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GOing crazy

C

crunkmasterflex

New member
WHy is it that everytime I change my snakes cage for a long period of time and during the cage cleaning time the snakes are always handled by someone else in my family for about a half hour to let the cage dry and everything. Well whenever I put the female snake back in its cage it goes crazy like its on its rag and is hella pissed off that it was going through this. It flattens its head and jerks it and even strikes whenever something moves by it. ITS only happened twice to me but what is going on???
 
What are you using to clean the viv? I use a bleach solution (normal bleach not the 1 that smell of lemon or whatever else is available), and i use a 50mil bleach to 6oomil of warm water, and that does the trick. Also it can be a upheavel for the snake to heve everything washed/cleaned, just do the viv then do the decor about 2 weeks later so some of it home, still smell like home.
 
I use Chlorhexidine to clean my enclosures...it is VERY non-toxic...spray on...wipe off...done.

Since I started using it...none of my snakes are bothered after a cleaning...
 
the only thing i use to clean my viv out is dish washing soap and once and a while i'll use bleach to clean it out completley but this time i only changed the dirt in the viv i didn't clean it with soap or bleach or anything but i washed all the wooden logs in there and the hideout with soap the dirt i use is that compact brick stuff it was still wet when i put new dirt in because it didn't completely dry out so its a lil moist right now and the heating pad is making it a lilttle hummid but not to much i dont' think they mind? SO is this just a problem with my snake or does it not like to get a clean viv???
 
I wouldn't recommend using "dirt" at all...

The dirt may be causing this reaction...I really don't know
 
mbdorfer said:
It might be the soap
Click to expand...

Never considered that...but dish soap does NOT rinse off easily...and is highly scented. I sometimes wash my hands with it before handling my snakes and don't usually get too large a reaction...but sometimes they get a little goofy at first...I can imagine on a large scale (being stuck in a tank that absolutely REEKS of the stuff) it would cause them to kind of freak out...it takes away one of their main senses...and could cause some panic (like deer in a windstorm)
 
When it is windy deer bed down and won't move. The wind makes them "blind"...it completely discombobulates their three main senses. Sight: deer have fairly poor eyesight when it comes to detail...but are very keen on movement...when the wind is making everything move they cannot distiguish predators. Smell: When it is windy they cannot tell what direction any strange scents may be coming from...or how near they may be. Scent is usually one of their first signs of danger. Hearing: When the branches are hitting each other and the wind is making noise it is hard to identify sounds and harder to pinpoint where they are coming from and how close they may be...
Causes deer to be very disoriented...generally they will just bed down...but I can see the soap causing the same type of "blindness" in a snake by taking away it's scent/taste senses...snakes generally have poor eyesight and rely heavily on their taste/scent sense...and causing the snake to be a little goofy.
 
No problem...made the analogy up on the spot...just something I observe when sitting in my damn treestand in the cold every fall/winter.

I don't even get out of bed to GO hunting in the morning when it is windy anymore.
 
I think I read somewhere that you shouldn't use soap to clean vivs, only warm water and bleach. Derek, get some antibacterial hand soap, I use Dial. Much better than dishwashing soap. I can "play with" my king snakes, rinse off with the dial and handle the corns without any flighty reactions. Good stuff.
 
I actually use a vinegar and baking soda highly acidic wash.. kills any bad bacterias =) Then you rinse it till you can't smell the vinegar anymore.. works great =) Learned this trick from breeding mice and fish for years.. mice are HIGHLY sensative to cleaners and fish.. well.. if its not clean they die. Never once had a problem with it. (Am allergic to bleach BTW.. had to find a different way to clean the viv)
 
mbdorfer said:
I think I read somewhere that you shouldn't use soap to clean vivs, only warm water and bleach. Derek, get some antibacterial hand soap, I use Dial. Much better than dishwashing soap. I can "play with" my king snakes, rinse off with the dial and handle the corns without any flighty reactions. Good stuff.
Click to expand...

Funny you say that...Dial is what I usually use...and I keep the same soap in all my bathrooms, so the scent is the same...it seems to help when trying to get new snakes accustomed to being handled...

I only use the dish soap when I am standing in the kitchen...usually on feeding day...and it rinses off hands well...just leaves a strong scent...better than mouse smell (although my female Cali King can still smell mouse...even if I wash my hands TWICE)...she's amazing.
 
Gintha said:
I actually use a vinegar and baking soda highly acidic wash.. kills any bad bacterias =) Then you rinse it till you can't smell the vinegar anymore.. works great =) Learned this trick from breeding mice and fish for years.. mice are HIGHLY sensative to cleaners and fish.. well.. if its not clean they die. Never once had a problem with it. (Am allergic to bleach BTW.. had to find a different way to clean the viv)
Click to expand...

just wondering if you premix the vinegar / baking soda... once it stops fizzing, its just a salt and water. baking soda neutralizes the acidity of the vinegar. if it ain't broke don't fix it, but just so ya know... its not acidic.
i use a vinegar/water solution to clean and a baking soda/water solution to rinse. followed by lots of ordinary water.
 
Alias47 said:
Funny you say that...Dial is what I usually use...and I keep the same soap in all my bathrooms, so the scent is the same...it seems to help when trying to get new snakes accustomed to being handled...

I only use the dish soap when I am standing in the kitchen...usually on feeding day...and it rinses off hands well...just leaves a strong scent...better than mouse smell (although my female Cali King can still smell mouse...even if I wash my hands TWICE)...she's amazing.
Click to expand...
My brooksi could smell mice if they were at my neighbors house..............LOL
 
mbdorfer said:
My brooksi could smell mice if they were at my neighbors house..............LOL
Click to expand...

My cali is the same way...
The other day she was trying to swallow the edge of a tupperware container I feed her in because some of the "thawing" water was on it...
 
crunkmasterflex said:
So what should i use instead of that dirt stuff that comes in the brick and instead of the soap???
Click to expand...

Instead of the soap, you could use a bleach solution (I believe some of the posts in this thread specifically mention the ratio they use) and then rinse WELL...or buy some chlorhexidine...all you do is spray it on and wipe it off...
Matt Graybeal at www.mgreptiles.com has it for sale...and a little goes a LONG way...you mix 2oz of the concentrate with water to make a GALLON...that is a lot of cleaning...put it in a spray bottle and go.
There are other vendors as well...but Matt is a great guy...and the service is impeccable.

Oh, yeah...I personally use aspen shavings for substrate...they are aesthetically pleasing...absorb moisture well...no odor...and clump when soiled.
Otherwise you can use repti-bark...or newspaper...just stay away from cedar and pine products...they are potentially toxic to snakes.
 
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