Reptile & Amphibian Forums

One day my wc mountain king developed a lump or cyst on its nose, I don't think a rodent bit her because I was feeding her f/t and prekilled. She went off adult mice and would only eat lizards. Now she has turned on to multiple live pinkies/fuzzies and I was happy with that. Well she has gone into a bad shed and looks like crap and feels weak. I've given her a mite oil treatment because it helps with skin probelms in general, but didn't help me assist her in shedding. What should I do???

Her set up, I was thinking of switching her substrate to peat for its natural antibiotic properties etc.

Thanks,

-Ryan

Holy smokes man!,.......that snake needs to be put in a container of very moistened fluffed-up spahagnum most ASAP!!

The very moist, humid environment is the only thing that will help it. You really should have done this a long time ago, as I am sure the humidity in it's environment is preventing it from shedding normally. Just leave it in the container with the very damp moss untill it can slough off the built up sheds.

Do this NOW!!

~Doug
-----
"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thanks, done:

Last time I checked on her she was just in blue. I've never had a snake have such a bad shed before. Her other sheds were just fine :/

An essential piece of habitat furniture. I cover the moss hide with a cardboard soda flat box for added privacy. Nobody ever suffers a bad shed.
-----
Bob/Chris
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire

Well, I think that is actually peat moss, not the fluffy sphagnum moss I was talking about. The real fluffy Sphagnum like these eggs were laid in allows the snake to crawl all in amongst it to really moisten the old shed much better. The stuff you have there will likely have the snake staying on top of it, but hopefully it will burrow in so it can help. If it doesn't, I would DEFINITELY get the fluffy kind of moss like in this photo. It works fantastically for bad sheds.

I have found that when the relative humidity falls below about 40 or so percent, that's when most shedding problems occur. When they are well above 40 percent, there are never any problems. That is when the humid-hides come in handy like "pyromaniac" has suggested.

good luck!

~Doug

-----
"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Orchid moss, or long fibered moss, is the kind to use. You can get that at garden centers in the orchid supply section. That is what is in DMong's picture and in my moss hides.
-----
Bob/Chris
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire

Thanks! I really should have added that info as well..

~Doug
-----
"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

Thanks, I think my stuff is coconut. I just used what I could at the moment, getting the actual fluffy stuff tomorrow and there will be a permanent moist hide. I do that with my green rat snakes I just haven't had any issues in the last few months with the z so didn't expect it :/

Thanks again.

.....later on in a couple days!

~Doug
-----
"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

No one thinks it could be a symptom of something else rather than just "a bad shed"?
I'm not so sure.....
Is the snake acting odd in any other way(s)?
No chance of zonata disease here?
:Mark
-----
Surrender Dorothy!

crimsonking.piczo.com/

Yes, I don't really know a whole lot about ZD personally, but this could also be a possibility I would guess?(shrug)

~Doug
-----
"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

!!!

Wow I did not know about zonata disease!

http://forum.kingsnake.com/king/messages/38660.html

The lower half of my Z's body feels limp and weak for sure

I've had allot of snakes and I've NEVER seen a bad shed anywhere near as extreme as this and it really took me by surprise.

Zonata do not do well in bone dry cages, they just do not, especially if the ambient humidity is low.

They prefer a humid and warm area and a cool area - as cool as you can reasonably go in your home. The humid area can dry out periodically between mistings, that is fine.

A plastic box with that New Zealand moss works very well. Place part of the box over the heat and part not on the heat. You don't even need a lid on it, just a box piled high with moss. Leave that in the cage always. This way you can keep the rest of the cage dry for easier maintenance.
-----
Mark

>>No one thinks it could be a symptom of something else rather than just "a bad shed"?
>>I'm not so sure.....
>>Is the snake acting odd in any other way(s)?
>>No chance of zonata disease here?

That is the exact thing that popped into my head when I saw the pics......Zonata disease......
It seems there has been some connection between very dry conditions and zonata disease. I suggest you should do as the others stated and quarantine this animals from the rest of your collection........
BTW....Every snake should have a moist hide in my honest opinion......
-----
John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

Same here when I saw the pics and of the setup.
My zonata, as well as my other mountain kings are actually kept on a somewhat moister setup, with cocofiber and cypress mulch as bedding, with larger water features.

I may get slammed for this by some zonata-heads but I have "heard" of someone having a zonata that had a complete recovery from zonata disease.......

Moisture was the key in this person's rehabilitation technique.......
-----
John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

I have always questioned whether ZD was caused by a contagion or whether it was the result of too dry and too warm of conditions. No evidence either way but providing moist conditions certainly seems to slow progression of the symptoms.
-----
Rick Staub

She will be in peat substrate with a large water bowl and moss in her cinder block hide, also covering half of the top with glass. That is of course if she makes it... Any other diseases associated with certain species here in CA? I never take in wc but the Z was too good to pass up.

>>I have always questioned whether ZD was caused by a contagion or whether it was the result of too dry and too warm of conditions. No evidence either way but providing moist conditions certainly seems to slow progression of the symptoms.

Thanks for chiming in Rick.......
-----
John Lassiter
Poor planning and procrastination on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part...
www.coastalbendcaptivebreeding.com

I'd be careful walking that fine line John.....LOL.....luckily it wasnt me but I've not heard of anyone having a FULL recovery. Email me as I wouldnt want to put anyone on blast.
-----
Jerry Kruse
www.zonatas.com

And God said, "Let there be zonata subspecies for all to ponder..."

BTW....Every snake should have a moist hide in my honest opinion......

I concur! LOL!
-----
Bob/Chris
Pyromaniac AKA Greatballzofire

I saw the same thing with a group of sub-adult zonata that I bought several years ago. One by one they all developed the symptoms that you mentioned in your post. I tried humidity changes (hides, substrate, etc), which helped with the symptoms but did not save the snakes. If you haven't done so already, separate them from the rest of your collection immediately.
-----
Paul Weaver
Carolina Herps

Man, hate to see a Z in that condition, as well as anyother snake as well. Use long fibered sphagnum as the others have suggested, but also try a nice, long, over night soak in some water. I have found that taking a tupperware container, or large deli cup, with lots of air holes filled with just enough water with some moss thrown in does the trick very well with stuck on sheds. My annulata went through a period of some rough sheds and a long overnight soak usually rendered the skin easy enough to slough off.
What spp is that zonata? I'd imagine it would be quite the looker when in top shape!

What ssp of zonata are we talking about in this case?
-----
Jerry Kruse
www.zonatas.com

And God said, "Let there be zonata subspecies for all to ponder..."