Dead Tail-blonde mac spotted python

[spinksnakes]

Hi all
I have a spotted python (hatchie) and its only had a few sheds, and on the last shed, i noticed that it didnt shed the tip of the tail. i thought that i would just leave it for a while. but its not sheding it. now it looks like it is dead and that it is about to fall off. i was just wondering if i needed to treat it, or take it to a vet, or just leave it alone.
thanks

 

[Leeloofluff]

Take it to a vet that happened to a snake of someone I knew, they left the tail tip on after a shed and it had to be amputated. The tissue dies from no blood flow. Vet trip asap

 

[MSD Reptiles]

From what ive read gangrene could be something that you need to be concerned with... can someone shed (no pun intended) some light on that???

 

[notechistiger]

Take it to the vet. Always remove unshed skin.

 

[congo_python]

Just a vital pointer in snake husbandry.... do not leave a bad shed 'to see what happens' ever again, as you obviously see the results are not reversible. As soon as you see any shed skin left on after a shed, soak the snake in appropriate temperature water ie 28c for 15 mins and manually remove shed in the direction of scales so the skin is not retained.

Cheers
Congo

 

[spinksnakes]

ok thanks guys
i am going to take it to a vet today
thanks
ill post what happened when i get back

bad news guys
havent been able to get the snake to a vet
have to wait about 2 days

 

[Fantazmic]

there is absolutely nobody you can see ????????

 

[ForgottenXo]

Have you tried to soak the shed off at all?
This happened to one of my mates hatchies last season, he didnt get the shed off in time and the tip of her tail fell off. She now has the backend of a ball python.
One of our male coastals always seems to retain the tip...we give him a soak in some warmish water, hold the skin and let him wriggle out himself, works for him every time
Good luck!

 

[Venomous_RBB]

ok thanks guys
i am going to take it to a vet today
thanks
ill post what happened when i get back

bad news guys
havent been able to get the snake to a vet
have to wait about 2 days

Do what Congo said then? It is hard to get into a vet around here as well, a reptile vet that is*
However as I said, do what Congo suggested you do.

 

[Ramsayi]

Do what Congo said then? It is hard to get into a vet around here as well, a reptile vet that is*
However as I said, do what Congo suggested you do.

Too late for that suggestion as going by the description of the problem the tail tip is already dead.

 

[shrinkie]

my dimond as a hatchie had a few bad sheds and wasnt getting his shed off in one peice instead it would come off in lil bits so one night while i was going for a shower i decided to sit him on top off the showerscreen in the steam he loved it and that night the rest of his dead skin came off so now when his eyes go blue and his skin goes pale i put him in the steam and then back in his enclosure and he has perfect sheds- hope this helps and good luck !

 

[TheCheshireCat]

A way I have always used to remove retained sheds is to put between 1-5cm (depending on snake size) of tepid water in to a storage container, add a drop of dish washing liquid and gently place the snake in for 2 minutes with the lid on.
Pull them out, remove the skin and dry them off with paper towel.

The dish washing liquid breaks the waters surface tension therefore making the water "wetter"

 

[spinksnakes]

A way I have always used to remove retained sheds is to put between 1-5cm (depending on snake size) of tepid water in to a storage container, add a drop of dish washing liquid and gently place the snake in for 2 minutes with the lid on.
Pull them out, remove the skin and dry them off with paper towel.

The dish washing liquid breaks the waters surface tension therefore making the water "wetter"

i dont think that the dish washer liquid would be good for it though

 

[GeckoJosh]

i dont think that the dish washer liquid would be good for it though

A drop of biodegradable dishwashing liquid in a tub of water is not going to harm a snake, it is actually a common "non-chemical" treatment for mites

 

[TheCheshireCat]

i dont think that the dish washer liquid would be good for it though

It's tail is falling off...I doubt anything but vet treatment is going to help the poor thing.

That method is meant to be used like a day or 2 after they don't shed completely, not weeks after like you have left yours

 

[ForgottenXo]

I agree, this seems far too progressed to be treated with soaking in water. Definately highlights the need tk check for retained sheds on your animals i would get it to a vet as soon as possible.

Kayte Xo

 

[Pythoninfinite]

Some retained shed on the body - not usually a big problem... retained shed on tail, ALWAYS must be removed asap. The constriction applied by the old skin will reduce circulation until the tissue dies. You can, in fact, leave the animal in water with a drop of detergent for several hours or overnight if need be. On the other hand, events such as this don't usually cause anything more than disfigurement - they rarely become infected, the dead portion just dries up and drops off after some time. It is not uncommon to find wild pythons without the tips of their tails, presumably because this happens in the wild fairly frequently.

Jamie

 

[thomasssss]

pythoninfinite last summer my mate and i found a coastal in his sisters guinea pig cage with the tip of its tail gone , it was rounded off just after the clouca and had healed over pretty well by the looks of it he was a big healthy guy that got in there to eat his sisters Guinea pigs then was to fat to escape the cage the only way we could work out that it got into the cage was through a tiny gap that it must of just got its head into then forced itself through

 

[Pythoninfinite]

pythoninfinite last summer my mate and i found a coastal in his sisters guinea pig cage with the tip of its tail gone , it was rounded off just after the clouca and had healed over pretty well by the looks of it he was a big healthy guy that got in there to eat his sisters Guinea pigs then was to fat to escape the cage the only way we could work out that it got into the cage was through a tiny gap that it must of just got its head into then forced itself through

Yes Thomas, they can get rough surprisingly small openings. I found a large intergrade (almost 3m) in one of our Macaw aviaries a few years back, and the only way in was a rat hole.

Jamie