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Shedding Emergency

R

Rocky Raccoon

New member
Okay so Ive been really busy and my girl started her shed last week. The first time it took her a couple days so I didnt bother her at all. Well her feeding schedule arrived and I didnt feed her expecting her to eat so she went about 4 days after scheduled date and she still had not shed so I fed her. Well she has got off about the first 2 or 3 inches of the shed and about the last two inches on her tail. So the emergency is this she still has most of her body tightly wrapped in skin and its really tight on her. Since she wont be able to poop or urinate since the skin is still on her I am afraid she may poop in the skin and it will be stuck to her. I have soaked her about two to three times in warm water, Ive tried using a warm washcloth and even a more "scratchy" green pad. She doesnt really care that the skin is on her but Im worried. What can I do at this point because Ive become frantic and almost out of options. She hates to be soaked and when she does she usually poops so that is keeping me from soaking her again. She I make a humid hide for her and how would I go about doing that? Thank you for reading and I hope someone can help me because this bad shed has gone on wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy to long.
 
Here's some quick ideas so you can feel okay, but I hope someone Else comes along who has real expertise.

1. To make a moist hide simply take a Tupperware with the lid on that is about the size you think your corn would be comfortable in. Cut a hole in the side big enough for the snake to get through plus a little extra. Fill up the container with moist moss (sphagnum is preferable), but if you don't have any moss (that has NO chemicals on it!) then fill it will moist paper towels. Put the Tupperware in her cage for her to hide in. Sphagnum moss can be bought at garden stores I think.

2. If she's pooping in the water then she obviously can poop[, so there's nothing to worry about there, and unless the shed has been on for a number of days or even weeks (I hope not) I wouldn't worry about ti being tight. I would worry simply because the shed should come off in hours.

3. What's the ambient moisture in her tank? I would boost it to 60-70% now to help her out. I find wetting the substrate helps keep the ambient humidity up a lot.

4. Does she have rough places to rub against to get the skin loose? It sounds like she does since she started the shed, but make sure she has some rough wood or something in the cage to rub against.

I don't know what else to suggest, but hopefully someone else can give you more help. Soaking and rubbing (gently of course) her is the best advvice I think anyone can give.

I'm a little confused about some things, though. How long has it been since she went blue? And how long has she had the skin partly off?

Hope that helps!! Hope your corn's okay!!
 
Whether she likes soaking or not, or poops or not while soaking, it is a good thing to do to soften the old skin. How long do you leave her in the water? I would put her in tepid (70-80 degree) water that is just deep enough for her to rest on the bottom and keep her head above the surface while her whole body is underwater, and leave her in there for 30-60 mins. It won't hurt her as long as she isn't trying to swim the whole time and can rest on the bottom. Then use the damp towel to slide the soft, loosened skin down her body. I have to do similar things for a few of my snakes and they are no worse for wear. Good luck.
 
Yah she is crazy and will swim and try to get out the entire time is why I usually have to assist her. I bought stuff to make a humid hide and will put that over her uth so its warm and humid for her. Hopefully this will do the trick.
 
Both my babies shed within 2 days of each other. Brogan our newest baby had his first shed with us and it was HORRIBLE. I put him in a tupperware with a moist washcloth for an hour and the rest finally came of. Bree shed 2 days later perfectly in one nice piece. So I dont' know if it's the humidity in my apartment or just what caused Brogan to shed bad, but I do know I will certainly use a moist hide for his next shed.
 
I tried the hide and she didnt take so now Im going to use a warm wash cloth in a tupperware container with holes in the lid for air and leave her in there so she can maybe rub on it and HOPE she doesnt freak out. Any tips for soaking her, it isnt as easy as it sounds.
 
this is what I did for my snake's unshed tail, and it worked perfectly. I was worried too cause i misted, gently rubbed, soaked, tried the wet washcloth in a bin and everything- nothing seemed to work to get that tail cap off.

what DID work, was putting about 1 cm of water into a rubbermaid container, and then sticking gobs of toilet paper in there, until there is just enough to soak up all the water. They should be sopping wet, and cover the bottom completely.

Then put your snake in, leave for 5-10 min, come back and check.... if it's not off, leave for another 5-10, come back and check.

I found it was MUCH less stressful than soaking, because she was still on "solid" ground (ie. sopping wet toilet paper gobs) but it was still damp enough to get it off.
 
What I ended up doing was putting warm water in a gladware container with a warm washcloth in there as well and poking air holes in the lid and putting her inside of it for about 20 minutes until the water cooled off, then repeating the process. After the second round I took her out grabbed a hold of the loose piece near her neck and she wiggled out of it for me as if to say hey thanks just hold on. So it worked, thank you everyone who replied. Im glad she is okay now and I know now what to do if she ever gets in that situation again. It was kinda cute to see her in a little homemade steamroom, lucky lil' buggers. Thanks again, me + corncob.
 
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