Soon to Shed or Bacteria? Sorry, im totally new! :X

[rattlehead07]

i got a 1 year old ball python from a friend of mine, because he had moved in with his gf, who hated the idea of having a snake, ive been around them for years, but am still learning a lot as far as husbandry.

i got him a week ago, cleaned his cage - it was pretty messy, and a few days ago he started showing signs of a pinkish belly with drying out scales on his belly. now i read that pinkish belly is a sign of soon to shed, but i also read that an overly pink belly could possibly mean some sort of infection or bacteria?

i have his first vet appointment tomorrow at 6 PM, but just wanna run it by you guys, cause im sure you can shine some light on this question of mine?



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any help or advice would be much appreciated! cheers guys

[rattlehead07]

[rattlehead07]

[singingtothewheat]

Looks like shed time. Soak him. Keep his humidity up

[sho220]

Looks like he's just going into shed cycle. I'd keep the humidity up but skip the soaking to see how he sheds. Soaking for every shed cycle is not a habit I'd want to get in. You can get a water bottle and mist a few times during a shed cycle to up the humidity.

[rattlehead07]

thanks for the quick responses guys, i guess i just spooked myself out there haha. should i be worried that his belly scales are appearing to crack and look dried up? how long does the redness last before his eyes fog up? hes been like this for maybe 4-5 days now

[rattlehead07]

just a quick update: i came home today to find him curled up, eyes a foggy blue, and pretty much blind as a bat, bumping his head into everything in front of him haha. i guess i gave myself a scare there, but i did go out and buy some "douglas fir bark" cause i assume it helps humidity more than the astro turf i had laid out for him. if anyones interested ill post a photo or two of his setup.

thanks a lot for the help guys!

[zantedeschia]

jbut i did go out and buy some "douglas fir bark" cause i assume it helps humidity more than the astro turf i had laid out for him. if anyones interested ill post a photo or two of his setup.

I don't believe you're supposed to use pine bark for snakes, as it's toxic.

[rattlehead07]

http://www.westcoastpetsupply.com/2/...ptile-Bedding/ this is the stuff i got him...

is it due to the possibility of resin in the bark? is that toxic?

[Kaorte]

It looks to me like there is a bit of skin already flaking off the belly. correct me if I am wrong. Are you using a UTH?

I think that very well could be a burn. It is rather common for an injured snake to enter a shed cycle to try and heal faster.