Help!! New snake with scale problem!!!

[Fireman920]

We just got a 4 year old ball python. He shed 1 week after we got him, sry shedding. We had to soak him to get all his skin off. A week later he now has a nasty dark red spot about an inch and half down the middle of his back, one scale starting to peel back reveling flesh. Does anybody know what this is, or what to do? I've put triple antibiotic cream on it tonight per another BP owners suggestion. IDEAS???

[Lankyrob]

What comditions is it being kept in? If the shed wasnt in o e peiece then it is most likely that the humidity is too low, when you removed the shed did you have to pull at it?

If you can post the temps and humidity in The viv we will try to help you.

[Fireman920]

When he didn't shed correctly we soaked him in warm water for 10 minutes and it came off when gently rubbed downward. His temp in his tank is 86' and humidity is 40%.

[SSSSnakes]

It looks like an old wound that was opened up by the shed. I'd keep it clean and keep the snake on news paper or paper towels until it heals. It will most likely disappear after a few sheds.

[Starbuck]

As lankyrob said, the more info you give us, the better we will be able to help.

What do you feed him? (frozen/thawed, live, rats, mice?) How often do you feed him?

What is the set up?Temps & humidity and how do you measure them, tank/cage style, heat source? How many hides?

Where did you get him from, and how long have you had him?

Good news is the wound doesnt look too serious, so once we figure out what caused it and make sure your husbandry is spot on, he should heal very quickly :)

[bcr229]

Others will probably say this also, but no more triple. Long-term use of petroleum jelly can soften up the scales and make things worse.

As was said, keep his temps/humidity correct, keep an eye on it, and it should heal on its own. If it looks like it is getting worse or infected then a trip to the vet is the next step.

[Fireman920]

We have had him for three weeks. I bought him off of a gentleman who was downsizing his collection. He was previously a pet store snake. He is 4 years old. He shed the 2nd week we had him. We feed him 2 live feeders every 2 weeks, eating the first time we had him on 4/11. He eats in a clear feeding tub so we can watch, not in his tank. He is in a 20 gallon aquarium, small heat pad on bottom, 40 watt heat bulb on top, water dish, and log. Temps are 86' humidity is 60%. Substrate is carefresh bedding. The antibiotic cream I put on him last night is Not the petroleum kind, it's the creamy kind. But I did not put it on tonight. Thank you for all of your help/advice!!

[StudentoReptile]

Yeah, it looks like a scar from the snake escaping out of something, and scratching the flesh there on its spine...IMHO anyway. Doesn't look like a rodent bite.

[stephanbakir]

Jest gona toss this out there... Did you use a temp gun when you put him in the warm eater for shedding?

Warm water for you could be scalding for him.

[SSSSnakes]

Jest gona toss this out there... Did you use a temp gun when you put him in the warm eater for shedding?

Warm water for you could be scalding for him.
+1 Also Carefresh is not a good substrate for snakes, especially one that is wounded. I know it is debatable, but I would feed him in his enclosure, not in a different tub.

[Lankyrob]

I would bump your hot end temp to 91-95f and make sure when he is next due to shed that you up the humidity to 75% or so. There should be no need for a soak to get the shed off.

[Fireman920]

I will not feed in his tank because I don't want him to become tank aggressive. It's a child's snake and I don't want him to ever mistake her hand for a mouse being dropped in the tank.

[SSSSnakes]

I will not feed in his tank because I don't want him to become tank aggressive. It's a child's snake and I don't want him to ever mistake her hand for a mouse being dropped in the tank.

Feeding in a snake enclosure will not make it tank aggressive, that is a myth.

[DeadlyDesires]

Feeding in a snake enclosure will not make it tank aggressive, that is a myth.


this ^^^^

i feed my snakes in the enclosure and they are the sweetest snakes ever.

[Fireman920]

Question- what good will tank feeding do? What will me changing this feeding habit do for his problem? I'm curious because I feed snakes for someone on a regular baisis (last 7 months), on a 2 week schedule, 10 of them total, and I tub feed all of them. Not being rude at all, just need to know if they don't eat, and I reach in to take the feeder, or rat, out and then they decide they want it at that exact moment, I might get bit. Just thinking ahead worst case scenerio.

[DeadlyDesires]

Question- what good will tank feeding do? What will me changing this feeding habit do for his problem? I'm curious because I feed snakes for someone on a regular baisis (last 7 months), on a 2 week schedule, 10 of them total, and I tub feed all of them. Not being rude at all, just need to know if they don't eat, and I reach in to take the feeder, or rat, out and then they decide they want it at that exact moment, I might get bit. Just thinking ahead worst case scenerio.


i used to feed outside of the enclosure and i found that feeding inside was just easier for me, and seemed to be less stressful on my snakes as well... they dont take so long to eat now and im not worried about the transfer back.

[SSSSnakes]

Question- what good will tank feeding do? What will me changing this feeding habit do for his problem? I'm curious because I feed snakes for someone on a regular baisis (last 7 months), on a 2 week schedule, 10 of them total, and I tub feed all of them. Not being rude at all, just need to know if they don't eat, and I reach in to take the feeder, or rat, out and then they decide they want it at that exact moment, I might get bit. Just thinking ahead worst case scenerio.

I feed between 100 to 200 hundred snakes in their enclosures for over the past 33 years. Some snakes will not want to eat if you remove them from their enclosure. Why stress a snake out by moving it to a tub if it is not necessary? My snakes are not tank aggressive because they are fed in their enclosures. Where I work we have to remove the snakes and feed them in separte conttainers, because there are to many snakes in each enclosure and because we are not allowed to let the public see the snakes eat. I have more problems with snakes not eating at my job do to this. If I get there early before the store opens I can feed some of the snakes, that only have one per enclosure, in their enclosure and they normally eat. You will also find that all the major snake breeders feed their snakes in their enclosures.

[rmfsnakes32]

I feed all 24 of mine in their tubs and my kids know which snakes are ok to play with they are all friendly

[Fireman920]

Thank you all for you info on feeding in the inclosure. I do have a couple stubborn eaters I will try tank feeding. As to the original problem- his scale peeling and hardning, it hasn't gotten worse, but no better. I "dropped" my phone in water, so i cant post new pic right now. Only 1 scale is partially peeled back, but its not bloody or anything, just pink.