a little while, and put a large container of water in his enclosure to raise the humidity and he is heaps better today, he's not sticky anymore, and not nearly as mad as usual now he looks just like he usually does when he's coming into a shed, just yucky and dull. I'm confused, I don't even know if I should take him to the vet tomorrow, because now it's like nothing happened, and if it is something like a premature shed, they wouldn't be able to find anything out from doing bloods would they?
I don't know. Should I take him anyway, even though they're going to look at him and say he's fine? :s

I take back my comment about him being pleasant today. Little bastard just bit me on the face. After biting me on the hand. ***.

 

[disintegratus]

You could still take him just to be sure.. just because it's cleared up now doesn't mean it might not be a serious underlying condition causing it.. no mean to alarm but you never know! Your decision though.

Yeah I know, and I will. As he's not displaying symptoms any more, what can they do in terms of diagnosing? Do they do just blood tests or is there anything else? The only other times I've taken a snake to the vet was when one of the cats got to one of our hatchies (VERY lucky python not to end up a tasty treat), when I thought one of them had a resp infection (turns out he was just breathing, and I'm just paranoid), and when one had mites behind his eyes. And they never did blood tests at that point, it was always just treating the symptoms, so I don't know what other tools they have at their disposal. Can anyone enlighten me?

 

[Sezzzzzzzzz]

probably a really stupid question, but theres no tape or anything like that in his enclosure is there?

 

[disintegratus]

probably a really stupid question, but theres no tape or anything like that in his enclosure is there?

not a stupid question at al No, definitely no tape or anything like that at all.

 

[Bluetongue1]

Disintegratus, In the process of shedding they produce a fluid to separate the dead, outer epidermis that cannot be absorbed, from the new, developing epidermis underneath. Most of that fluid is reabsorbed prior to shedding, which is why a fresh shed and the snake feel moist and slightly sticky. It sounds like that fluid was leaking through the old "skin". If that was the case, then it should shed in the very near future. If and when it does, check the slough to see if it is torn in places or is generally thinner than usual. It is possible the snake may have damaged it itself or, alternatively, that it may have been damaged through handling at the wrong time. Bear in mind this is only a suggested possibility.

If the snake is acting normally, alert and not showing any signs of distress, I would simply continue to observe its behaviour and allow for the fact that it may be about to shed. There is nothing to be gained by taking an apparently healthy animal to the vet. If it begins to show any signs of abnormal behaviour or discolouration, then a vet visit is warranted. Make a written record of what happened when and keep it for future use, if needed. In the meantime, fingers crossed that all is now back to normal...

Blue

 

[disintegratus]

Thank you Bluetongue! He does appear to be going through the regular shedding process now, and this sounds logically as the most likely thing to have happened. Could this have been caused by handling him when freshly shed? Last time he shed I pulled him out of his enclosure as soon as I got home, and didn't notice his shed skin til I put him back in, it was still very moist even in the parts not rolled up, so I assume he was very "freshly shed"