Margaret's Rhubarb is in shed - need an answer, please

[Becca58]

Rhubarb has *finally* begun trying to start getting the shed started. She's been at it for at least half an hour now, and gotten the lower part free, but is having trouble with getting the nose and upper part started.

Is this normal? Anything we can do to help her? Margaret has put Rhu in a large container with a damp towel to give her extra humidity and a rough surface to rub against.

 

[epicdoom]

Not sure if its avalible at your stores but my petsmart and petcos sell shed ease. I would get it follow the directions and let her soak in it, then lay a damp towel in your hand start the snake into the towel close your grip around it so there is a small amount of resistance and let her crawl through several times keep the humidity up in the tank and repeat every day till she is done. usually she will be done after the first time but I have had to do it a couple of days on a few snakes. Good luck

 

[Becca58]

Okay, she's got the flap up off her nose.

 

[Becca58]

Thanks, Epic. We'll keep that in mind if things stall out.

Not sure if its avalible at your stores but my petsmart and petcos sell shed ease. I would get it follow the directions and let her soak in it, then lay a damp towel in your hand start the snake into the towel close your grip around it so there is a small amount of resistance and let her crawl through several times keep the humidity up in the tank and repeat every day till she is done. usually she will be done after the first time but I have had to do it a couple of days on a few snakes. Good luck

 

[Becca58]

Both eyecaps have come off.

 

[Becca58]

This is Margaret's second time watching this happen; first was with my Riker. This is my first IRL experience - exciting!

 

[Becca58]

...Aaaannnnnnd she's done!

 

[epicdoom]

Awesome glad it went well

 

[Becca58]

Thank you very much!

Awesome glad it went well

 

[Joba]

Cool stuff, isn't it? My son called for me, alll excited the other day, because his new adult king snake was shedding...like pulling off a tube-sock. Glad you got to see it.

 

[susang]

Not sure if its avalible at your stores but my petsmart and petcos sell shed ease. I would get it follow the directions and let her soak in it, then lay a damp towel in your hand start the snake into the towel close your grip around it so there is a small amount of resistance and let her crawl through several times keep the humidity up in the tank and repeat every day till she is done. usually she will be done after the first time but I have had to do it a couple of days on a few snakes. Good luck

I don't why the need for shed ease? If you are using shed ease all the time then humidity adjustments are needed.

Becca watching a shed is exciting and I think the snake doing it naturaly is the best. If there is any stuck shed a damp wash cloth and letting the sanke crawl through is generally sufficient.

 

[Becca58]

Very cool stuff indeed! After Rhu got the shed going, she was having a little trouble getting it to "stick" to something so she could wriggle out. Margaret gently got her hand on Rhu and held the shed, letting Rhu wriggle on. At one point, Rhu stopped to (as Margaret said) "contemplate her navel." Margaret gently started pulling on the shed, and Rhu just kind of relaxed and let her take it. All the way to the tip! Then we fed her and Riker. Rhu looks beautiful!

Cool stuff, isn't it? My son called for me, alll excited the other day, because his new adult king snake was shedding...like pulling off a tube-sock. Glad you got to see it.

 

[Becca58]

We knew from reading the forum that higher humidity is needed for successful sheds, so we put a damp towel over the top of her enclosure. We also grabbed the outdoor sensor for our weather monitor and put that in her enclosure. The humidity hovered around 65% that way. Once the shed started, Margaret put Rhu in a container with a damp towel to crawl on, which she made good use of.

I don't why the need for shed ease? If you are using shed ease all the time then humidity adjustments are needed.

Becca watching a shed is exciting and I think the snake doing it naturaly is the best. If there is any stuck shed a damp wash cloth and letting the sanke crawl through is generally sufficient.

 

[diamondlil]

We knew from reading the forum that higher humidity is needed for successful sheds, so we put a damp towel over the top of her enclosure. We also grabbed the outdoor sensor for our weather monitor and put that in her enclosure. The humidity hovered around 65% that way. Once the shed started, Margaret put Rhu in a container with a damp towel to crawl on, which she made good use of.

You did exactly the right thing. No need for shed ease. If you ever find retained or patchy sheds, just create a snake-o-bath'. Put a wet washcloth in the feeding tub, add snake for 1 hour and this is the result. Costs $0 and has no chemicals added........

 

[Pugsley]

And works great too!

 

[epicdoom]

Susan My humidity stays at 50 Percent and I use a shed box for all my snakes. I use shed ease after they clear up from being blue. I probably don't need to. In the past I kept humidity lvl's up and using a shed box has always worked well for me, but even under perfect conditions things don't always go as they should. I have had them shed perfectly for months then get a 2 piece shed then perfect again. I figured it cant hurt to use it, its just another check to help insure a clean complete shed. In all honesty having kept snakes close to 25 years I think it helps tremendously. Watching them slip out of the old skin looks like it comes off a lot easier it for sure starts easier. It has aloe vera in it so it softens the skin. I see no popping when its pulling off the scales just clean and smooth. IMO an ounce of prevention is worth a ton of cure. If it makes the exp less stressful for the snake and the keeper for that matter why wouldn't you use it.
Like I said I have always let my snakes shed without any help even a soak and rarely ever had issues but they do happen ((Murphy's Law applies)). If humidity is rite you don't even need to soak them. I have been using it for the past couple months at $7.00 that's not to much to spend for pets we love is it? Maybe its not for you But don't knock it till you've tried it.