I really am a bad herper

[garrett]

Wow, I feel extrodinarly bad. Around 2-2.5 weeks ago, my RTB's eyes started to cloud over, being her second shed with me, I was pretty excited. I took all the precautions to raise the humidity, such as putting a wet towel on the top of her cage, etc, etc. So her eyes cleared up about 7 days ago, had her out, everything was going good, exept for the fact that I could not find her shed. I looked everywhere for it, no shed. I brushed it off as a weird fact, and maybe her eyes just clouded, but she didnt have to shed Anyways, today I had her out, and I noticed that in one of her saddles, the sking was extremly lose, so lose infact, I could see the that it was her shed! So I gave her a bath, took me quite a while to get it all off, but once she got in the water, all of the shed became quite lose. So I got it all off, scared me hugely when I got it off around her head, I honestly though I pulled her eyes out.

Anyways, what can I do to make sure those wont happen again?

Thanks Garrett

[SaraNBud]

Next time put neosporin on the eye caps, and don't pull them off. I imagine that hurts and sounds a little freaky that you thought you pulled her eyes out! Do you have any drift wood, or something sort of rough in the cage that your snake could rub aganist to help with shedding?

[buck2003]

HI remember next time that after her eyes clear it can take a few days longer for her to shed. Keep something rough in the viv for her to rub on and I expect she'll do it all by herself next time esp if the skin was that loose anyway!

[schmelkdog]

buck2003 said it. Let the snake do it itself unless there is a big problem. It takes each snake a different amount of time once it goes blue to actually shed.

[Wrasse]

Mine just went blue, cleared and a week later has come back into blue again.

Odd snake :P

[garrett]

yea, I do have a piece of drift wood set up, now I feel like an idoit. Just sort of strange because her last shed, her skin came off right away, and then her eyes cleared up.

[Boa Enthusiast]

I guess it means to raise the humidity up a bit more. During the clouding of the eyes, etc, I give my snakes a bath every night for 4 hours until they shed. Works for me


Kev

[cb76]

there is no real set time for a snake to shed. it doesnt happen in a week like clock work.... you just gotta wait. when it starts to flake off, then you can go ahead and do what you did. until then- i would wait. if she shed before properly, then you know you had it right.

monitor your humidity. i personally keep mine at 70% it keeps my sheds looking like lil donuts.

for eye cap removal- make sure the cap is actually on first- then i wet it down to soften it a lil bit. i gently hold the snakes head and let the body wrap around my arm, and i use the back of a new pencil- the eraser gas a firm, but gentl grip. i work the skin off from front to back. takes a few seconds.

good luck in the future

[cb76]

ps- your not a bad keeper. i've done this in the past too. i'm sure a bunch of us has. you learn.

peace

[punkerchicksp]

[b]Hey all ive now had my RTB for almost a month now got it on jan. 25th. i am not sure of its sex its had one shed since ive had it and 1 mouse and getting another today, ive heard rats have more protein is that true, i dont think the mouse i fed it was enough for it , its body isnt as firm as it should be. Any reccomendations ????

[crush]

My female RTB blued and then cleared and it took a solid week after she cleared to shed so you never know.

[lethargiic]

Originally Posted by punkerchicksp

[b]Hey all ive now had my RTB for almost a month now got it on jan. 25th. i am not sure of its sex its had one shed since ive had it and 1 mouse and getting another today, ive heard rats have more protein is that true, i dont think the mouse i fed it was enough for it , its body isnt as firm as it should be. Any reccomendations ????

first off if you have questions about your snake that you are not sure off, search the forums first because the rat vs mouse question has been answered many times before..secondly start a new post, your post is about feeding...this thread is about sheds n stuff...don't get us confused.. (if a mod or admin wants to move this to a new thread, please do..) )

third...as far as mice v rat prey...its not a matter of protein, its calcium content that is the first on the list.. rats have thicker (& bigger) skulls and a more substancial bone structure than mice. obviously you should know by now that bones contain calcium and calcium = less chance of developing osteoperosis. Rats can provide more adequet amounts of calcium which is needed for you snake to grow healthy bones n spinal structures. just remember the rule of thumb when feeding 1 prey item that is = or slightly bigger than the girth of you snake at the widest part.... and you should be feeding your snake depending on size at least every 7-10 days. and no handling after feeding for at least 24-48 hours to prevent regurges.

[Snakeboy 101]

Yes you should try to get to rats beacuse its going to be hard to change to rats and bunnys LOL and yes i think rats have protein!
Oliver