HELP

[Mad_Mike]

Please help... i got my ball in june and about 17 weeks ago he was burned by a uth(under tank heater) so i removed it got a ceramic heat emitter and took it to a vet.. she gave me some meds i used and his dark gold scales fell off showing lighter scales.. he stopped eating.. so he went into shed mode 3weeks ago.. he was in it for 2 weeks.. i soaked him and used veggie oil and finally got it off.. but he has shed on his belly that dryed and is now hard now.. its like a caseing over his belly skin.. what should i do?!?!?!? please help.. i was used aspen bedding but im back to newspaper

[maniac]

What kind of UTH heating pad did u use?..What was your bedding .. Usualy if u have thin bedding your ball will have a greater chance of getting burned by a heating pad.. It happens alot. I use reptigrass and throw a little aspen on there... the aspen makes it nice and warm and absorbs some of the heat. You should take him to the vet again..

[jotay]

Try soaking him in tepid water for a while and then have him slither thru a towel in your hands. This might help getting the old shed off his belly
As for the uth you need to do one of two things so the burns don't happen again.
Get a dimmer or t-stat for the uth to lower the heat it gives out
Buy a human heat pad ( I would still use a t-stat or dimmer to control the heat it gives out)
Bp's really need belly heat not overhead heat. Do some searches on here and you can find the pic of the heat pads people use ( WalMart) they only cost around 10-15.00
That overhead heat emitter is sucking up the humidity which in turn is aiding to the bad shed
What are your humidity levels? should be around 50-60 and bump up to 70 in shed.
Hope this helps

[Soul_Of_Fire]

I'd say give Jotay's method a try never hurts to try and if worse comes to worse it doesn't work and then its a trip to the good ol' vet. I personally just use the overhead heaters because theres no chance of that happening worst comes to worst the bulb blows and there is no heat but its better than breaking and having the Temp of the pad sky rocket but whatever works for you. I've got a UTH for my Tokay but thats just cause it came with the tank shes in. And I through the water dish over it so as to add more humidity.

[Smulkin]

Balls dig the belly heat for digestion though - thats where its key for them. Everyone knows heat rocks are a BAAAAD idea (right kids ?) - consequently we avoid them like the plague. In the wild a nice full freshly fed BP can sidle on up onto a warm rock and has pleeeenty of room to adjust himself for the desired heat. UTH is just a means to achieving that heat aspect they actively seek in nature.

[Marla]

First, skip the veggie oil. Second, if the pieces of retained shed are going all the way around the body and could contrict blood flow, soak the snake in tepid water for approximately half hour intervals in no more than 1" of water, then use Jotay's towel trick. Third, if the retained shed is not going all the way around the body, leave it alone on the belly because you might end up pulling off new scales in the previously burned area if you get too focused on getting the old skin off. If you make sure your humidity is good for the next shed, it should come right off with it.