What the heck is this? Help Plz??

So this is Stella, my first ball python i ever got..the first snake I ever got..and now she has something on her belly scales that I cant figure out what the heck it is or how it got there and its freakin me out a bit...

http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/...spythons/3.jpg
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/...spythons/2.jpg
http://i1183.photobucket.com/albums/...spythons/1.jpg

The pics dont really show it but there is some white crusty stuff in the 'crack' there...the only thing I can figure is that she may have got a burn when i had her in a tank on a heat pad and a cheapish thermostat*which may have failed*(she's now in a tub in my rack on a herpstat) or I upped the humidity too high when she was in shed and she picked up some scale rot(which is hard for me to believe since I spot clean every day and fully clean with a dilute bleach solution once a month). The first time I noticed it was right after she shed about 4-5 days ago.

I plan to take her to a vet soon if it gets any worse(I currently have her on unprinted newspaper, am cleaning her tub everyday, and using betadine twice a day), but any insights into what this looks like, or any suggestions as to what I can do to help her more would be very helpful and very appreciated.

It kinda looks like a burn. How are you heating her enclosure?

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Originally Posted by BAD Morphs

It kinda looks like a burn. How are you heating her enclosure?

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She is currently on flexwatt which is controlled by a herpstat. She was(until about a week or two ago) in a 10gal tank on a heat pad controlled by a cheapish thermostat which I'm thinking may have failed and shot the temps up..last time I use one of those..

Could be a burn, but the thin structure of the wound makes that seem unlikely. It appears to be physical damage, almost a scratch like wound. Some pictures of her enclosure, feeding details, and heating applications could help.

Hi,

I'm really not sure but it looks kind of fungal to me?

I wish I could be more help.:(



dr del

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LeviBP

Could be a burn, but the thin structure of the wound makes that seem unlikely. It appears to be physical damage, almost a scratch like wound. Some pictures of her enclosure, feeding details, and heating applications could help.

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She eats F/T usually(but has been refusing for like the last 3 weeks) a live rodent hasnt been near her in months..she's currently on flexwatt heat tape controlled by a herpstat, was on a heat pad controlled by a cheap thermostat previously(about 2 weeks ago I switched her into my rack from a 10gal tank). Her enclosure is as simple as it can get...28qt tub, water dish, unprinted newspaper substrate...thats it.

It looks like a minor cut and the white stuff could be urates from when she peed and slithered around on it. I would wait till after she sheds and see if it goes away. If not, we can proceed from there.

Edit: I would stop the betadine. Give her a regular water soak and then wipe her down and leave her alone till she sheds. If its still there or gets worse, than continue betadine.