Vote for BP.Net for the 2013 Forum of the Year! Click here for more info.

» Site Navigation

» Home
 > FAQ

» Online Users: 768

0 members and 768 guests
No Members online
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.

» Today's Birthdays

None

» Stats

Members: 75,912
Threads: 249,115
Posts: 2,572,187
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, coda

help dont have a clue

Printable View

  • 06-10-2010, 12:01 PM
    jreed
    help dont have a clue
    i run a group home for special needs adults i have a gentlemen who lives here that has a ball she is a sweet snake when i started here she was in a 10g tank with a small under tank heater and a regular light bulb on top i have since had a en closer made for her got a bigger heater as well as a day light a night light and a uv light for her my question is she shed about a week ago and it came off in patches so i soaked her and until today i thought she had shed all the way i was wrong she has her whole under side is covered in what looks like dead skin and under the skin there look to be very pink spots so i soaked again just wondering what else i can do for her i know next to nothing about snakes but she is a very sweet girl and don't want her hurt
  • 06-10-2010, 12:12 PM
    reixox
    Re: help dont have a clue
    Someone here with much more experiance than myself will help you, but in the mean time a picture might help and the temperatures (hot side, cool side and belly heat if thats applicable) in her enclosure too. :)
  • 06-10-2010, 12:15 PM
    Kaorte
    Re: help dont have a clue
    :welcome: to bp.net!!

    That would be a burn.

    Probably from an unregulated heating source. Whenever you use an under tank heater with a ball python you MUST control it with a thermostat or at least a rheostat (found at home depot for $11). If you do not use a thermostat, the heat pad will get to temps around 120*F which is plenty to burn your animal.

    Also, you don't need any overhead light. If you still can, return it all. They don't need UV, they don't need daylight and they don't need a night light. The only reason you should use over head heat is if your normal room temperatures get below 70-75* normally. Then you will want a low wattage red bulb on 24/7 just to bring up the temp a few degrees.

    Here is what you can do: Switch the substrate to paper towels so you can keep the wound nice and clean. Change the paper towels every time she makes a mess to ensure the wound does not get infected. Apply bacitracin, neosporin, or polysporin once every few days. Make sure it is the kind WITHOUT THE PAINKILLER/RELIEVER. That particular ingredient is TOXIC to reptiles. The regular version works just fine though.

    Assuming you get something to regulate your heat source and you get some good accurate thermometers the burn should heal in a shed cycle or two.
Powered by vBadvanced CMPS v4.2.1