Stuck Shed on Head

[Minkness]

Seems if it's not one thing it's another with my BP....

This weeks delema is shed. He had a bad shed. It's shredded, ripped up, and in pieces. (Battling with humidity). Now he's almost all the way clear except for half of the top of his head, and nothing seems to really be working. I let him soak in lukewarm water, tried rubbing it, upped his humidity, ect. The stuck shed includes one eye cap and part of his neck. His activity level is the same and I haven't tried feeding him yet but he ate while in blue about a week ago.

Should I leave it alone and let it cone off with the next shed, or is there another way to work it off without injuring him?

[prairiepanda]

Do you have a picture? It sounds like it's not in a spot where it would cause problems, unless it's blocking an eye or nostril, or wrapped around the head completely. Does he have access to a humid hide in this enclosure?

[Minkness]

I tried getting pics but it just does NOT show up. It's over one eye and half his nose. He has a full sized water dish for soaking and I have been spraying his entire tub every day. I don't want it too humid though since that will then cause repertory issues.

[prairiepanda]

Have you tried letting him crawl through a warm damp towel? You could also try using some of that shed aid stuff from pet stores(comes as a spray or a water additive for soaking in); it contains emolients that soften the skin.

If he doesn't eat on his next feeding day then let it be for a while so that he won't get too stressed out. It shouldn't interfere with his normal activity, but I'm concerned about it restricting oxygen delivery to his eye and putting pressure on it as he grows. Although he'll probably have his next shed early if it doesn't come off.

[Minkness]

That's what I was afraid of. I rubbed a bit of mineral oil into it around the eye, not on it, and upped his humidity even more by covering his tub holes (left a few open for regular air). I'll be feeding everyone tonight, so I'll see if he takes anything. I JUST got him eating regularly too..... Uhg....

[Minkness]

Well, he ate perfectly and seemed ready for another! Will the eyecap be ok until he sheds again? It's really stuck x.x

[Eggplant]

My friend has a big milk snake who had a retained eye cap for at least two months, maybe more. The retained eye cap turned brownish silver and opaque; the snake probably couldn't see anything through that eye. When he finally shed again, both eye caps were retained. However, there was some loose shed around the eye caps so by holding the snake very still, I was able to carefully pluck the caps off by the lose shed with a pair of tweezers. I inspected his eyes afterwards and they look completely normal :).

[Eggplant]

Here you can see the removed eye caps and the extra skin around them

[Minkness]

My guy is SO squirmy I'm afraid I'd either choke him, break his neck, or jab his eye with the tweezers....but knowing that he could shed it next round with no issues helps alot. Thanks!

[Albert Clark]

The tweezer is a risky attempt and the potential risks can be tragic. I would see if he sheds it off next shed cycle but in the meantime I would use the shed ease spray on a daily basis in the event he is able to get it off sooner. If it doesn't shed off after the daily sprays and wipe ons I would go to the vet where they can safely remove it. Good luck with him. Remember the eye is a critical body part and you don't want any accidents .

[Eggplant]

Np :). And I agree; you can really mess up real bad with tweezers so its much better to try other methods first/ go to the vet if you get really worried. I hope everything goes smoothly!

[Aaron_S]

If it's more than just the eye cap it should come off altogether.

Have you tried dampening a pillow case and leaving him in it to move through and do it on his own?

[lady_bug87]

I hate the damp pillow case. There is nothing I hate more than the damp pillow case.

Why can't you people just leave the poor beastie alone? Wet everything down and let it be.

[Minkness]

No I haven't Aaron. I can. Do that in a day or two though once he's done digesting last night's meal.

How tight should the pillowcase be? In the warm part of his tank? Anything else I should know about this method?

Lady B. Why do you hate it?

[Aaron_S]

No I haven't Aaron. I can. Do that in a day or two though once he's done digesting last night's meal.

How tight should the pillowcase be? In the warm part of his tank? Anything else I should know about this method?

Lady B. Why do you hate it?

Tight as in the snake can't get out. It works fine. It's only for about 20 ish minutes.

[Minkness]

Ok, so not like over night then. That's good. =)

Thanks for the info!

[lady_bug87]

I just do! I'm sure it works it's just not my preferred method

[Minkness]

Lol. Ok Lady B. I'm just worried about his eye is all. I'd rather stress him out a bit now than deal with an infection or injury later.

[Albert Clark]

Here you can see the removed eye caps and the extra skin around them
That was great on your part and I believe that is the correct technique that would happen in the vets office (tweezers). It's just that it could be potentially injurious to the eye if done incorrectly or there was a slip up with the tweezers. I was just putting a imo as far as the risks if someone felt uncomfortable or nervous and still went ahead and tried to remove the eye cap. ;)

[Koosman09]

Going thru the Same thing with my chondro. How long does stuck shed last !!! This is the 2nd stuck shed I had. The best solution in the world is soaking him in water with a shed aid saloution. It completely removed the access shed on his body neck etc. it's a life save must get it!!! I used it tonight and he's clear completley it's called zilla shed ease it works 10000% I'm just concerned bec this is the 2nd shed I had to assist. Is this a permanent disease or something ? Please advise. After the shed tonight he's missing scales on head any idea what this is people

[Minkness]

My BP doesn't exactly hang out in his water dish. Would it be ok to put him in a different tub with water+solution?

[prairiepanda]

My BP doesn't exactly hang out in his water dish. Would it be ok to put him in a different tub with water+solution?

Oh yes, I should have mentioned that the soak is normally done in a separate tub or sink and not in the soaking bowl in the enclosure. That way you can make sure they soak for at least a few minutes to let the solution do its work and that the snake doesn't drink too much of it(the solution doesn't contain any ingredients that should be harmful if ingested, but that's not something that's well-studied so it's best to err on the safe side). Keep the soaking dish in the enclosure filled with just plain water.

[lady_bug87]

Going thru the Same thing with my chondro. How long does stuck shed last !!! This is the 2nd stuck shed I had. The best solution in the world is soaking him in water with a shed aid saloution. It completely removed the access shed on his body neck etc. it's a life save must get it!!! I used it tonight and he's clear completley it's called zilla shed ease it works 10000% I'm just concerned bec this is the 2nd shed I had to assist. Is this a permanent disease or something ? Please advise. After the shed tonight he's missing scales on head any idea what this is people

Your humidity is messed up then. I went through a month of terrible sheds chondro included. My house got really dry all of a sudden. It's a pain for sure. I don't know about the missing scales maybe they tore with the shed

[sophiedufort]

I had a couple of stuck shed issues with my snakes in the past, and I found that putting the snake for a few hours in damp moss proved to be a miracle solution each and every time. Just make sure that there are plenty of holes in the lid of the tub you're using, and that the moss is thoroughly soaked, but water drained so it won't puddle at the bottom of the tub. Also, make sure you use warm water, so the moss will be warm and cozy when you place the snake in it. Remove half the moss, place the snake then cover him with the rest of the moss, particularly on his head. He may squirm a little, but he will calm down and love it. Repeat for a few days if it doesn't work the first time.
No damp pillows! They've been known to suffocate snakes, as the fibers expand and get stuck together when wet, therefore not allowing air to go through.

[Aaron_S]

I had a couple of stuck shed issues with my snakes in the past, and I found that putting the snake for a few hours in damp moss proved to be a miracle solution each and every time. Just make sure that there are plenty of holes in the lid of the tub you're using, and that the moss is thoroughly soaked, but water drained so it won't puddle at the bottom of the tub. Also, make sure you use warm water, so the moss will be warm and cozy when you place the snake in it. Remove half the moss, place the snake then cover him with the rest of the moss, particularly on his head. He may squirm a little, but he will calm down and love it. Repeat for a few days if it doesn't work the first time.
No damp pillows! They've been known to suffocate snakes, as the fibers expand and get stuck together when wet, therefore not allowing air to go through.

Sources on the damp pillow stories?

[sophiedufort]

Sources on the damp pillow stories?

Aaron, I read that in the past on a couple of websites, when I was looking for a solution to my snakes' stuck shed. I can't even remember where I found that information, but it got stuck in my head. It may be wrong, but since I was concerned at the time, I opted for the moss method and it proved to be excellent, so I will stick with it.
As a matter of fact, if I remember well, the cases of suffocation listed therein were of snakes that had been left in the damn pillowcases for extended periods of time, or overnight.

[Princess-dad]

May I suggest a burlap sack , if the weave isnt to large as to injure your snake . I am sure it will not cause suffocation as the weave is large , and the material is rough . Is it toxic I dont know . The same type of bag is also made of hemp . Again toxic ? To rough ? I dont know . I use a reptifogger for 1 bci common boa and 1 corn snake . Except for a very tip of the corns tail , we have been lucky on sheds . I also use a hygrotherm to regulate humidity and basking temps .

[Princess-dad]

pics of reptifogger and hygrotherm and fogger working . notice the coco is not soaking wet to keep it humid but the humidity is at 65%

[Minkness]

Nice set up, but not an option for me. I'll look into the tub and soaking solution.