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She's blue! I think. Regurge protocol?

JessKeen

JessKeen

New member
So, I did it. I know I shouldn't have, stress free and all, but I did. I just had to! I haven't seen her at all in like 2 days! Not even a tail tip! I lifted the toilet paper hide and peeked at Vera for a good 2-3 minutes. Her eyes look a little cloudy (not like I've seen in pictures, but definitely not clear) and her scales look kind of dull and reflective.

This is a relief to me because it's a really clear reason for her regurge a couple days ago. So my question is, according to regurge protocol I should feed her half a pinkie coated in Nutribac on Saturday. If her eyes are cloudy now she probably won't shed by then, right? Do I just hold off and wait to feed until she sheds? Will she be alright? She is a very little girl, just 12 inches and about the width of a pen, but she doesn't have her spine showing or anything, she looks healthy.

Did I mention I love all of you soooo much?! I never have to wonder and guess and panic, I can just ASK!! It's amazing. :D
 
Leave her be until she sheds. Some will regurge while in blue and that will make the situation worse. Waiting another few days, or even a week, will not hurt her at all.
 
She regurgitated on Friday, the protocol says 8 days so I was planning to feed on Saturday. I am getting newborn pinkies from a local guy Thursday.
 
When I noticed her eyes were cloudy, I misted the tank with a squirt bottle. She has a large water dish and her substrate is reptibark. The tank is modified so it's on it's side with a plexiglass front door, so the humidity is probably decent in there but I don't have a gauge. Should I put some wet paper towels in her hide? Or just leave her alone?
 
I would leave her alone. It will be about a week-ish before she actually sheds, and especially with the regurge, you want to avoid as much stress as possible. I wouldn't worry about putting damp paper towels in unless she has trouble with shedding.
 
Thanks. Should I mist once a day? Every few days? The tank should hold humidity fairly well, there are ventilation holes in the door but no ventilation on top. I change her water daily though so I imagine she loses a lot of humidity that way.
 
Personally, I wouldn't. I don't think misting is necessary for them. If they have a history of trouble with shedding, then I would put in a damp hide (deli with damp paper towel or damp sphagnum moss).
In most cases, having clean, fresh water for them is enough to keep them hydrated enough for shedding. There are exceptions, but not often.
 
Another thing, if they have a history of trouble shedding, you can make sure they have a big enough water bowl for them to soak in during their shed process.
Even a second water bowl for that purpose, if necessary.

In most cases, as long as they are hydrated (always have access to fresh/clean water) they generally do not have problems shedding on their own.
 
She had a small piece of stuck shed on the top of her head when she came to me a couple weeks ago. Would you consider that a history of bad sheds? She rubbed it off burrowing under the bedding shortly after arriving.
 
Her water bowl is more than big enough for her to fit in. You could fit three of her curled up in there :p I keep it pretty shallow so she wouldn't have to swim if she got in. She is pretty shy, she hides basically all the time, but for all I know maybe she comes out at night.
 
JessKeen said:
She had a small piece of stuck shed on the top of her head when she came to me a couple weeks ago. Would you consider that a history of bad sheds? She rubbed it off burrowing under the bedding shortly after arriving.
Click to expand...

Not just yet. If the previous owner provided bad husbandry, that may have been the cause. If she has trouble with this next shed process, then I would consider putting in a damp hide during the clear phase of her shed.
 
She is from BHB reptiles, and I have generally read only good things about them. It is unlikely that each of their thousands of baby corns has GREAT husbandry though, that seems like a bit of a stretch. I will wait and see how she does this time.
So her scales look very dull, almost like there is a reflective coating over them, especially on her head. I know that sounds weird, but is that how all snakes look when they are about to shed?
 
JessKeen said:
She is from BHB reptiles, and I have generally read only good things about them. It is unlikely that each of their thousands of baby corns has GREAT husbandry though, that seems like a bit of a stretch. I will wait and see how she does this time.
So her scales look very dull, almost like there is a reflective coating over them, especially on her head. I know that sounds weird, but is that how all snakes look when they are about to shed?
Click to expand...

Yup, she's on her way! Hopefully you will be there and see her begin to run around her viv rubbing on things, that is what helps the shedding process begin. Then once her head is loose she just slides right out of it! It will be wet and sticky at first, so just leave it be, but then you can take it out and examine it to make sure it is a full shed. Check for the eye caps and the tip of the tail. If you do this while it is wet it is like trying to straighten out a wad of wet toilet paper.

Then look her over, especially her head and tail tip, and if all is good you can feed her when the timing is right from the regurge protocol. If it isn't a good shed follow the stickies that tell how to help a bad shed.

I agree, no misting. Corns don't need it if they have a large enough water supply.
 
Should I add another water dish closer to her favorite hide or will she go to her bowl if she thinks she needs it?
 
Nah, no need. She knows where to get water, and it isn't like in the wild where she might have to travel miles to find it.
 
JessKeen said:
Did I mention I love all of you soooo much?! I never have to wonder and guess and panic, I can just ASK!! It's amazing. :D
Click to expand...

Isn't it wonderful? :) I love these forums.

I posted to you in another thread about not feeding on Saturday because that was only 8 days and it needs to be at least 10. Since then I saw someone else say at least 8 days, so I decided I better look it up. Apparently Kathy Love's original regurge protocol say to wait at least 7-8 days. Somehow I had "at least 10-14 days" stuck in my head. Perhaps that came from the BP forum. The few times I've had a regurge, I've waited 14 days, and it has always worked well.

Anyway, don't worry about the extra delay because of the shed. Your little girl will be fine with missing a few feedings. Having another regurge would be much worse, so you definitely want to do everything possible to avoid it.

I agree with what the others have said regarding humidity and shedding. Add a humid hide if it turns out she needs it. Misting should not be necessary with a corn snake.
 
The clear phase is CRAZY TOWN!!! :crazy01: I went to change Veras water and she came out of her hide immediately and started licking at my hand (no idea if she wanted to get out for a bit or if she was checking if I was food, I'm guessing the latter). She looks perfect, her head and eyes are so bright that I moved stuff around a bit to make sure there was no shed in there. It's crazy how she can look so different than the gray, lethargic, coiled up snake with cloudy blue eyes from a few days ago, and yet she hasn't even shed yet. Any minute now, right?
 
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