Dry nose, dark pink(almost red) belly... for 2 weeks... is it pre-shed?
So my girls nose has been pretty dry looking for a while now(over a month, less than two) I keep the humidity around 60%, closer to 70% since noticing the issue, but it doesnt seem to go away. I've alse noticed that now her belly is a very dark pink, which would be fine, except it doesnt usually last two weeks like this.
I've also noticed she has two spots on the front of her nose under her nostrils that look pale that were usually dark.
I suspect that she's been rubbing her nose against her hide/the walls/digging, but I'm worried she might be hurting herself. I switched to aspen bedding instead of the repti-bark because of this concern(it's softer) but it hasn't improved much. Am I over worrying?
Re: Dry nose, dark pink(almost red) belly... for 2 weeks... is it pre-shed?
I would say a "red" belly is not a good thing, but a pink belly could be totally diffrent. My husband and I just joined a local herp club and last week we were learning about scale rot. I'm not saying that what your's has, but one of the symtoms was having a red (almost like a burn) belly. I would try soaking a couple of times and if it doesn't get better, or if it gets worse, you may want to see your vet.
Re: Dry nose, dark pink(almost red) belly... for 2 weeks... is it pre-shed?
Hi,
Pictures would help people get a better idea of what is going on I think.
dr del
Re: Dry nose, dark pink(almost red) belly... for 2 weeks... is it pre-shed?
Looks to me like she's aggressively rubbing her nose against something. The red belly could be a burn. How are you heating the floor? How are you measuring the temps? If it's hot enough to burn, it could also be making her environment uncomfortable enough for her to constantly rub in an attempt to find a cooler place to hang out.
Re: Dry nose, dark pink(almost red) belly... for 2 weeks... is it pre-shed?
Ok, what are the chances of scale rot? If you've been putting in extra effort to up the humidity because of her nose, is it possible that the substrate has been kept too wet for too long?
A red belly for that long is a concern for me. Obviously all we can do is guess, though.
The nose definitely seems like a rub to me. Maybe she's not feeling secure? Even with good temps and snug hides? (assuming the hides are nice and snug little caves?) Sometimes they freak out with glass tanks because even though they are enclosed, they still feel exposed. Or maybe some new element to her environment precipitated her insecurity...such as her tank being moved to a new location or new noises (vibrations) being introduced to her surroundings or too much direct light or constant ambient light.....etc etc.