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deleted
57 Posts |
 Posted - 13/05/2010 : 16:07:22
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is there any signs to look out for when a snakes due a shed and should they be fed and handled as normal when shedding? |
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holly n kellogs :) |
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HannahB
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
5491 Posts |
Posted - 13/05/2010 : 16:14:13
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depending on your snakes morph the signs arent always obvious,
with mont my normal i notice that his general colour seems to really dull down - he gets like a murky sheen across his scales but with my lavs i dont tend to notice it as much..our blizzard is impossible to notice!
you'll also notice that their eyes tend to go cloudy, as above it is more obvious in dark eyed snakes than red eyed, my lavs eyes go a really nice grey/silver shade whereas lucien and zeros go pale pink,
you can offer food but it wont always be taken, and its advised to be careful with handling.. when they are getting ready to shed they loose most of their vision so they can be spooked easily, il admit that mine are handleable when blue but i do tend to avoid it - but as its not always obvious its not so easy!
hope this helps  |
2.0 Normal Royal Pythons - Q and Little One
1.0 Chihauhaun Mountain Kingsnake - Simba
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n/a
deleted
57 Posts |
Posted - 13/05/2010 : 16:14:59
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| yh does perfect thanks xxxxxx |
[URL=http://www.mybannermaker.com][/URL]
holly n kellogs :) |
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LittleMick
Yearling
United Kingdom
563 Posts |
Posted - 13/05/2010 : 21:06:10
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Ditto on Hannh. My Elijah has shed 3 times since I have had him, the first 2 shed were unoticable, his eye didn't go blue, and his colour never faded, so I fed and handled as normal during the process. The third I noticed a VERY feint cloudiness in the eyes, the humid hide went in and I attempted a feed and it was accepted, handling went without incident  (handling as in from holding tank to home). |
0.4.0 Gerbils (Gemini, Pica, Gerty and Sasha)
0.1.0 Leopard Gecko (Elle)
1.0.0 Carolina Corn Snake(Elijah)
0.0.1 Emperor/Imperial Scorpion (Abbi)
2.0.0 Roborovski Dwarf Hamsters (Micro & Chippy)
Tropical fish - 6 Platys.6 Mollies.9 Glowlight Tetra.4 Pearl Gouramis.4 Apple Snails.1 Tiger Plec.2 Common Bristlenose Plecs and lots of babies. |
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DannyBrown91
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3070 Posts |
Posted - 13/05/2010 : 21:13:50
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I notice when all of mine are coming upto a shed.
With Reggie its really easy because hes normly a farily bright red but when hes coming upto a shed he goes very very dark, he will laos refuse his food normly.
Caspers skin goes slightly dull which i normly noitce but sometimes i don't notice untill her eyes go blue which is very obvious.
With Candy i don't notice the eyes so much although they do go a much paler pink but her red saddles go very pale and pink.
Candy is the hardest to see going into a shed but it is noticable. |
0.0.1 Ghost Corn - Casper
0.0.1 Diffused Corn - Reggie
0.0.1 Amel Corn - Candy A.K.A Baby
1.0 Commom BCI - Rocky
0.1 Japanese Akita - Sasha
Location: Liverpool |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 14/05/2010 : 04:49:48
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Both Kellog and Silvesta are easy to spot when they are going into shed. Firstly their colours darken and then their eyes go cloudy (they turn 'blue'). From that point I stop handling them as they are partially blind and I want to avoid as much stress as possible. I also dont feed them during this shedding period, for the same reason, and I figure that missing one feed wont make much difference.
I must stress that this is my personal choice and that some forum members do handle and feed their snakes - and some snakes will feed during this time whereas others wont. It is just a case of you deciding what you want to do, and if you decide to feed Kellogs then seeing if he will eat.
After 3 or 4 days (during which they will probably spend their time hiding) their eyes will clear up a bit and their skin will clear. This has caught out a few new snake owners who have then searched the viv for the shed skin....but you then actually have about another 3 -4 days to wait before Kellogs will actually shed. He will still only be partially sighted during this time. The time period does differ with every snake and sometimes with each shed as well - they like to keep us guessing  !
When you see him become more active and start rubbing his head along the side of the viv, his hide, branches etc...that is when you know he is about to shed - but I will warn you, I am convinced that there is a corn conspiracy to wait until their owners have left the room before shedding so that when their owners return they can show off their bright and shiny colours  !! Also, a lot of snakes shed during the night.
When they do shed you need to check the shed skin to make sure that the eye-caps and tail tip have come off cleanly, if these are retained they can cause problems. But hopefully he should shed absolutely fine without any need of help.
Do you think Kellogs might be turning 'blue'?
xxx
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Kazzaboobers
Egg
United Kingdom
64 Posts |
Posted - 14/05/2010 : 06:26:19
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| Hi all - im glad this thread is at the top at the mo as my sookie is just abut to go into her first shed with us as her eyes have gone blue - she did feed on tuesday but this was before the blue eyes and she fed fine. my question is about the moss hide - what is it how do i get/make one and is it essential? Cheers xxx |
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DannyBrown91
Fully Grown Corn
United Kingdom
3070 Posts |
Posted - 14/05/2010 : 09:59:10
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Damp hides arn't essential and often arn't needed but when you have a snake that sometimes has shedding problems or hadn't had a full shed it is orth putting one in.
Since it is sookies first shed with you i would just leave him be with no intervention and see how he does on his own as most corns shed fine without the need for added humidity.
To make a damp hide all you do is get some spagnum moss and either add it in to his hides in his faun/RUB or you can make a new hide out of a small tub of some sort,eg. Butter Tub and put some moss into that. |
0.0.1 Ghost Corn - Casper
0.0.1 Diffused Corn - Reggie
0.0.1 Amel Corn - Candy A.K.A Baby
1.0 Commom BCI - Rocky
0.1 Japanese Akita - Sasha
Location: Liverpool |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 15/05/2010 : 04:43:02
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Agree with Danny about leaving Sookie to shed without help this time round Karen, as hopefully he should shed without any trouble.
If you do want to help a small bit you could try misting his viv a small bit each morning, nothing more than that as you dont want to cause the humidity to rise too much as this can cause respiratory infections.
If there are problems then next time, once his eyes have cleared, you can add a damp hide. In a wooden viv you can put the moss in the warm hide but in a faunarium you would need to put it in both hides to help him loosen his skin.
As Danny said you can either add the moss to his existing hides or make one - http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=3699.
Hope Sookie's shed goes well, cant wait to see pics of her looking all bright and shiny .
xxx
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n/a
deleted
57 Posts |
Posted - 17/05/2010 : 08:42:31
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quote:
Originally posted by Kellog
Both Kellog and Silvesta are easy to spot when they are going into shed. Firstly their colours darken and then their eyes go cloudy (they turn 'blue'). From that point I stop handling them as they are partially blind and I want to avoid as much stress as possible. I also dont feed them during this shedding period, for the same reason, and I figure that missing one feed wont make much difference.
I must stress that this is my personal choice and that some forum members do handle and feed their snakes - and some snakes will feed during this time whereas others wont. It is just a case of you deciding what you want to do, and if you decide to feed Kellogs then seeing if he will eat.
After 3 or 4 days (during which they will probably spend their time hiding) their eyes will clear up a bit and their skin will clear. This has caught out a few new snake owners who have then searched the viv for the shed skin....but you then actually have about another 3 -4 days to wait before Kellogs will actually shed. He will still only be partially sighted during this time. The time period does differ with every snake and sometimes with each shed as well - they like to keep us guessing !
When you see him become more active and start rubbing his head along the side of the viv, his hide, branches etc...that is when you know he is about to shed - but I will warn you, I am convinced that there is a corn conspiracy to wait until their owners have left the room before shedding so that when their owners return they can show off their bright and shiny colours !! Also, a lot of snakes shed during the night.
When they do shed you need to check the shed skin to make sure that the eye-caps and tail tip have come off cleanly, if these are retained they can cause problems. But hopefully he should shed absolutely fine without any need of help.
Do you think Kellogs might be turning 'blue'?
xxx
thanks yeah i defo think shes shedding from reading that her eyes arnt blue yet tho they look sort of milky and darker then they are normally but she is a lot duller in colour and i fed her saturday and she took it.
and for the last few days i havent really seen her out of hiding i handled her last on friday as she was due a feed the next day and was told not to handle her 24 hours before and 48 hours after feeding (dont know if this is right).
i certainly wont be handling her whilst shes shedding coz i dont wanna stress her out. i was reading about retained shed is there any thing that i could do for her if this happens i dont know if this will be her first shed but is defo first for me so i dont really want to intervene. so i thaught id just leave her to it and if there is any problems then ill help her how i can is there any ways i could help her if needed xxxxx |
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holly n kellogs :) |
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newsnakekeeper
Hatchling
United Kingdom
222 Posts |
Posted - 17/05/2010 : 16:34:05
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| Pleased i read this topic i put the moss in the cool end trust me to get it wrong doh thanks for info Judith |
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Edited by - newsnakekeeper on 17/05/2010 16:35:08 |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 18/05/2010 : 04:25:16
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quote:
Originally posted by holly n kellogs
thanks yeah i defo think shes shedding from reading that her eyes arnt blue yet tho they look sort of milky and darker then they are normally but she is a lot duller in colour and i fed her saturday and she took it.
and for the last few days i havent really seen her out of hiding i handled her last on friday as she was due a feed the next day and was told not to handle her 24 hours before and 48 hours after feeding (dont know if this is right).
i certainly wont be handling her whilst shes shedding coz i dont wanna stress her out. i was reading about retained shed is there any thing that i could do for her if this happens i dont know if this will be her first shed but is defo first for me so i dont really want to intervene. so i thaught id just leave her to it and if there is any problems then ill help her how i can is there any ways i could help her if needed xxxxx
It certainly sounds as though she is 'blue' Holly. She will be hiding as her sight will be compromised so she will want to stay where she feels safe.
I would follow the advice given to Kazzaboobers regarding helping Kellogs out with this first shed with you. She should shed fine, and if she does retain some shed you know where you can come for help with how to deal with it. After this shed you will have a better idea as to whether she is going to need help with subsequent sheds.
I have not heard about not handling a snake 24hrs before a feed before. I dont think this is really necessary. You certainly shouldnt handle her on the day of her feed - especially immediately before the feed. If you are feeding her outside of the viv/faun then it is fine to just lift her out and put her into whatever you are feeding her in....but with them minimum amount of handling necessary. And when you lift her out, after waiting for her meal to move halfway down her body, just support her on either side of the 'bump' and move her straight into her faun/viv. You are right about not handling her for the 48hrs after her eating as this is the time necessary for her to digest her meal.
xxx
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n/a
deleted
57 Posts |
Posted - 19/05/2010 : 07:01:00
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| cool thganks for ya help id be lost without you lot lol :) i'll leave her alone for a while then coz shes curled up behind hte back drop at the minute and shes been there a couple of days now but it doesnt seem shes been out for a drink i assume she'll be ok or shed probably been out whens its quite how do i know when shes done shedding will it just be when i find the shed in the viv and her colour comes back and that (sorry for the stupid question) xxxx |
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holly n kellogs :) |
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Kehhlyr
ǝʞɐɔ sǝʌoן
United Kingdom
8173 Posts |
Posted - 19/05/2010 : 09:46:16
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quote:
Originally posted by newsnakekeeper
Pleased i read this topic i put the moss in the cool end trust me to get it wrong doh thanks for info Judith
Not wrong as such, the damp hide is in there so you got it ok.
The warm end is just more preferable, and tends to have a better affect. |
-=Kehhlyr - The Resident Loon
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deleted
57 Posts |
Posted - 19/05/2010 : 19:19:44
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| Got home 2day and shes shed shes so bright an seems a lot happy an with more energy soooo pleased (ill stop panickin now) its all in one piece the eyes and every thing apart from a tiny part left on her tail right at the tip shall I give her a couple more days an c if she sheds it or would a damp hide b any good now or what ever else will benifet her I woz readin that retained shed can stop the circulation of dont know if its true coz I tend not 2 really believe every thing I see on the net so I cum here first coz u guys have helped me a lot x x x |
[URL=http://www.mybannermaker.com][/URL]
holly n kellogs :) |
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n/a
deleted
57 Posts |
Posted - 19/05/2010 : 19:21:15
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| Got home 2day and shes shed shes so bright an seems a lot happy an with more energy soooo pleased (ill stop panickin now) its all in one piece the eyes and every thing apart from a tiny part left on her tail right at the tip shall I give her a couple more days an c if she sheds it or would a damp hide b any good now or what ever else will benifet her I woz readin that retained shed can stop the circulation of dont know if its true coz I tend not 2 really believe every thing I see on the net so I cum here first coz u guys have helped me a lot x x x |
[URL=http://www.mybannermaker.com][/URL]
holly n kellogs :) |
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Kellog
the nice one
United Kingdom
7308 Posts |
Posted - 21/05/2010 : 04:39:18
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quote:
Originally posted by holly n kellogs
Got home 2day and shes shed shes so bright an seems a lot happy an with more energy soooo pleased (ill stop panickin now) its all in one piece the eyes and every thing apart from a tiny part left on her tail right at the tip shall I give her a couple more days an c if she sheds it or would a damp hide b any good now or what ever else will benifet her I woz readin that retained shed can stop the circulation of dont know if its true coz I tend not 2 really believe every thing I see on the net so I cum here first coz u guys have helped me a lot x x x
I am so glad that Kellogs has shed Holly and that it is almost a perfect shed. The bit retained on the tail is not a serious issue if it is dealt with now, it is only if it is left on that it can cause problems with circulation.
I havent had this problem myself but know others who have. The first thing to try is to dampen some kitchen paper or a small towel with luke warm water and let her wriggle through it, holding firmly so that the skin comes off. After running through it a couple of times the retained tail tip should peel off.
If this doesnt work then you could try swapping her usual hides for damp ones, or putting some moss in her usual hides. These means she HAS to use them. You can then put her usual hides back (or remove the moss) after a few days, if the retained tail tip has come off then that's great, if not then the few days in the damp hides will have prepared her for a good bath.
http://www.thecornsnake.co.uk/forum/topic.asp?ARCHIVE=true&TOPIC_ID=3699
Bathing her would only be used as a last resort and I doubt it will be necessary as I would have thought that the tail tip should have come off with what you have tried....
Do let us know how you get on.
xxx
Just had a thought, if she has fed then dont panic that you have to leave her for 48hrs before doing anything about the tail tip - a few days isnt going to make a major difference.
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shedding? more questions
