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warm water

mbrown

Sleepless in NY
uhm ive heard yopu shoudl put ur snake in warm water from time to time. can they swim? they won't drown? <lol....how much water?
 
Swimming isn't necessary.

I wish I could find the person that started this @$%! rumor. :headbang:

Yes, they can swim. I can guarantee you that the odds aren't in favor of them liking it. It is my *opinion* that unless there is a medical reason for rehydrating your snake forcing them to swim, bath, or soak induces unnecessary stress in a captive collection.

Search the forum for this topic. There are MANY discussions on it.
:sidestep:
 
i give my snake a warm bath when a) he is constipated and b) having difficulty shedding and c) gets dirty. it does not seem to stress him out, he does not try to escape or snap. he takes a swim and doesn't seem to mind. you will find that your snake is quite a good swimmer if you decide to give him a bath, their heads rarely go under and even when they are still they simply float.
 
That illustrates my point exactly Mugsy

a. How do you know that he is constipated? Did he tell you about this condition? Could he possibly be dehydrated instead?

b. Every shed issue can be corrected with proper husbandry

c. Doe he demand to be cleaned or do you decide he needs to be clean?


My point is this: Every reason you just listed has to do with meeting your needs and desires, not your snakes. You are simply trying to domesticate a wild animal. I have more than 100 snakes of various species and have yet to soak or bath a single one of them. Yet I don't have a single constipated, dirty, or mite infested snake. I also have never in all my years had a shed problem. If your snake is uncomfortable or dirty, it will soak in its water dish. This is why it is important to provide a big one.

I'm not harping on you Mugsy, just the practice of bathing a snake. They have survived millennia without any human assistance and somehow managed to thrive. Let them be the creatures that they were created to be. :)
 
hehehe...i like you cav, you're a cool kat. my snake talks to me sometimes. he said, "mugsy, i'm constipated, i really need to poo, warm water will loosen my bowels, put me in the tub...oh...don't forget the rubber duckie!" i'm kidding, ofcourse.

i don't see how i'm meeting my "needs and desires". i was concerned about my pet, i wanted him healthy and happy, i asked for advice and was told a warm bath might do the trick. i suspected dehydration a few days prior and made every effort possible to assure that he had water very close by. he was not doing well for a few days and wasn't finding his water dish so i put some near him in a spoon and within ten minutes he was drinking. i do not want to make norbert uncomfortable or stressed out, but i listened and put him in water. maybe you're right...i will consider what you have said and think twice before i do it again.

yours truly,

mugsy

ps- do you breed snakes? do you have a website? i'm looking to purchase another one (preferably blood red or creamsicle). thanks. peace out like trout!
 
I never bathed my snake at all. He never had shedding problems, and I figured if he didn't want to be dirty he could go for a swim in his water dish. However, I got a new snake, fed him, and he poo'd all over the place two days later (and again the next day, and again the next...). Then I fed him the second time, went on vacation for 4 days, came back, and there was no poo. I waited another day, and no poo. Since he had been so...generous with his last load, I got kinda worried, took some peoples' advice, and stuck him in the sink for a few seconds. Then BAM he exploded...So, it appears that the water did help him out. Why is this bad for him? And, if it can be cured by better husbandry, how do I help him out in the future if he gets blocked up again (or keep him from getting that way)? Pepto Bismol?
 
I'm not so sure that your snake was ready to poo, but the water may have stressed him enough to basically, scare the poop out of him. Scared snakes not only musk on people, but will poo also, so I'm not sure the water cured a constipation problem, or you weren't patient enough to wait until it went on it's own in the viv. I sometimes find that mine poops if I just let her crawl around on the floor. Maybe the exercise does it. Neither of my snakes like water, so I don't put them in it.
 
The way the viv is set might also be a factor. Belly heat may dry out the pooh inside the snake blocking things up. While lamp heat won't as much. They may also be other factors wich may result in one snake keeper not having to soak while others might find it usefull.
 
Well, he seems to like it well enough...He doesn't flip out or anything when I put him in the sink. He does crap on me regularly, but I think it is just habit. Since I got him, he's been doing it less and less because I don't put him down when he does. And, I don't have a heating pad for him, because the room stays at 80-82 all the time. In AZ, you can't always help that. Also, I don't want him crapping on the floor or me. I'd rather him do it in the sink. It's easier to clean.
 
Mugs, I'm glad you picked up on the fact that my post was only 1/2 serious....

mugsydugsy04 said:
ps- do you breed snakes? do you have a website? i'm looking to purchase another one (preferably blood red or creamsicle). thanks. peace out like trout!

Yeap, here you go: Cav's Critters

Unfortunately, no Bloods or Creams. You just missed out on an unbelievable pair of Cream adults that I just sold. ;)
 
CAV...you know I agree with you on this subject! I also don't know why people think they have to soak their snakes. If my snakes "feel the need for a swim," they soak in their water bowls.

One thing that concerns me about this thread is that no one has mentioned the fact that "warm" water should not be used to soak a reptile. The water should only be around 85 degrees...which would feel cool to us. If the water feels warm to you, mugs, then it is too hot!
 
The snake soaking really does not seem to be something I would do for my snake at this time, she seems to young for too much handling. (takeing the advice Cav stated in another thread)

However this is my opinion. From alot of what folks wrote their snake seems to enjoy it.

So if its done properly, I don't see too much harm in it.

I would give my snake GSE baths if I were to do some soaking in the future. :)
 
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