Scale Rot, Humidity, and a Ball Python

[JC86]

Ok, what exactly am I looking for when I look for 'scale rot'?


3 of my ball python's bottom scales...2 of the long ones on the base of the neck and 1 round one on the bottom of the head, are discolored lightish brown instead of white. Is this scale rot?

Ifso, does humidity have any effect on that? Right now he is in shed, adn he's actually using his humidity box (moss in a tuperware container that I cut a hole in the side)...but I don't wanna make him sick(er) if that is scale rot by letting him sit in a very humid area.

So...any suggestions on what to do/look for?

Thanks!

~Scott
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[ChriZR2]

Well,
I've got a BP too, and sometimes right before he sheds, his belly turns colors....pink. Also, what do you have for bedding in the tank? back to your ??....humidity may play a role (too much moisture) but the main thing is "waste" being left in the tank. Their urine will soak into the bedding, and the heat just sits there and bakes a pie of harmful crap....germs and such....so if you're leaving the urine/waste in the tank, this may play a large roll. So, after he sheds, clean the bedding, or put new bedding in ( I use Coconut Chips in mine cause it doesn't turn my snakes belly pink.) Then, make sure you clean out the waste, etc.... If it isn't scale rot, it should go away after the shed.
Chris.
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	Ball Python The Ball Python (Python regius), also known as the Royal Python, is a ground dwelling snake native to the savannahs and rain forests in western Africa, predominatly the countries of Ghana, Togo, and Benin.

[captainmorgan]

If it's only in spots, yeah I'd say it's scale rot. Scale rot is kind of a rusty brown color. The causes are either the substrate is to wet or becaues you're not cleaning out the poop and he's slithering through it and it's getting inbetween his scales. Do you mist your cages? If so don't soak it, hit the walls or the log or hide before hitting the substrate. I got one of those plastic plants in there so I can mist that and the water clings to it really well. Also, does you're snake soak alot. If you have a snake that soaks like crazy step down on the water dish size to where he won't fit and let him grow a little and then bring the bigger bowl back. But you gotta clean out that poop as soon as you can. Or overmisting. Those are the only ways I've seen scale rot develop.

Oh yeah, treat it by KEEPING THE SUBSTRATE CLEAN AND DRY!!!!
and put a little neosporin on the infected areas, but MAKE SURE YOU DON'T USE THE PAIN RELIEVING KIND!!!!!! USE THE NORMAL KIND.
If not neosporin than find another anti bacterial ointment that's within reason!
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[LdyDrgn]

Scale rot pics:


and a bad case:


the severe case required injections of Baytril. The mild ones I managed to control with paper towel substrate and Neosporin. Good luck with the Royal!

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[captainmorgan]

It don't get much better than that!! Great pics ldydrgn, they should use those pics for the caresheets on scale rot!!!! Does it look like that JC? If you can't treat it yourself you may need to go to the vet and get baytril shots.
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[JC86]

Hrm kinda not really. The whole scale is discolored...kinda like a rusty/red brown, but just those 3 scales. It doesn't really look like those pictures, it's not as 'dirty' looking. Like there's nothing at all on the surrounding scales, and nothing inbetween the scales like in that first pic.


I think I get the p00p out of his cage the day he p00ps, at least from what I can tell. I use an aspen bedding with newspaper sheets under that. I mist mabey once a day, but the bedding is never wet. Humidity has been around 50-60 lately. Less than 2 weeks ago I completely cleaned out the cage in the shower, brand new bedding, put his bowls and humidity box through the dishwasher, etc. I usually do that once a month or so. Mabey I'm not taking enough bedding out around the p00p. The aspen doesn't really change color when it's dirty so mabey i had urinated bedding in there without me realizing. I'll have to be more careful about that.


Well he's been in shed for almost a week now, hopefully he'll shed sometime in the next week adn I'll see how it looks then. I'll try to get pics up. to show you what I mean.

Also since he's in shed he's been haning out a lot in his humidty chamber...actually he's not left it for days from what I can tell. Should I take him outta that?

Thanks!
Scott
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[captainmorgan]

It sounds like you got scale rot to me JC. I'd put the neosporin on him and wait until the next shed, if it looks better keep doing it until it goes away. I used to use aspen and they do urinate and you can't see it. It dries quick but still.....I'd treat it as if it was scale rot and wait for the shed....hope it helps....oh yeah, with the pics it wasn't inbetween the scales on the first pic....just the 7th scale from the top in the first pic.....
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[Dragon]

I know a few high profile herp people that recommend against a UTH for Royals because of scale rot. It bakes the faeces, which they have a habit of lying on. If you are using a UTH it might be an idea to swap it out and go with a heat panel or a CHE.

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[captainmorgan]

Royals are the only ones with the baked on fecies....that's why I recommend a simple $15.00 human heating pad that you'd get for your back and put that under there. Most snakes will burrow when there's poop around....I havent' seen a ball python do that yet though. They just sit there. I don't recommend those stick on the bottom UTH. Those work like crap in my honest opinion. And you can't get a UTH that's not adjustable, those factory made 88 degrees UTH suck too....
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[ChriZR2]

Well, weather you have a UTH or not, the problem is easily avoidable.....CLEAN YOUR SNAKES TANK!! Don't leave the stuff in there long enough for them to lay around on it all day! Try this, next time you eat a big dinner, crap in your bed, then go to sleep in it.....see how you like it! So yea, just clean the tank and you won't have to worry about you snake crawling through it.
Chris.
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[JC86]

See that's kinda why I wasn't sure at first if it was scale rot. I clean up the poop the day it's pooped, and he always poops where he doesn't lay (I've only once seen him resting next to a poop). The p00 is always in one piece and doesn't look at all like he touched it after it came out. I also clean out the cage totally once a month w/warm water and a little bit of soap. The only thing would be if the urine/liquid stuff soaks into the aspen and I don't see it. I think I'm going to switch to newspaper now for a little while, that's real easy to tell if dirty.

Right now his eyes are all blue and he's really freaky, I'm hoping that I can get some neosporin under his head now without getting bit heh. [img]modules/Forum/images/smiles/icon_frown.gif[/img]


Scott
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[captainmorgan]

you may have to grab him by the head and hold him. They can't see very well while in blue so they get paranoid of "who's gonna eat me". It's kind of like there at there highest vulnerable point. But yeah, I'd treat it anyways and it'll probably disappear with this shed. If not keep treating and it'll go away....
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[JC86]

Wow, that neosporin stuff is pretty good. I neosporined him once a day for 3-4 days, then he shed on Saturday and the scale rot is all gone. Thanks guys.


Scott
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