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Problem with a shed

Maloof

Maloof

New member
Hey guys, my corn shed yesterday and left a bit of skin on his tail around the vent. I soaked him and the shed slipped off to the end of his tail. The skin was not attached to his body per say, it was hanging off the end of his tail, attached only by a very small section (like 1/16th of an inch). Basically the skin was rolled off his body like a sock, and it was just hanging off the edge of his tail.

Well I tried to gently wipe it off with a bit of wet cloth, but he was so stressed from his first soak that he attempted to strike twice as I was doing it, so I stopped and put him back in his tank. I was hoping that after him moving around for a day the shed would dislodge and everything would be fine. Well I came home today to find that it was still there...

My question is: How should I get it off? Should I try giving him another soak? I can't just wipe him with a wet cloth as he's kind of odd. He handles fine but if you lightly touch him in any spot of his body he jerks away, which makes the wiping option impossible. Is there anything else I could try? Just for reference I used Nanci's soak method, which involves putting a rag in a tub and filling the tub with enough water to cover the rag. I'm kind of at a loss so any help is appreciated, thanks.
 
So another soak would be good. I heard that if I can I should try applying a small drop of vegetable oil to the tip of the tail and that would help loosen it up so he can get it off himself. Is this true or should I just soak until it comes off? Thanks for the help.
 
I gave him another 30 minute soak and it didn't come off. It did look like it moved down his tail a bit. I tried to gently nudge it off again and he attempted another strike, I figured these soakings would be extremely stressful for him so I put him back... Could I raise the humidity levels and hope it would work itself off? I would REALLY rather avoid another soak as he looks obviously stressed out each time he soaks. Please offer any advice you can because I'm very worried about the loss of blood flow to his tail. Thanks.
 
It's unlikely that increased humidity would help. I'd keep soaking, several times in a row. Do you have a nice rough or thick washcloth you can put in with him? Just soaking shouldn't be stressful.
 
t's unlikely that increased humidity would help. I'd keep soaking, several times in a row. Do you have a nice rough or thick washcloth you can put in with him? Just soaking shouldn't be stressful.

Every time I soaked him I put a fairly rough washcloth that is very textured in with him. I actually used your method of soaking Nanci, as I thought it would be the best. What did you mean by several times in a row?
 
^^ Whoops, sorry for posting what you did, I pasted it in while I was typing so I didn't forget what I was responding too =P
 
I mean, if you soak him, for 30 minutes, and then have him crawl through the washcloth, then just do it a couple more times, in a row. Maybe, very, very gently, have him crawl through a dry washcloth after his soak.
 
Let him crawl through a separate tub with a dry washcloth in it? I've just been soaking him, delicately trying to get the soak off, then letting him back in his tank.
 
He shed Tuesday and it's Saturday, I'm doing another soak now and I've decided to use an oil on the tip and massage him. At this point I don't care about him striking I just really want this shed off soon. Is it better to use olive or canola oil to try to rub the shed off? Please help because I fear he may lose his tail soon.
 
I just finished another rather lengthy soak, and I tried my hardest to rub some vegetable oil on him but nothing happened. These daily soakings and me rubbing his tail must be extremely stressful and unhealthy for him, is there anything else I can do? I can't get a good rub on the tail because he's FAR too jittery after a soak, as soon as I touch him his whole body flinches a foot away. I fear he's going to lose the tip of his tail soon, as I can see the shed is causing a little indent on the end of his tail... I would really appreciate any other ideas, thanks.
 
Maloof said:
I just finished another rather lengthy soak, and I tried my hardest to rub some vegetable oil on him but nothing happened. These daily soakings and me rubbing his tail must be extremely stressful and unhealthy for him, is there anything else I can do? I can't get a good rub on the tail because he's FAR too jittery after a soak, as soon as I touch him his whole body flinches a foot away. I fear he's going to lose the tip of his tail soon, as I can see the shed is causing a little indent on the end of his tail... I would really appreciate any other ideas, thanks.
Click to expand...

He isn't going to loose the tip of his tail soon. It's too soon for that. Just settle down a bit and relax, you have a bit of time. I have one snake, yearling and no matter what I do, she has a terrible shed. I mean this girl is awful and it comes off in pieces and everything. Regardless of how much I try to moisten her or put her in moss or whatever. She always has that bit of skin, still stuck on her tail at the end of it all.

I usually get this off by gently and I mean "gently" rubbing my fingernail down across it. Moving from head to tail and seeing if I can get a bit of it. Then it usually slides off like a, for lack of a better term, a condom. This is after I have soaked her a couple of times and tried rubbing her with a damp cloth and everything else your supposed to do.

I have never quite figured out why she has a shedding issue and out of 16 snakes, she is the only one. I don't worry about her and I deal with it every 4-5 weeks when she sheds. I personally think she is my special baby that just needs a little extra attention.

Hope this helps and good luck!!
 
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