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Posted: 3/28/2006 2:53:47 AM EDT
[#1]
Well, they make a fine pair of boots... |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 2:57:04 AM EDT
[#2]
Dude, if you are going to take the responsibility to be a pet owner, you have to accept that there will be times that you have to take them to a professional, even if it is for peace of mind. Would you say, "I love my child, but I don't want to take them to a doctor because I'd rather get my advice on what is wrong with them from some guys I don't know on the internet."? You will feel like a jerk if this is something that could have been easily remedied and you didn't take the snake in and then it dies. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:04:02 AM EDT
[#3]
If you have a decent vet in the area, someone you've dealt with before give them a call. Ask them if it's unusual for that to happen.
It's possible they won't want to deal with it over the phone for liability or cash purposes but it's better that asking a bunch of (respectfully)gun nuts. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:05:20 AM EDT
[#4]
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:20:35 AM EDT
[#5]
It is a snake.
Snakes are not meant to be pets. Flush it is my advice. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:27:00 AM EDT
[#6]
Agreed, but picking apart a sentence ruins the context. "... to tell me he is lethargic..." is pertinent. I have had more than a few people tell me that snakes are like this at this time of year, and the reason I never noticed it before is because he was younger and, as such, ate more than he slept. Now, says they, he sleeps more than eats and the shedding doesn't matter. Taking him to a vet is expensive, and if he needs to go I won't hesitate a moment to take him. But none of these people telling me it is normal are snake owners. I really can't afford to pay a vet to tell me all snakes at 3 years old do this in winter. So I thought I'd ask y'all in the hopes some of you ARE snake owners and know WHY Edgar has been 2 months in partial skin. I guess you're right though: at least going to the vet will give me a piece of mind to know he's OK. Can I borrow $150?  Now I just have to find one. The vet I have for the pups doesn't do snakes, but I wonder if he can recommend one that is trustworthy. Edgar and I say thank you. I wonder what people are going to think when I bring a snake on a city bus, LOL. Sure to be right up there with fire on a plane, eh? 
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:28:22 AM EDT
[#7]
The vet I have for the pups doesn't do snakes
Ever wonder why ? |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:34:01 AM EDT
[#8]
That was incredibly informative! Thanks man. Sounds like Edgar needs to see a vet and I have to make a humidity box. This is his first problem shed, poor thing. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:36:51 AM EDT
[#9]
Now that was helpful.  Do the world a favor? Pull your lower lip over your head and swallow. Why do people like you do this kind of stuff? If you want to up your post count, go for it. But why do it in a thread where a guy is worried about something? In essence, "flush" you too. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:42:30 AM EDT
[#10]
Sorry, I wasn't trying to pick a fight.
You have a problem with this snake. The problem is the snake is out of its environment and you are trying to create an artificial environment for it. It doesn't work, with snakes and other creature. So my cure was that you should not have it. www.petstation.com/not.html Good luck though with the snake. Sorry I was misunderstood. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:52:03 AM EDT
[#11]
No, no, bro, no harm. When you said "flush it" you just reminded me of this asshat punk kid poster not long ago that lit a live snake on fire just to watch it burn to death. That little prick needed to be set on fire himself. Cruelty to animals and humans alike isn't something I can tolerate. Anyway, Edgar was born into captivity - never been in the wild his entire life. If I did let him go, he'd probably starve to death. I 100% agree that wild animals should never be caged. Edgar was actually the first snake ever bought in AZ from PetsMart - so he is both unique and my little buddy. I really shouldn't have replied to you in the manner I did, and I do apologize. It just kind of came off that that little Fox jackass advocating burning things alive - in this case, drowning them. I am sorry I misunderstood. Maybe Edgar is just upset because he knows I am planning a rattlesnake hunt for some BBQ? 
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:54:25 AM EDT
[#12]
soak him in warm water for a few hours. If that doesn’t get the skin off try again a few more times then take him to the vet.
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:55:40 AM EDT
[#13]
BTW: Edgar and my pup, Riley.
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Posted: 3/28/2006 3:58:52 AM EDT
[#14]
Does he have some water to get into? That may be all he needs.
I miss my snakes. Now I have dogs and kids instead (wouldn't trade the kids for anything, but looking forward to when they're old enough to have a snake around again). |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 4:00:36 AM EDT
[#15]
This is what we did when we had reptiles. You could try rubbing a little oil (cooking and very little) on him. The issue about feeding with they are sheding if I remember correctly is realted to the food doing damage to the snake. If the snakes eyes are cloudy it can't see to eat. If you put a live mouse in there with no food, after awhile it might think about eating the snake. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 4:03:21 AM EDT
[#16]
Yeah, he always has warm water. I want to get a Ball Python next, but I also want to know that I can properly care for snakes before I get one. This deal with Edgar has me worried. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 4:04:13 AM EDT
[#17]
Here's a better picture of him, taken just a few minutes ago.
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Posted: 3/28/2006 4:06:28 AM EDT
[#18]
I only feed him frozen mice that I have thawed. So it is OK to feed him even when shedding as long as they aren't Zombie mice? I'll try the oil thing, but first I am just going to take him to the vet and make sure he is otherwise healthy. Thanks. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 4:09:49 AM EDT
[#19]
Nice looking snake. Is he amenanistic?
If you are going to get a ball you are probably going to have to do something to keep the humidity up. More than likely you will have problems with shedding with a ball in AZ without it. I had problems in GA in the summer. No major differences other than that between the two breeds. Balls a very nice, we have had 3 at one point or another. Buy a captive bred from a reputable breeder and you will save yourelf from a trip to the vet that will cost for than the difference between WC and CP. Edit to add: In my experience and reading it is fine to feed frozen (non-zombie :)) mice while sheding. I have mine a few hours to find it and eat it and if not it went back into the freezer. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 4:14:12 AM EDT
[#20]
never mind the snake, clean that grout!
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Posted: 3/28/2006 4:42:25 AM EDT
[#21]
LOL, those stains will NOT come out. I am re-doing ALL the floors in my house. Yeah, the grout is disgusting, and so is the carpet. The old owners put down used carpet over the existing (and stained) pad, and did the tile work themselves. This is just a rental house, so the owners and I are working to completely rennovate it. But the old owners did a shitty job on everything they put their hand to. My house isn't gross, but details like the grout eat me alive inside knowing I can't clean it. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 4:43:33 AM EDT
[#22]
What does the red mean? |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 4:49:36 AM EDT
[#23]
Lacking the black pigment. There are lots of variations of colors bred into corn snakes. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 4:54:25 AM EDT
[#24]
Ah. Yes, he has no black anywhere on him. Red, orange, yellow, and white. He's actually very beautiful even though he doesn't have the black outlines on the patterns. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 4:57:42 AM EDT
[#25]
I can see how his skin is silvering. He's only shedding a little at a time? He has branches and other rough materials in his habitat to aid in stripping his skin, correct?
Seems to me the problem is simply humidity, but I am no keyboard veternarian. You should see a real one to make certain Edgar's ailments are not from something more serious. By the way, snakes make great pets. Tarantulas too. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 5:01:59 AM EDT
[#26]
We always gave our Boas and pythons time in the "pool"
Fill up the tub with some warm water and let them swim around in it for a while. Make sure the water isn't too deep cause they will still want to feel the bottom. They'll drink in the tub, loosen up any left over bad sheds and if you have a snake that is constipated it will help it poop. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 5:04:36 AM EDT
[#27]
Yep, everything I could possibly buy that would give him something to rub against abrasive enough to grab the old skin and let it peel away. Rocks, branches, a coconut shell, and some outdoor green turf (that he likes to sleep under). I agree that it is a humidy thing: with winter here and the heater on, the air is extremely dry. I am going to build him a humidity box, but I will still be taking him into the vet just to make 100% certain he is OK in all other regards. Besides, I'd like to know if he is an Edgar or she is an Edwina now that he is old enough to tell. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 5:04:52 AM EDT
[#28]
Well you said you live in AZ. Sounds like a humidity issue to me. Try soaking him; possibly fill one of those little rat containers with warm water all of the way up to the top and close him in there for awhile, just make sure he can breath. I seem to remember hearing of a special lotion you could use. If the skin is healthy it'll shed in one piece.
It lotions its skin or else it gets the hose again....  I had to. How could I miss that opportunity. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 5:16:36 AM EDT
[#29]
problem is either environmental or nutritional
make sure he's got a water bowl big enough to soak in AND A ROCK TO RUB AGAINST! he needs a thermal gradient from one end of the cage to the other. put a lamp over one end of the cage, or a heating pad under it. never a big fan of the heat rocks. they've cooked a lot of critters. one end=warm- 100+degrees one end=cool- put his "house" here use a timer to turn it off at night. set it to local sunrise/sunset FEED HIM the issues with shedding snakes involve live prey. the more you feed him, the sooner his next shed. try catching the occasional lizzard for him; they need variety in their diet just like everything else IMPORTANT PART: get him a vitalite. they're full spectrum flourescent bulbs. put it on the same timer as the heating source. mount it as close as possible to the top of his cage. you can pick one up at a pet store. i've been out of the game for a decade, so they may have come up with something better. and finally, relax. it's perfectly normal for snakes to chill in the winter |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 6:25:15 AM EDT
[#30]
I have a ball python, and have had to soak some of the skin off after a shed. It is probably a humidity issue in AZ, do you have a dish of water in the cage so he can soak himself? Rough surfaces also help him to strip the skin off, I keep a piece of coral rock in the cage as a rubbing surface.
Run some warm water in the tub and let him soak for a while as mentioned earlier, then gently roll the shed skin off with your thumb. It should come loose pretty easy after a good soak. FWIW, mine is pretty lethargic this time of year also. I think it is a seasonal hibernation thing. As long as he is still eating I wouldnt worry too much. You do have a hot rock in the cage, right? EDIT: Call around and see if you can get live mice to feed him, instead of frozen. I think they do better on live food. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 7:12:34 AM EDT
[#31]
Best advice yet  ...I've raised 4 boids and 2 pythons to over 10ft in length, and they ALL need a soak at least once a week. Also, as stated in another response, keep something like a good sized piece of granite or lava rock in the cage with him. This'll give him something rough to rub against and aid in the shedding process. I'm glad to hear that you're feeding the snake thawed foods. If you can stomach it, it wouldn't be a bad idea to eviscerate the mice, and insert some vitamins packets as a supplement. DO NOT use any kind of oil on the snake. This does nothing, and just creates a mess in the cage. The next thing you need to do is check for mites in the cage. If you have them (and if you don't you WILL eventually), you need to tear the thing down, clean it all with a mild bleach solution and let it all air dry. After all of that, get in touch with the reptile house at the local zoo. Find out who THEY use as their herp vet. Chances are if he/she can't see your animal, they'll know someone who can.
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Posted: 3/28/2006 7:21:13 AM EDT
[#32]
OK, a couple of things here. First, how do I know if there are mites? And if there are mites, and I clean the cage, won't the snake still have them on HIM when I put him back in? How do I deal with that? Also, do you mean disembowel the mice and stuff a viatmin in their stomach cavity? What kind of vitamins? These are pinky mice, by the way, so it will be hard, and he eats 12 a week - how do I know when too many vitamins is too much? I give him 4 mice 3 times weekly, so would I do 1 mouse every time I feed him? And finally, I should soak him in the tub once a week? For how long? What is the ideal temperature? How deep? What kind of soap does a snake like? I use Lever 2000, is that good Don't want a stinky snake And thanks for all the help to everyone! |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 7:48:30 AM EDT
[#33]
The mites are small, but they are indeed visible. They should be VERY easy to spot on your snake because of the color. Clean the tank while you're soaking the snake. As far as the bathwater goes, snakes are exothermic, so don't make the water too hot. Slightly less than YOUR body temp would be ideal, and soak him as long he wants to soak. When they were small, I'd let my anacondas swim in my big fish tank for hours. They loved it. Just make sure there's stuff for him to climb up on to, like a branch or rock.
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Posted: 3/28/2006 8:07:10 AM EDT
[#34]
if you had mites, you'd know it
WHEN you get the poppy-seed like bastards, sevin dust be your solution. clean+bleach cage, line with newspaper, sprinkle dust throughout, avoiding water ball pythons are great pets, BTW |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 9:21:59 AM EDT
[#35]
awww... fuck all the reptile haters If he has a problem take him to the vets. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 9:55:43 AM EDT
[#36]
when any of my snakes ever had issues.. i soak them in the sink for a few min in nice warm water, then i help them shed. YOU CAN handle the snake during shedding, the time you want to be careful is when their eyes are blue righte before the shed, they CAN be snappy, but not always.
I help my snakes shed sometimes too, it goes a lot faster when they dont have to use friction on their own... its neat too. to sum it up.. soak him for a few min then help. make especially sure you get the shed around the head and the vent(anus) forums.kingsnake.com/ best reptile forums ever. mites are easily visible.. especially on a bright colored smaller snake. I HATE THEM. I just use "no pest strip" and let a few chunks of it sit on top the vent for the cage for a few days, then remove it, and keep the water clean. |
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Posted: 3/28/2006 12:22:44 PM EDT
[#37]
See a vet experienced with reptiles. Could be a skin infection, could be management problem...humidity, temperature,etc in the box, could be normal for this snake. Good vet will save you $ and time in the long run.
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Posted: 3/28/2006 6:19:30 PM EDT
[#38]
pagin DrFrige paging DrFrige BTW My dog vet keeps a Sonora Mtn Kingsnake (also pretty enough that most ladies don't mind seeing it) at the office so if you need a number to call and can't find a local PM me. She's in SoCal so would be a close to last resort. |
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