Scale Rot Plz Help,...

Ok,... I have been loking over this site since this situation occured about a month ago, My friend seperated from his fiance and asked if I could house his animals a 2yr old ball python aka Sinister and a bearded dragon, when sinister arrived I noticed a pink tint to his belly so I changed his substrate cuz it was moist due to a spilt water bowl,... more to the point over the next week I was told that he would suply them food he has failed to do so therefore I did it out of what little cash I had,... should I turn him in for neglect or not(the dragon had neither a water or food bowl in cage on arrival)

But back to the problem at hand, the pink turned into swollen scales as he tried to shed they then seemed to become water logged and peeled off a chunk at a time I then consulted a local breeder due to no money for a vet he suggested betadine baths twice a day for half an hour each so I did, which brings us to tonight I have talked to a vet earlier and found that I dont qualify for thier payment plan due to no credit history the scales that peeled off are about 3/8 of an inch below the outer scales and just look really raw he is willing to eat though,... any advice in case they turn me away is helpfull plz and thanks

I have pics I'm going to post

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/...n/Sinister.jpg
^^^This Is Sinister^^^

http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/...&current=4.jpg

http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/...&current=5.jpg

http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/...&current=6.jpg

http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/...ofscalerot.jpg

^^^These are before his betadine bath tonight^^^

http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/...rbathtime3.jpg

http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/...erbathtime.jpg

http://s1085.photobucket.com/albums/...rbathtime4.jpg

^^^And This Is After Bath Time^^^

Sorry but that snake needs to see a vet

If it is scale rot keep him on newspaper. Don't use any oil based creams or salves like neosporine or bacitracin. Silver burn cream is what's good for that. The soaks in the betadine are good.

Keep him dry without sacrificing too much ambient humidity. What's the surface temperature of his warm side? It could also be a burn if his underbelly heat is nor controlled by a thermostat. It should be 88/91 give or take a degree. And about 80 ambient temp on the cool side.

As for the dragon.. Bowls are not really required. Many won't drink water from a bowl. They require a warm soak a few times a week to stay properly hydrated. Check out the dragon forum for info on veggies, greens, and insects to feed him.

Silver Sulfadiazine Cream.. That's what you need for that. Check at your local drug store.

Continue the betadine baths and get some of that cream on the area. Try to get him to the vet for treatment as soon as you can.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

Silver Sulfadiazine Cream.. That's what you need for that. Check at your local drug store.

Continue the betadine baths and get some of that cream on the area. Try to get him to the vet for treatment as soon as you can.

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alright thank you both i was going to take him in tomorrow but will still look into the cream to have on hand i'm not sure of the temerature cuz there is no thermostat in the tank but i know i keep my room about 80 degrees anyway because we have another ball who is happy healthy and quite fat lol,... if anything else comes to mind let me know and i'll post updates as things progress thanks again

Seems like a lot of people have let their snakes get severe scale rot theses days.... (Not saying it is you b/c you took the bp in after this occurred)
And Finally! Someone willing to take the snake to a vet. Good Job!!
Please do! Don't be like the others.... :/

Good luck!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Generationshell

Seems like a lot of people have let their snakes get severe scale rot theses days.... (Not saying it is you b/c you took the bp in after this occurred)
And Finally! Someone willing to take the snake to a vet. Good Job!!
Please do! Don't be like the others.... :/

Good luck!

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Thanks and I will I find all of this ironic in a way cuz in about six months I start college to become a vet tech so if anything this is motivation to get that done I'm sick of seeing animals suffer I wish there was a more affordable way to get them care,... I even tryed signing up for the new pet cupon through banfield cuz they offer the first visit free but because he's not a dog or cat it doesnt work,... so yeah i just hope its not too late

Ok the vet visit fell through because I have no credit history and dont qualify for thier payment plans I spent the morning calling about 15 vets and finally the humane society and no one has anyway for me to get him treated the is not just ridiculous but heart breaking as well,... I havent given up yet though I'm going to keep digging but it may come back down to home treatments,... sorry guys I'll update later

Just keep trying to find someone that can help you. Contact your friend and tell him if he doesn't give you some money to fix the snake then you will turn it in to a rescue.

A snake needs to be in a wet and dirty environment for a very long time in order to get this type of scale and skin problem.

The thing that worries me is the possibility of infection. An exotics vet is going to have you treat it the exact way I told you but they would most likely give some antibiotics to ward off infection. If it has gotten that bad then antibiotics may be very necessary.

In the mean time keep it's enclosure very clean and dry. Keep him on clean newspaper and change his water regularly. Cover the top of the enclosure to help hold just enough humidity so he doesn't get an RI. Be sure the hot side is not too hot in case of burns. If there is no thermostat controlling the under tank heat then this could be a problem. Put an extra thick layer of newspaper or paper towels over on that side if it feels too warm to the touch.

Continue the medicated soaks about every other day or so and get some of that cream from the drug store.

If there are blisters or fluid under the scales it needs to come out so the area can dry out and heal.

Keep trying to get some help for it but if it doesn't appear to be getting any better since you've had it then it will need to be given to someone who can take care of it properly.