Question about if my snake has scale rot

[DrEwTiMe]

Hello everyone, i have just signed up for this site and it seems to have a lot of information. I wanted to ask everyone if my snake has scale rot. She had it once before and it was just a little brown spot on the tip of her tail, i had taken her to the vet and got some antibiotics that i had to give her through her mouth once a day. But yesterday my snake just shed and under the back half of her underscales there is a reddish/pinkish tint and im not sure what this is. Just to be safe i started to put neosporin on her yesterday in case it is something like scale rot. I really don't know how she could have gotten this if it is indeed scale rot. I have zoo med cypress much as a bottom layer that has been there for just a little over a month, i sp0t clean when ever there is any fecies or anything that could cause sickness. The tank is never under 80 F and the humidity is never over 60%. In fact sometimes i have problems keeping it arond 60% so i have to spray the tank down sometimes 2-3 times day. I have a heating pad taped under the tank on the hot side that she likes to lay on top of in her hide box, i have herd snakes getting burt from stuff like hot rocks but im not sure if this can happen from heating pads taped to the runderside of the tank. Any help would be great, and if you guys think i should just take her to the vet let me know, i am kinda worried about her because i have never seen sometihng like this.

Thank you!!

[Adam_Wysocki]

First, you should definitely take your snake to a vet. Usually, if you have to ask the question, the answer is yes. Even though there are a ton of really experienced people on the internet that can give you their opinion, it is impossible to properly diagnose a medical condition over the internet.

If it is scale rot I would say the following is your problem:

In fact sometimes i have problems keeping it arond 60% so i have to spray the tank down sometimes 2-3 times day.

I would guess that that amount of spraying is making the subtrate damp which can cause scale rot.

If it's a burn, you might need to correct the way your heating pad is set up or check it for hot spots.

Either way, a vet can identify and fix your snakes problem far better than anyone here. This is an EXCELLENT site for advice and tips about all kinds of things, but when it comes to a possible medical condition with your animal, please see a professional.

Hope this helps, and good luck getting her better!

-adam

[Cody]

Other than scale rot or a burn, the only other thing I could think of off the top of my head is maybe the skin is fresh from the recent shed. Sorta like if a human has a sunburn or a blister and you peel the dead skin away, the fresh skin is a pinky color. I know humans can't really be compared to snakes, but just trying to think outside of the box.

[Marla]

Without a good photo or two, I don't think even our residents with veterinary or long-term experience wants to guess at what the problem might be. I have to agree that a vet trip is a good idea, but the first thing I would do is replace the cypress with newspaper or paper towels, because that may help with scale rot and will definitely help keep down additional irritations to the site.

[Jeanne]

I agree- take your snake to the vet. It is hard to diagnose a problem over the internet. And, as Adam said, the misting you do to keep your humidity up may be the reason for scale rot if thats what it is, and it may have caused it the last time your snake had it. And, it could be a burn or a sensitive place on your snake from a new shed. There are too many variables- take your snake to the vet.

[DrEwTiMe]

Thanks for all of the information guys, my snake vet is not in till monday but just in case i have already had the vet give me the antiboitics that i need to enject into her mouth, its not my favorite thing to do but if it gets my girl better then its definitly nessesary. Thanks for all your help everyone!

[Marla]

Good luck, and let us know how she does.

[alexrls]

once we're talking about scale rot.....

monty shed on thursday nite and i was holding him tonite and i noticed the behind his head and along psrts of the neck (the thinnest part of him) there was a lot of white coloring mixed in with the yellow it looks kinda like dry skin (scales?) whatupwiththat?

[alexrls]

um...no one answered my post :cry:

really im worried about this whole with on the back of his neck thing
(look at previous post)[/img]

[DrEwTiMe]

Well if you are asking if that is scale rot i can tell you probely not. I have done a lot of research on scale rot since i think that Nyxx has it but usually scale rot starts on the underscales and comes in the color of a red/pinkish or a brownish color. Not saying it only happens on the underscales but if you are seeing a white color i can tell you that its probely not scale rot.