Severe Shedding?

[towelie200]

Okay, for the last couple weeks ive noticed my tortoise has some pretty significant shed that isnt going away, is there any way for me to help shed it? Is it strange that it isnt going away? Im quite concerned and any help is most appreciated

 

[Maggie Cummings]

Is your tort well hydrated? Is his substrate moist? Does he get any UVB rays?

 

[towelie200]

he is, i give a bath twice a week in warm water along with standing water in his enclosure. His substrate his on the dry side, im about to change it in the next week. He does receive uvb along with his uva

 

[tyrs4u]

Shedd Easy in the warm baths for five days, rub away any loose flakes after the 30 minute soak...

 

[towelie200]

what should I rub it away with?

 

[tyrs4u]

Best thing is Cotton Swabs; or wear a non latex glove & the mild rub against the flaky skin helps it fall right off....

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't agree. I don't think the shedding skin should be messed with at all. I think you should allow it to come of on its own with no intervention from you. Tortoises do a lot of shedding around their necks. Its just a fact of life. If you think your tortoise's shedding is abnormal, then you should take it to a qualified tortoise vet and get a second opinion.

Down at the bottom of this page are 4 other threads about shedding. Read them for other opinions on the subject.

 

[Pokeymeg]

I would let the loose skin fall off on its own. If you accidentally pull a piece that isn't as loose as you thought, you could rip the new, thin skin underneath.

My tortoise recently went through a severe shedding (his whole body, pretty much at once)...he had an unknown infection that caused severe de-hydration....So I would sugget you take a careful look and see if there could be any underlying causes to his excessive shedding like Maggie suggested. Shedding is normal, but excessive shedding could be a symptom to a bigger problem.

Definitely keep up with the baths, and do more if you can! I started doing them daily to help my tort with his shedding. He started looking forward to bath time for once!

 

[mattgrizzlybear]

Good luck!