Marnie's Snakes

[EasternGirl]

I am very concerned about Hermes and his sheds. He had another problem shed tonight. This one was really bad...I looked in his enclosure and it looked like it was flaking off everywhere instead of coming off the way sheds normally do...I noticed it was still around his eyes and mouth and that he was doing open mouth breathing to get air...so I quickly put him in a tub of warm water and started removing the shed by hand as fast as I could. The shed didn't want to come off properly, it was coming off in little bits and pieces. I finally got it off around his eyes...and I think I got everything off around his mouth...I think I got all of it off...he started breathing normally...but I'm worried about the stress of that whole experience...I just don't know...now I'm concerned because of what I had to put him through. I don't understand what in the world is going on with his shedding...all of the other snakes are shedding fine. His humidity was up around 40% and 50% the last couple of days. I have been misting...and I even put him in a little tub of water to swim for a minute last night. I don't know what is causing this.

[InsanePirateDragon]

Would a moist hide help possibly? I've found thats what helps sheds sometimes. Marley had one for the first month and Fry uses one.

[kibakiba]

Retained sheds can suffocate them, that's probably why he had his mouth open.

[EasternGirl]

Well it wasn't retained...he was due to shed and everything was going normal until he tried to get it off and then everything went haywire...he was trying to get it off since last night. He doesn't seem to be able to get his sheds off anymore. His first shed was perfect, then his second shed he had a bit of trouble...then his third shed...he got it down off of his head and face but couldn't get it any further..I had to take that one off too...but when I got it off, it came off in one piece. They just keep getting worse...this one, he started trying to get it off last night...he was going down under his substrate and rubbing his face around a lot. So I put him in some warm water for a couple of minutes...and then I let him go about his business, hoping he would get it off on his own today. But then I looked in there tonight and it was flaking off all over the place and he was gasping...so I rushed and helped him...but even when I took it off...it came off in weird pieces...and it didn't want to come off. So I'm trying to figure out what is causing this...and should I maybe change his substrate to something that holds humidity better and that he can rub the shed off in? I could add a moist hide around shed time...put some sphagnum moss in a hide for him. InsanePirateDragon...what do you use for a moist hide?

[kimbosaur]

I've been having a really similar experience with my albino checkered!

First shed was perfect. Second shed came off in two pieces on her own. Third shed was similar to what you described: down a little past her head and completely tattered, the rest came off in one piece when I helped her out.

I don't know if you remember, but she was having skin issues not too long ago. I raised the humidity like crazy in the tank - especially at night. I find if you put a warm, soaked towel on a flat dish and cover the top overnight, it really keeps it high overnight. I used the bottom of a take-out box. Then I aired it out during the day. Surprisingly, her last shed came off perfect when I did this. She is currently in shed again. I saw cloudy eyes a couple of days ago. We'll see what happens this time...

[InsanePirateDragon]

You can use wet paper towels or soaked moss that provides a bit more humidity to help with shedding in a space that the critter can go into on its own. They're nothing too fancy, mine's made out a gladware plastic container.




You cut a hole in the side or the top to allow them to get in and make sure the sharp edges are covered. Some melt the edges or use duct tape.

[katach]

Is that tape?

[InsanePirateDragon]

Yeah its a duct tape. I replace it ever so often because it does wear out but it can deal with a little while. I didn't have much luck trying to melt it and I went through a couple of containers and luckily the containers are pretty cheap and you get a few in the set.

But this is what it looks like being used by Fry,

[EasternGirl]

Yeah...word of caution...don't ever use tape of any kind on anything for your snakes...if they get caught on the tape, it can tear their skin, rip off their tongues...all kinds of horrible things. We had a member lose a snake because of tape. Tape is a big "no no" with garters. But I get the idea...and thank you...I had a plastic bowl with some moss in it before that Hermes liked to slither around in...I will make him something like that for shed time.

[RedSidedSPR]

Doesn't matter how safe you think it is, or whether you think it can get to the tape or not. They will find a way.

No tape.