I was told by my veterinarian to give my snakes with mites baths in mineral oil soaked paper towels twice a week.
I did this, twice to one boa (the first one with mites who gave them to the rest) and once to 7 other boas and 3 corn snakes. These snakes (Baths 6-19-03) are all darkened and shiny, but not a good shiny... and they are all shedding in pieces and having much trouble when they used to shed perfectly. Some, especially 2 boas and 1 corn snake, seem to have 'shed' off the outside layer of their skin(?) leaving each scale covering seperately stuck to the enclosure. They all seem to have come off seperately as none are attached to others. They were stuck to the enclsure with mineral oil. These 3 snakes seem to be especially sensitive as when I gave them a bath in water they seemed in pain and extremely stressed out compared to all the others.

All of these snakes colors have darkened and do not seem to be improving and it has been almost 6 weeks since the bath/s. Most are eating good...the one that had 2 baths has not eaten since.

I have attached a pic of a boa that had 1 bath and did not lose the outside coverings of her scales.

Please offer any advice on this matter...and please DO NOT give your snakes baths in mineral oil!!

Thank you.

-----
Nicole Gustafson
Coal's Constrictors (formerly Coal's Cold-Blooded Creations - changed to simplify and there is another 'Cold Blooded Creations'...I'm not trying to hide from anyone or anything!
Cook Minnesota

BOAS:
Gavin, Lydia, Hailee, and Jade ~ Dumeril's
Wyatt, Sheena, Shaylee, and Mary Jane ~ Columbian
Desdemona ~ Peruvian
Madeline ~ Surinam
Avery ~ Bolivian

CORNS:
Kiana and Sierra ~ Amel
Casper and Kissa ~ Anery
Tripp and Scarlet ~ Bloodred
Aidan ~ Ghost
Skylar ~ Anery Hurricane
Ariel ~ Striped Amel
Lily ~ Blizzard
Ambur ~ Creamsicle
Neva ~ Snow
Sage ~ Normal

BEARDED DRAGONS:
Divine ~ Silver Pastel
Christopher ~ Sandfire Red x Sandfire Yellow
Baby ~ Snow

CAT:
Morgan ~ Calico Tabby

DOGS:
Maximillion Vasco von Katzel and Len-Mar-'s Lexed Leas ~ AKC German Shepherds

HORSES:
Mateo ~ Palomino Paint Quarter Gelding
Chic ~ 3/4 Quarter 1/4 Arabian Bay Mare
Rayna ~ 7/8 Quarter 1/8 Arabian Palomino Filly
Dallas ~ Palomino Quarter Gelding
Banner ~ Red Dun Quarter Mare
Chance ~ Buckskin Dun Quarter Stud Colt

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