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possible shed...

N

newtosnakes

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Hey everyone, first off I would just like to thank all of you for being so helpful to me and everyone else here. Its very nice to know that I can come somewhere and get an honest answer by down to earth intelligent people that dont want to jerk me around like the pet stores. THANKS!

Now for the question. I fed my baby ball on Monday night of this week. Then, last night I soaked him as I do weekly for about 5-7 minutes in room temp. water and then put him back in his cage and changed his water dish in the cage. He was moving all over last night in his cage and this morning before I left for work I went to change his water again(I change it 2 times a day). I slightly lifted his hide to check on him and he was there, but I noticed his left eye is cloudy so I was thinking he might be getting ready to shed. However, when I picked him up to look at his other eye(right), it wasnt cloudy at all, does this mean his right eye will catch up and he will shed, do you think there is anything wrong? :crap:

Thanks again for all of your knowledge, I know I can count on everyone here for honest answers. :D
 
Sheds

With our ballpythons we do not soak them in water alot. They do soak themselves in therer water dish. We had a few infections that arise out of the water we have here. I would jsut watch for the next couple of days. Is heat right? Activity still the same, breathing, and eating, notice anything out of the unusual? Let it ride for the next couple of days. After that if the 1 eye is still cloudy then I would visit the doc. We have friend vet so I dont get nailed by vet bills but it is always better to be safe than sorry. keep us posted.
 
hey tj,

Yes the heat is right, on the hot side its about 89-93 give or take during the day and at night its about 77-82. His activity hasnt changed at all that I have noticed and his breathing isnt labored that I can tell. When I handle him daily he frequently flicks his tongue and is very alert. There is nothing unusual as far as how he has been acting since I got him. Im not very sure we have a reptile vet in our area, so I might have to start looking for one just incase, but when ball pythons do shed, is it possible for one eye to cloud before the other?
 
also, I know this sounds crude, but I have not been able to find a desc. on the ball pythons defecate...I dont know what it looks like or what I need to look for, im assuming its the 3/4" white plug looking things that are sometimes in the bottom of the cage, am I right? If not, how can I tell when my ball python has defecated?
 
sloan

i have two ball pythons, never seen one eye clouded and not the other, but that doesn't mean anything is wrong...i agree with other writer though, give it a couple of days and see what happens. Is the snakes skin darker than usual?it just may be time to shed, when was the last time it shed?
 
Hey Greg,

I have noticed that the snakes skin does not have a "luster" to it like some pictures I have seen in the past couple days, it does look a little dull. The colors arent really vibrant and its not very shiny. As far as when it last shed, I would have to ask the breeder that I bought it from.
 
newtosnakes said:
also, I know this sounds crude, but I have not been able to find a desc. on the ball pythons defecate...I dont know what it looks like or what I need to look for, im assuming its the 3/4" white plug looking things that are sometimes in the bottom of the cage, am I right? If not, how can I tell when my ball python has defecated?
Click to expand...

That's urates. Poop looks just like poop.
 
Sounds like...

Its just in the shedding process i wouldnt sweat it...As for the dunking in water bowl thing..In my opinon STOP. I would only use a spray bottle and just mist them once a day ONLY during shedding time to get a good shed. Thats it. Balls do not need that much water and you could cause skin rot. Also never use tap water, only bottled water for water bowl and misting, again only mist once a day during shedding time.
greg
my .02
good luck
 
distilled water...

Simba said:
Also never use tap water, only bottled water for water bowl and misting
Click to expand...

Would distilled water from Publix or WalMart be ok?

Also, I fed him on Monday evening and he still hasnt pooped yet, does it normally take this long for them to digest?
 
Sure

I use zephrihills water. Distilled is fine, just not tap due to not knowing levels of chlorine, and other chemicals that may or may not hurt the snake. It may take a while for it to go to the bathroom, maybe even two weeks. Remember if you just got it, it may still be getting use to the tank, there by throwing the snake off kilt with its body. Dont sweat the small stuff. The best thing you can do is look up on care sheets for snakes. I used www.undergroundreptiles.com, reguardless of what anyone says about them i buy all my reptiles there, and Never had a problem. On that website, they have care sheets for all reptiles. All just search on web for other CAREShEETS and put all the info togehter to make your own judgement
Greg
 
It sounds like your snake is shedding. Just give him time and lets us know what is going on with him in a few days.

A few issues I see,

1. Although clean water is a must, twice a day is overkill.

2. Another thing that is almost a given, the soaking. There is no need to soak your balls. If the humidity is fine and they are eating, then they will shed fine. We have over 60 balls and NONE soak and NONE are misted.



There is NO reason to use anything other than good old fashioned tap water. We have a PUR filter that we like to use, but its not needed. The only reason to buy water is if yours has very high lead or other chemicals.
 
If you do decide to use bottled water, then do NOT use distilled, use spring water or regular drinking water. Drinking only distilled water is not healthy.
 
Sloan,

If one eye is in "the blue" and the other not, he might have a retained eye shield from previous sheds. Did he shed already? Is that I eye still blue?

Regards.
 
im not sure if he has already shed...but when I first got him, his eye was not hazey like this. It didnt get like this until maybe 2 or 3 days ago. I left him alone all last night and then this evening when I got him out to hold him, his left eye is still hazey and his right is still normal looking. But I specifically remember when I got him his eyes were clear as glass. I dont understand why just one of them would be hazey:(...thanks for your input...
 
also I have noticed tonight as well, when I hold him under a light all of his scales have a wierd coloration to them. It kind of looks like when you spill a little gas in the water and it has all the different colors. Do their scales do that when they shed?
 
im not sure if he has already shed...but when I first got him, his eye was not hazey like this. It didnt get like this until maybe 2 or 3 days ago. I left him alone all last night and then this evening when I got him out to hold him, his left eye is still hazey and his right is still normal looking. But I specifically remember when I got him his eyes were clear as glass. I dont understand why just one of them would be hazey...thanks for your input...
Click to expand...

Well if he did you would have seen the shed in the enclosure. Yes, the sales will look dull colored when they are about to shed. But you should have noticed the eyes "in the blue first". After 2-3 days they turn clear again, and usually 3-4 days after thta, the shedding takes place. Make sure you start misting his cage 2-3 days after the eyes turn clear again.

Regards.
 
I meant I didnt know if he had shed before I got him. Today is Monday and he still has only one eye hazey, this is the 4th day now that his eye has been like this. I guess I should call a vet about it huh guy/girls? Do you think he could have gotten something in his eye? I have a cat, would a small piece of cat hair do that if it were to get into his eye? Any suggestions please, I still have not been able to find a reptile vet within 3 hours:(
 
Sloan,

He probable has a retained eye shield ("spectacle"). The first thing you have to do is soften it up by moistening the eye as much as possible. It is difficult to do it with just water as it will dry pretty quickly. Here is what has worked for me in the past. I have bought a bottle of Corn Huskers Lotion (its oil free) that's used as dry skin a moisturizer, and can be bought at the health section of any supermarket (it's very inexpensive). You apply it to the eye for a couple of days (or very time you see it has been rubbed of) trying to maintain it always covered. On the second day grab a piece of cloth in your hand, close your fist leaving just enough room for the python to squeeze for the hole. You will feel his head pushing to go through this “hole”. This action will make him usually rub the old spectacle off the eye. You will know it’s done whenever the eye clears up or you see the spectacle in your hands or the towel.

Hope this helps.
 
...the second day grab a piece of cloth in your hand, close your fist leaving just enough room for the python to squeeze for the hole.
Click to expand...

Sorry, I meant through the hole! :)
 
That does sound like a good idea and im sure it does work, but if it was an eye cap...then why all of the sudden did it just get hazey 4 days ago but I have had the snake 3 weeks? I dont really now a lot about snakes, but I think its safe to say its not an eye cap...:(
 
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