My Ball Python has a belly burn!

[kaylieannek]

We just recently got Lucy, she's about 3 feet long or so and we're new BP parents so we're learning. She's in a 40 gallon tank that had aspen substrate in it, and she had moved the substrate out of the way and was laying directly on the glass above her UTH (that we need to get a rheostat for.. i've been reading a lot..) Now we have newspaper substrate now and took out everything but her hide and her water bowl. The burn from about midway to her butt, not the tip of her tail though. We've been soaking her in a betadine solution in warm water, about the color of weak tea, for about 15 minutes and putting triple antibiotic (w/o painkiller) on it everyday and replacing the newspaper.
We were seeing some blood and some scales falling off, but now it seems like it's scabbing over? It's like a brownish red color and turns white after we soak her, like a scab would. I can tell shes in more pain now because shes starting to hiss a little bit at us and stay curled up in her hide pretty much all day.


I guess what i'm wondering is.. does this look like it's healing? should it scab up like that? We think shes about to go into a shed.. will that help? what do we expect?

p.s. these pictures are from about a week ago! so it's looking more scabbed over and not so raw now


[IMG]before the soakthis is after a soak

[Albert Clark]

Wow! Sorry for the dilemma. Yeah, even though you are seeing healing externally there could certainly be a problem internally. IMO, i would make a appointment with a exotic vet bc this extent of a burn may require not only antibiotics but specialized wound care. Even if you just get the vet to look at it and get a professional examination. Then see what your options are. P.S. Turn off and unplug the heat mat until you can get a thermostat so as to avoid further injury.

[Jon14]

First, have you either got something to regulate uth or is it unplugged? If no, then unplug it so you dont make it worse. Also if you dont have it already, get a themometer to take the temperatures. Second, don't use triple antibiotic as it is oil based which causes scales to fall off. Some more experienced members will chime in as for what to use in replacement. As the the injury itself, I would strongly recommend visiting an exotic vet. It doesn't look too bad, but I have no experience with burns on snakes. Just keep the enclosure extremely clean.

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[bcr229]

That snake needed to see a vet, a week ago.

[Willowy]

Oof, that's unpleasant! Try aloe instead of Neosporin---as pointed out, the petrolum-based products aren't good for their scales. Burns on humans do scab over when healing, I don't have any experience with burned snakes though. Paper towels might be softer/cleaner than newspaper, but if it's working you don't have to change it. I'd be worried about the ink but I worry too much . Healing burns are very painful so a bit of snappishness is to be expected. She may need some systemic antibiotics, just keep an eye on her to try to catch any infection before it gets out of hand.

I hope she heals quickly and uneventfully! Poor girl.

[auraria]

She needs to see a vet now, also unplug that UTH till you get a thermostat

[Scottywelsh]

That snake needed to see a vet, a week ago.

This ^^^^ !
Take it to a vet asap and Put your heat mat on a thermostat not a rheostat
Also when you said hide I hope you ment hides ?
Good Luck. Hope everything turns out ok.

[kaylieannek]

Thank you all for your advice! I have a Vet appt scheduled for Monday, wish us luck and pray for a fast recovery for Lucy!

[chrid16371]

Thank you all for your advice! I have a Vet appt scheduled for Monday, wish us luck and pray for a fast recovery for Lucy!

Have you bought a thermostat or something to regulate the uth so this doesn't happen again? Idk where you got her but if it was at a pet store but often times they give the wrong information do to the lack of there knowledge. Almost every time I'm in a pet smart and see someone buying a herp I listen to what the employee has to say about care and politely not interrupt and then when they are done I correct the wrong advice and then 2 people get the experience I share and I hope the employee passes it on to the next customer. I don't think I've ever heard a pet store say you need a thermostat and most of them don't even sell them.

Also here is the care sheet take some time to read it over and make the proper changes. Any other questions or concerns make sure you ask, the members in this forum truly are amazing ! Good luck!

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

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[PitOnTheProwl]

There isn't a "fast" recovery for that.
Hope you are regulating your heat now and maybe others will learn from this as well.