stuck shed

Ok, I wasn't saying nothing, or like double questioning anybody. I had just read about blisters and was wondering where the line was. Thank you very much though. I can't believe anybody would be stupid enough to keep there animals wet like that forever. You would think blisters shouldn't be a big deal. Oh well.

Originally Posted by Leighanne

Ok, I wasn't saying nothing, or like double questioning anybody. I had just read about blisters and was wondering where the line was. Thank you very much though. I can't believe anybody would be stupid enough to keep there animals wet like that forever. You would think blisters shouldn't be a big deal. Oh well.

From what I have seen, wet conditions alone take quite a while to cause blistering...but add a little urine or feces to the mix and it can happen within a few days (and it doesn't have to be all that wet). As long as the cage is cleaned, and the blistered area is kept clean & dry, they aren't a huge deal - the blisters dry up and will disappear after a shed or two. Continued exposure to wet/unclean conditions, however, will exacerbate the problem, causing them to become more widespread and (frequently) infected. Left unchecked, it can become a serious & lifethreatening condition.

I keep a humidifier in my snake room to keep it at 55-60% at all times. Then when an individual animal turns blue, I give them a humid hide -- a Rubbermaid container with the lid on top, a hole cut in the side, and a wet washcloth on the bottom. Not so wet that there's extra water sloshing around in there, but a bit more than damp. I leave it in with them until they complete shedding and I get perfect sheds almost every time. They use the hide for humidity and the towel acts as a rough surface to slide off the skin.

With this method I've never had problems with blisters or scale rot...the substrate is always changed out the minute I notice it has become soiled (I check everyone daily) and if they happen to do their business in the humid hide before shedding, I change it out and give them a new one.

Good luck!