Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my blood has only shed the very last about 2-3in of his tail and hasnt tried to get it off his head.he just dont seem to want to get it off at all.i have soaked him for 30 minutes and then put him in a pillow case with a wrung out towel and put it in the cage to keep him warm.after that i soaked him again and put a heat lamp on his soaking tank to keep him warm and hes still soaking.does any body know of a good why to help him get the skin off his head and finish shedding.

when that happens with mine, i just mist the area down really good with lukewarm water and then gently pull the shed off.
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1.1.0 Colombian Redtail Boas
2.1.0 Sumatran Blood Pythons
1.0 Black Blood Python
1.0 Dumeril's Boa
0.1 Coastal Carpet Python
0.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0 Texas Tiger Salamander

i got all the shed off him but his head and a few spots that were stuck.if its not all off tomarrow morning then im going to soak him again and then if it still dont come off then i will put him back in the pillow case with a damp towel and see what happends after that.

however, eyecaps are a bit trickier. here's a link for some methods http://www.joecompelreptiles.com/ball_bits/poor_shed/index.asp

http://www.joecompelreptiles.com/ball_bits/retained_cap/index.asp
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1.1.0 Colombian Redtail Boas
2.1.0 Sumatran Blood Pythons
1.0 Black Blood Python
1.0 Dumeril's Boa
0.1 Coastal Carpet Python
0.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0 Texas Tiger Salamander

thanks for the sites i might try the tape thing tomarrow if he doesnt get it off by him self.i dont know about it for sure though it sounds a little risky but i might consider it if i have to it looks fairly easy and dont look like it hurt the snake so i dont know.have you dont this before?

what i sometimes will use is a product called "shead-ease" which helps to loosen the shed. remember that it wont hurt the snake if the shed stays on until the next shed, provided that both layers of the shed come off the next time. one of my (former) snakes was blind for a month. no im lucky to have not had to resort to using tape.
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1.1.0 Colombian Redtail Boas
2.1.0 Sumatran Blood Pythons
1.0 Black Blood Python
1.0 Dumeril's Boa
0.1 Coastal Carpet Python
0.1 Jungle Carpet Python
1.0 Texas Tiger Salamander

yeah i dont know if i want to risk it something could go wrong and i dont want to hurt the little guy.i think i will just keep soaking him and let him do it him self.i dont want to leave any shed on him so if i have to i will use the tape method but only if i have to.

I've had great luck with a Zoo Med product called Shedding Aid. It loosens skin real fast especially with soaking. The tape works but is a little hard on the eye if the caps stuck hard. This stuff is safe for the eyes and repeated sprays will loosen mutiple eye caps. They rub right off. My record was 11 eye caps from a ball python. Don't think I'm A bad keeper, I own a pet shop and what I see would sicken you. Don't soak in tap water. Use Reverse Osmoses Water or Distilled. The Chlorine in tap water will dry a reptiles skin.

Mike Peter

thanks for telling me about the water i didntk now that it would dry the scales.i finaly got all the shed of him but i think he still has a retained eye cap.i peeled them off but ithink the clear part stayed im not sure.the other eye is a lot clearer then the other like it is still cloudy looking.could it be a eyecap or will it just go away after awhile.

If you can't find the Shedding Aid, rub a little Sweet Oil on the cap. It may take a couple of applications but it should loosen it. An eye cap isn't that big a deal but the snake may keep trying to get it off and could irritate the eye and cause infection. See how yours does to guide you on how aggessive you need to be. Sweet oil is a high grade olive oil sold in drug stores. Won't hurt the snake. I've used scotch tape as a last resort with out harm on single caps. Multiple cap it can be quite irritating.

Mike

Hey,
Just wondering where you got the information regarding chlorine in tap water from. I have and continue to use tap water for more then 30 years for my herps with no ill effects from it. I live in NYC, and the water here although, not the quality of spring or RO, or even distilled, has not caused any harm to my herps. In fact I use it all the time to soak my bloods and short-tails and other herps in; chondro's too, all the time and have not had a single incident where a snake was unable to remove its shed. Oh, did you I mention that the NYC tap water is also, the primary drinking supply for the herps too.

In my view, if any herp is having problems with a shed, then there is something wrong with the primary husbandry application. If these techniques are corrected on the part of the keeper, then their should be a reduced incidence of dry sheds and other herp related shed conditions. JM2C!
-Angel
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In life you can fall many times, but you're only a failure, if you don't try to get back up!
Evil Canevil

Well Angel, I don't know one way or another, but..
I've read that NYC water is considered so fine that it has been bottled and sold as it comes from the tap. Out here in the Wild West, much of our water is waaay hard and laced with more chlorine than you'll find in public pool. Hell, in Shoshone, world-renowned Gateway to Death Valley, there are signs all over town (total of 3)advising against any drinking of local tap water. No additives here: natural mineral content includes a host of salts including arsenic. So couple water qualities with our low humidity (today: Santa Ana Winds = 9%)...there maybe something to it.