| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Kelfezond |
Posted - 26/08/2012 : 09:24:59
Hey guys as you know I've been in and out of the vets with Cleo lately, she has a little retained shed at the moment (not the reason for the vet appointment just coincidence) and his advice was that with royals around shed time he normally gives them a few baths.
This advice is completely opposite to what I would recommend I was under the impression that bathing a royal too often would be a bad idea.
Whats your ideas on this? |
| 12 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| acd1984 |
Posted - 29/08/2012 : 19:22:02
Personally i dont think it would do any harm, if you dry them down after and put them back in the warm.
although i dont suppose it would help shed any either unless they soaked for a long time, but even then, with retained shed on the head a bath isnt gonna help at all cause you obviously cant hold there heads under water lol |
| IncurableFlirt |
Posted - 27/08/2012 : 00:38:17
Not to mention that they actually also secrete oils during their shed cycle that help prepare the shed skin to be removed easily, so if you bathe them, you are going to wash those off and potentially have a really bad shed on your hands. I know some snakes do sit in their water dishes during a shed cycle, but I think the snake would definitely know better what feels best to its skin, so I wouldn't force a bath on them. You could maybe provide them a bathing tub in their enclosure to see if they sit in it, but my guess would be that they wouldn't. I usually just bump up their humidity by misting when they're in a shed cycle. It's worked like a charm for 3+ years for me. :) |
| Lotabob |
Posted - 26/08/2012 : 20:32:27
Bathing would do exactly the same thing as a damp pillowcase or moss box but just with added stress of been put in water. The bluey coloured milky excretion is what lifts the skin, nothing else, humidity/water only helps keep the now dead skin soft/elastic so it comes off easily. I do believe that the dead skin can absorb the milky stuff if its too dry which prevents it coming away cleanly as its not separated properly but keeping the dead skin moisturised by non bathing means prevents it. |
| BlueDragon |
Posted - 26/08/2012 : 11:51:18
quote:
Originally posted by blackskull
surely thats what the layer of fluid does that builds up under the skin while in shed
That's what I thought too : /
I did have to bath Tig quite a lot, but only 'cause he was an awful shedder when he was young. Once I started using that aquatize stuff though he seemed to get better on his own. For most of the time anyway.
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| Baobab |
Posted - 26/08/2012 : 11:00:15
Like yourselves I would only consider bathing due to a bad shed or mites.
Sounds like the start of a JanieW debate. To bathe or not to bathe. |
| blackskull |
Posted - 26/08/2012 : 10:14:43
surely thats what the layer of fluid does that builds up under the skin while in shed |
| Kelfezond |
Posted - 26/08/2012 : 10:09:18
He said the way shed's work is that the skin is forced apart by water |
| AndyJ80 |
Posted - 26/08/2012 : 10:03:01
I have only ever bathed my snakes due to retained shed. I can see a potential benefit to bathing them more often during shed time |
| blackskull |
Posted - 26/08/2012 : 09:57:11
did he give you a reason why he would give them a few baths while in shed? |
| chrisc |
Posted - 26/08/2012 : 09:53:26
same mine were only bathed if they had a bad shed |
| Kelfezond |
Posted - 26/08/2012 : 09:45:35
Aye I normally only give a bath to remove a bad retained shed and even then it doesn't always work |
| blackskull |
Posted - 26/08/2012 : 09:28:57
personally i have never bathed any of my royals around shed time. i don't see the need un less they have a bad shed
the only time i have put any of my snakes in the bath was when they had mites |
