my antlers r shedding again and it reaaally pisses me off can you give some advice for making the process easier?? it's like having a loose tooth but like 10x worse and ik I shouldn't force it but it pmo soo bad :((( -jackalope anon
Sheddin' as in the velvet is sheddin' or are yer antlers droppin'? Wait, pardon me, it's goddamn January. They're castin'.
It's gonna hurt like shit for a bit, but it should be a quick process. Scratch yer antlers against trees or the ground or anywhere that you can get yer antlers around. It helps with loosenin' 'em as the connective tissue breaks down. Give it some time, but eventually, they'll fall right off. Ain't much ya can do but try to scratch 'em against stuff. And don't force it. Don't pull on them or mess wit' 'em wit' yer hands. Ya'll cause more harm than good.
Another thing, it'll bleed quite a bit when they initially drop. And it'll hurt. It's an open wound, so make sure to care for it as such. It'll scab in a few hours, though, so don't worry. Jus' make sure to have towels ya don't mind staining and some ice to speed up the clottin'.
For the pain and cramps, ibuprofen and warm compresses help a lot. When I get it bad, I usually wrap a hot towel 'round my antlers to ease the itchiness and pain. For both types'a sheddin'. Velvet and castin'.
Any more questions, dear? Keep me updated, too. Sometimes first-time sheds can take much longer or have some kinda issues, and I don't mind helpin' out.
