Vitamin E

[Traci]

I was just wondering if anyone else uses vitamin E oil or anything else on their snake? My vet told me to use hojoba oil or vitamin E to help with his shedding and keeping his scales nice. Just wondering if anyone had heard of this? Thanks Sydney is right now gliding over the keyboard.:D

[Iris]

I have never heard of anything like that but then again I am new at this...
I don't think it would do any harm so if your vet thinks it would help and if your snake needs it, go ahead and use the oil or vitamin E

[Tim Madsen]

It probably wont hurt but if your snake is healthy it's not necessary and if it's ill it probably wont help. It would be kind of like make up, it might make you look better but it wont change your health. IMHO

[Rachel]

I use vit E on my female. She is a problem shedder and I find it helps alot. It does no harm to them, keeps scales in tip top condition and helps with shedding. Hope that helps!

[Alicia]

It's important to remember that while jojoba and vit E won't harm the snake you are just treating a symptom and not the problem. What ever is causing the shedding problem needs to be fixed, ie:husbandry, stress or illness. If you are using it for a one time problem then thats great but if the snake continues to have problems shedding you need to look further. Good Luck.

:) Alicia

[Traci]

Rachel, how often do you use the vit. e oil on your female? Is she a "problem shedder"? Do you use it on her when she is about to shed? You seem to be the only one who uses it. I was having problems with my humidity, but I think I have cleared that up and I just want to make sure he doesn't have anymore shedding problems.

[jim]

traci,
you'll probably to continue to have shedding problems in the cooler months. (oct-mar) iis a constant problem in the colder, and hence dryer, northern climes. your best bet is to get a cheap vaporizer (about $15) and let it run near the snakes during the winter. it really helps with shedding during the winter.
my only advice on the vitamin e would be that while it can be beneficial try not to overdo it. vitamin e (alog with a, d, and k) is fat-soluble and cannot be excreted by the snake if there is a surplus in the body. it will be stored in the snake's fatty tissues and can reach toxic levels. so like everything else its just better to use moderation. good luck... :) ---jim

[Rachel]

I use the vit e oil just after she has gone into the blue eyed state. She's a problem shedder, nothing I can do about it. Ive had her checked out and her health is fine same with the humidity etc. The guy simply said that there are a few that are problem shedders. She has lost about a cm of her tail because of her shed probs so Im sticking with the vit e no matter what anyone tells me!

[Doctor Mike]

I rub Vitamin E and food grade flax seed oil on my corns about once a shed cycle, now more for general skin and internal health than for problem shedding, although that's why I started it.

I found that a daily bath [except for 48 hours after feeding] for about 5 to 10 minutes actually did more to solve shedding problems than even the Vitamin E and flax seed oil rubs. See details of how I give my snakes a bath under the recent post "Impacted?". Humidity control of the tank never works as well as 5 baths a week for my corns and other snakes--remember that all snakes [except desert species] are semi-aquatic.

I also inject my own mix of a moderate dose of Reptisol into the feeder mice I give my corns [it's not absolutely necessary].

What Jim said about oil soluble vitamins accumulating in the body tissues is correct--but the levels of Vitamin E to reach toxicity would be extremely high, and I don't think that it is possible to reach these levels with topical applications of Vitamin E. [Toxic levels of Vitamin A, D and K are very easy to reach, however, and so any supplementation of these orally should be in moderation.]

I'm not sure of what the analysis of jojoba oil is, or whether or not it's safe to be taken internally, so I would be a little more concerned with systemic absorption of that from the skin if you use a lot. [A little is no doubt OK, since it's approved for hand lotion on humans.] This is why I use an oil which can also be taken internally--food grade flax seed oil, which is loaded with the essential fatty acids linoleic and linolenic acid.

Snakes with oh-so-soft skin slithering around my arm,
Doctor Mike