| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| klg0702 |
Posted - 20/09/2010 : 12:35:42
I've just purchased my first baby corn snake, who I have named lola :)
Because shes my first snake, Im worrying alot about her, because I dont really know what to expect.
She has been feeding really well for the last 3 weeks, but suddenly she has gone off her food. I have tried her twice today, and she still seems uninterested.
Also her eyes has gone slightly cloudy, and her scales on her bottom half have gone a greyish shade.
I have read that this can be a sign of her shedding her skin soon,But most sites claim that her head is the first place id be able to see the signs of a shed.
Is that true?
And if she is about to shed, how can I make it more comfortable for her?
Shes currently got, If i remember rightly off the top of my head, Coconut husk for a substrate, as I read that it would help her shed as it retains moisture.
If anyones got any tips or advice, Id really appreciate it
Thank you! |
| 17 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 02/10/2010 : 09:58:59
quote:
Originally posted by klg0702
I have tried her twice today, and she still seems uninterested.
quote:
Originally posted by klg0702
Shes still uninterested in food though, how many days will it take before she regains her appetite?
how often are you trying her with food?
if there are no other reasons not to feed most corns will eat immediately after shedding (given the opportunity!) |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 02/10/2010 : 09:52:46
quote:
Originally posted by FiestaSTLou
GP funny you say that, my royals always had apsen and a month or so ago we tried orchid bark, it was very wet and when he went into shed he had a really really bad one, he has always shed perfect before in the past, do you think the wetness was that reason then? we have switched back to aspen now btw :)
it could well be!
if the shedding skin gets too damp it becomes very fragile and tears which can cause a patchy shed........it's getting the balance right  |
| Kellog |
Posted - 29/09/2010 : 05:51:08
quote:
Originally posted by klg0702
hello :)
Lola shed on monday night, while I was out! haha
Shes still uninterested in food though, how many days will it take before she regains her appetite?
Its been just over a week now, so im starting to get a bit worried
Thansk again for the help :) x
I am so glad she shed....and I did warn you that you would miss it, I bet she did that on purpose  ! She must look beautiful and shiny and new now  .
Corns can go a long time without food, so try not to worry too much (easy to type and hard to do, I know). Wait until she is next due a feed and then try offering it to her again....dont be tempted to offer her food more often than that as it will just stress her. It may help to warm the pinkie up and brain it, slit the skull from the back of the head to the nose to expose the brain....disgusting I know but the smell really helps kick start their feeding instinct.
Are you weighing her? If not then it would be a good idea to start, you can get cheap digital scales at Argos that are perfect and put her in a container suitable to her size. I weigh mine before every feed. That way, if this continues, we can see if she is losing weight and how much.
I really hope she feeds for you next time....please keep us up to date.
xxx
|
| FiestaSTLou |
Posted - 28/09/2010 : 14:55:45
great news that she shed :) try her again at the weekend and see if she takes it :) its nothing major to worry about if she dosnt eat for a few weeks. |
| klg0702 |
Posted - 28/09/2010 : 14:12:31
hello :)
Lola shed on monday night, while I was out! haha
Shes still uninterested in food though, how many days will it take before she regains her appetite?
Its been just over a week now, so im starting to get a bit worried
Thansk again for the help :) x |
| Kellog |
Posted - 25/09/2010 : 04:27:32
Has Lola shedded yet Kirsty? If not a few hints as to what to look out for. You will have realised by now that after her eyes go cloudy and her colour dulls, everything clears up and it looks as though she has shed although there isnt a shed skin! Nothing to worry about, it can take 4/5 days from when they clear up to when they shed (although it just took Silvesta 10 days  , so all snakes are different!).
What you need to look out for then is her being a bit more active, then rubbing her head along the sides of her viv, hide, any branches, etc. This happens because she is trying to loosen the shed from around her jaw....and once that has loosened then it can happen very quickly! But be warned....I am convinced there is a corn-conspiracy ! They seem to wait until their owners leave the room and then slip out of their old skin and slither round quite happily in their new bright colours showing them off when their owners return to the room....with their old skin lying forlorn in the corner . Seriously though, a lot of corns shed at night and I know a number of members havent had the chance to see their corns shed....despite keeping them for a number of years. So I really do hope you get lucky and get to see Lols shed.
What is vital once she has shed is checking the shed skin for the eye caps and tail tip....as if these are retained they can cause problems. If the shed is not a clean one then you know where you can come for help .
xxx
|
| FiestaSTLou |
Posted - 21/09/2010 : 09:38:00
GP funny you say that, my royals always had apsen and a month or so ago we tried orchid bark, it was very wet and when he went into shed he had a really really bad one, he has always shed perfect before in the past, do you think the wetness was that reason then? we have switched back to aspen now btw :) |
| gingerpony |
Posted - 21/09/2010 : 08:00:23
i'd definitely avoid coconut husk substrate as the humidity will be far too high. a damp enclosure can actually hinder a snake shedding if it normally sheds fine |
| ryanred5 |
Posted - 20/09/2010 : 22:26:54
If shes only in a small hatchling box or RUB you could put kitchen roll in it, its absorbant, easy to clean out and you can buy a cheap brand so its also not too expensive either. |
| mikeyd_26 |
Posted - 20/09/2010 : 17:30:48
you could also use kitchen roll if your concerned about using newspaper :] |
| klg0702 |
Posted - 20/09/2010 : 17:24:37
Thanks for all the advice :)
Im getting rid of the coconut husk as the whole substrate. I read that someone suggested newspaper.. Shall I shred it? and is it safe with all the ink on there?
I would replace it with the wood chip, but we've taken a trip to my boyfriends, so Ive only got household items and this coconut husk stuff with me.
Thanks again for any advice you can give, its really appreciated! x |
| FiestaSTLou |
Posted - 20/09/2010 : 13:02:11
yep its deffo shedding, just leave her be, if she hasnt taken any food its unlikely she will til after she sheds, this is totally normal, some eat some dont. just leave her be and soon u will have a shiney snake :) |
| BHAFC72 |
Posted - 20/09/2010 : 12:52:50
Sounds just like she is going into shed.It's normal for snakes to go off there food so i wouldn't worry to much.Try not to hassle her while she is in this process as they feel vulnerable .All 3 of my snakes have just shed perfectly recently without any trouble or assistance from me. |
| drchino |
Posted - 20/09/2010 : 12:51:32
Definitely sounds like she's about to shed, don't worry if she's gone off her food. You may find that she'll be look all cloudy for a while and then look completely normal. Don't worry about this either, after a few days she'll shed for you! She might shed after a few days or it might take her over a week, this is totally normal.
To help her out with the shed you can put a water bowl on the hot side of the viv to raise the humidity or even wet a towel with warm water and let her run through it.
Not sure about the coconut husk, generally corn snakes shouldn't have too much humidity as they can get respiratory infections. Hopefully someone can confirm if its ok or not for you, if its not then it may be an idea to move on to something like aspen.
Also, once she's shed make sure that theres no dead skin left on her. Check the tail or the skin to see if its complete and also that the eye caps have come off.
Hope this helps and I hope that you get to see her shed for the first time as its an amazing sight! |
| gmac |
Posted - 20/09/2010 : 12:51:23
Corns can show signs of shedding in many different ways, they all vary. It does look like it is going into shed though. I would just let her be and see how the shed goes.
Corns do not need additional humidity normal room humidity is generally. To much humididty can cause several health issues including Respitory Infections, The bestter substrates are Aspen, Aubiose, kitchen roll and newspaper even. I would recommend changing over from your coconut husk to something more suitable for a corn. This link will give you information on substrate substrate. |
| Stacii |
Posted - 20/09/2010 : 12:45:54
id suggest having aspen substrate and placing a oss box in the tank as this can aid shedding, im not sure about coconut husk, although many snakes dont need any help you just have to check that they have fully shed once they are done and help them remove any retained shed |
| mikeyd_26 |
Posted - 20/09/2010 : 12:42:54
if she's going to shed theres a good chance she won't eat some snakes do and some don't.
but more than likely will eat quite readily after she has shed, so try not to worry too much :]
I'm not sure about the coconut husk but i'm sure sum 1 can help with that |
