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hansolo
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
9 Posts |
 Posted - 03/01/2015 : 23:05:53
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Hello, I picked up my snake yesterday and he has been happily chilling out in his faunarium.
However, while I have been sat admiring him slither around his faun I noticed the very tip of his tail still has some skin on it that didn't shed off. The lady said his last shed was around 2 weeks ago. I am just wondering what I need to do to help remove it. Will a soak in some warm water be enough for it to come off? What would be a good temperature for the water? Would it be ok to leave him for the week or should I try to sort it out a little sooner?
Thanks for the help |
   Basil |
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Hypo
Snake Mite
9 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2015 : 00:35:24
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| I'm totally unqualified to answer this one but I've read of others letting their snake go through a damp flannel to help with a retained shed, not sure how that works with the do not handle for a week rule though. I'm sure someone who has more experience will have some good ideas for you |
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Razee
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
2525 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2015 : 09:02:32
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If it's been there for 2 weeks, it will definitely need sorting out. Is there any chance you could post a picture of it, just to be sure it is a stuck shed?
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0.1.0 late CB10 Carolina corn snake - Bazilishka
1.0.0 CB11 Abbots Okeetee- Little Twiddler
1.0.0 CB11 Hypo corn- Sebastianek
1.0.0. CB14 Butter Motley - Squidwood
0.0.2 CB18 normal/ Okeetee yearlings Bunny and Lalalishka
0.0.1 hognose
0.1.0 stable cat
0.1.0 house cat |
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Razee
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
2525 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2015 : 11:32:36
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Right, back from doing the horses :-)
You could do 2 things: one, make a moist hide for him, and see it the tail tip comes off by itself, but I think the chances are slim, as it's been stuck for a while. Second option - you'll need to try to get it off yourself. The skin needs to be soaked, so you could give the snakey a bath ( probably easiest, as hatchlings are so fast, difficult to handle, their tails are tiny and they hate having their tail touched ).
Take a plastic box, put cca half a centimetre deep water in it - around 28 C, NOT warmer, as the snakey could get a temperature shock ( I nearly killed my poor Baz, as a hatchling, when bathing her in " luke warm water - it was about 36 C and she went into shock... ). Put him in, and let him crawl/ swim around, making sure the tail tip is under water. Supervise him all the time, in case he panics or starts drowning... keep him in for around 10 minutes, then let him crawl in a towel on your lap, or your fingers, and try gently pressing on the tail, as he crawls through. Gently - it's possible there could be more than one shed stuck...
Another option - though probably not good for hatchlings, as they are tiny and fast - is to take a tiny piece of toilet tissue, or cotton wool, wet it, and wrap his tail in it. Keep it wet for around 10 mins, then, again, try to gently rub the skin off.
If it's just one layer of shed, and it's well soaked, you shouldn't have a problem. If there are more layers and have been there for a while, his tip might have started to die back...but, hopefully, this won't be the case.
I must say, what a way to introduce you to snake keeping, right in at the deep end :-) Well done for spotting the retained shed, though, it can be tricky, especially on little ones. |
0.1.0 late CB10 Carolina corn snake - Bazilishka
1.0.0 CB11 Abbots Okeetee- Little Twiddler
1.0.0 CB11 Hypo corn- Sebastianek
1.0.0. CB14 Butter Motley - Squidwood
0.0.2 CB18 normal/ Okeetee yearlings Bunny and Lalalishka
0.0.1 hognose
0.1.0 stable cat
0.1.0 house cat |
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coxymk2
Sub Adult
United Kingdom
1245 Posts |
Posted - 04/01/2015 : 11:43:29
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| Hello and welcome |
0.0.1 ANERY (Liquorice)
0.0.1 CAROLINA (Bangle)
0.0.1 AMEL (Boozer)
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hansolo
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
9 Posts |
Posted - 11/01/2015 : 01:14:13
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Well I just gave him a bath. I got out a washing up bowl, filled it with water that was 27C and put a layer of kitchen towel down so he'd have something to sit on (I wasn't sure how deep he could cope with)
He seemed very fidgety and not very happy about it but I tried to keep everything calm and slow.
I slowly lowered his head towards the water so he could check it all out and I noticed he started drinking straight away. Could this mean he's not drinking in his faun? I give him bottled water but I keep it in the fridge to keep it fresh. Could it be too cold for him?
Anyway he slid his way in and started swimming about, but eventually it just became him trying to escape! I gave him a few minutes in there but he seemed a bit too agitated so I took him out onto the towel and tried letting his tail run through my fingers a couple of times. I managed to get a little off but there is still about a CM left on there. From what I could tell it looked like just the one layer but I could be wrong.
I will try to give him another bath in a couple of days and hopefully I can make some more progress  |
Basil |
Edited by - hansolo on 11/01/2015 01:15:00 |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 13/01/2015 : 09:57:26
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I wouldn't worry too much about the drinking side of things. He should be drinking the water in his viv. I guess it could be that the water from the fridge stays a bit too cold for him. Personally I've always used tap water for mine and it hasn't been an issue.
Look at the Shedding stickie. There are other suggestions for getting rid of retained shed which might suit him more than a bath. I'm think particularly of putting a lukewarm, damp towel in a tub.
I hope you're able to get if off.
Xxx
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hansolo
Snake Mite
United Kingdom
9 Posts |
Posted - 21/01/2015 : 21:42:48
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Sorry for the big delay. Turns out Basil was getting ready to go into another shed. For a few days I thought his scales looked a bit dull and faded, but I thought it was just me seeing things until I found him a couple of days later with big blue eyes. Anyway he started shedding on Monday night and managed to get his head and eye caps off nice and easy, along with some other bits but he was still stuck with a lot of skin left today so I decided to give him a bath.
This time I put a t-shirt over the top of the washing up bowl so that he wouldn't escape so easily. He was able to stay in there for about 15 or so minutes before he figured out how to escape but by then his skin was all nice and soft and the rest of his shed came off super easily as he was slithering through my hands.
So he is all nice and shed free now! 
He is so handsome with his shiny new skin. His belly is all iridescent, I never knew snakes had skin like that 
Here's a little picture of the remnants. Both eye caps are there thankfully. Bit of a shame it didn't come off in one but ah well
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Basil |
Edited by - hansolo on 21/01/2015 21:44:58 |
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scottishbluebird
it is all my fault
United Kingdom
8403 Posts |
Posted - 21/01/2015 : 21:47:32
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| Good its sorted, might be best now to leave him to his settling in period since you just got him, might really need it now, but least you wont be worried about his tail |
     
0.1.0 Corn - Kellogs
1.0.0 Hognose - Storm
0.1.0 Staffy - Lyla
1.0.0 Spaffy(staffy x springer)-Spyro
1.0.0 Ferret - Peanut R.I.P
0.1.0 Crestie - Fudge. Wish List - Pygmy hedgehog. Tropiocolotes |
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herriotfan
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
5853 Posts |
Posted - 22/01/2015 : 09:21:42
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That's good news.
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Husband....Very Understanding!!! (Phil)
Son & Daughter (Kevin & Carol)
Granddaughter (Eva)
3.4.0 Cornsnakes Amel (Sidney) Caramel Stripe (Sultan) Amber (Cleo) Carolina (Phoebe) Anery Motley Stripe (Penny) Snow (Lily) Caramel (Holmes)
1.2.0 Royal Pythons(Peeps, Pandora & Pepsi)
1.0.0 Hognose (Hudson)
2.1.0 Dogs (Dillon, Alfie, Ellie)
0.1.0 Senegal Parrot (Peanut)
1.1.0 Bearded Dragons (Bonnie & Clyde)
1.0.0 Crested Geckos (Echo)
0.2.1 Hermanns Tortoises (Ebbie, Rosie & Twiglet)
0.1.0 Guinea Pig (Dolly-Pipsqueak)
0.1.9 Tarantulas (Poppy, Gypsy, Bumble, Insey Winsey, Sonic, Cookie, Raven, Fudge, Titch & Sox)
??? Foster animals
Location: Near Saffron Walden, Essex
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Some shedding left on tail
