Children's python hatchling with scale problems

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Schmerah

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image.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgimage.jpgMy 10 week old children's python shed just before last weekend & since then has had a dry matte looking patch of skin near the end of his tail.
Some of his scales on his underbelly have turned yellow & dry & look to be keeling off.
Have been spraying him with shedding spray & bathing him daily but not sure it's getting better.
Want to take him to a vet however can't make it until tomorrow afternoon.
Have only had him for 4 weeks. His shed wasn't that great & he seems to only eat once a fortnight. He refused the weekend I got him & then the weekend before he shed.

Hes kept in a 30x30 enclosure with heat mat which takes up half enclosure, desert sand, water dish, hide, vine & a couple fake plants.
Temp in there is around 28 degrees.
Hoping he isn't burnt or something because his heat mat is too hot or too big? Help!
 

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The sand could be causing problems with the belly scales, hard to tell what you mean by scales keeling off without a photo.

I suggest you make the heated area 1/3 of the tank and turn it up to 32-33deg, ditch the desert sand and use newspaper until all problems are sorted out and you have a better understanding of the benefits and downsides to different substrates.

I'm sure someone will come along soon and explain how to upload a photo.
 
The food refusal prior to shedding is pretty normal. The refusal when you first got it may have just been that it hadnt settled in yet.
Its a bit hard to see the photos on my phone but does it appear that some of the skin didnt shed off in patches? Look on the edges of the patches for a flakey bit of skin, sometimes a bit of retained skin will lift a little on the edge.
 
The food refusal prior to shedding is pretty normal. The refusal when you first got it may have just been that it hadnt settled in yet.
Its a bit hard to see the photos on my phone but does it appear that some of the skin didnt shed off in patches? Look on the edges of the patches for a flakey bit of skin, sometimes a bit of retained skin will lift a little on the edge.
Don't think it hasn't shed off. Looks like too much has come off. The shiny scales seem to be over the top of the matte scales if that makes sense
 
From what I can make out in this pic it looks like retained shed. I have centred the photo so the part that makes me think that its a retained shed is in the very middle of the photo. It looks like there is a patch in the middle that has shed and the surrounding area is retained. This patch looks to be dry and flakey and have an edge. If this is the case you can secure the snake in a dampened pillow case for an hour or so and this should be enough to start the process of the skin peeling off. Dont force or pull on the skin though.

ImageUploadedByTapatalk1390108467.356976.jpg
Silly me. Forgot to include pic
 
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As Slide stated... Retained shed... Do pillow case method and feed snake through hands and should roll off nicely
 
Trying the pillow case thing now. Friend of mine had a look a him n thinks he is just dry? Would that explain the yellow flaky scales underneath?
 
Cant comment on the belly scales as its difficult to see them clearly

How did you get on?
 
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Cant comment on the belly scales as its difficult to see them clearly

How did you get on?


he still had the dry patch of skin on his back. But the dry scales on his belly are getting better
he ate again since my post & has been pretty active. We have replaced the sand in his enclosure with Kritter crumble

but now it looks like his individual scales are falling off. I had him in my hand & as he crawls through my fingers I noticed some little scales over my hand.
Have read that it should fix itself with the next shed?
 
Have you considered changing substrate to paper towel in the meantime until the problem is resolved?
 
As people have stated, newspaper is the best substrate untill the problem is solved and the snake is all healed.
 
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