Scale Rot and Should I Take Her In?

Sorry if I ask too many questions but this IS my first snake and there's only so much you can get from reading before you own one and now that I can post pictured, I can finally ask about this. A bit after I got my BP I noticed some weird patches of grey along her body. http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...9b3c4317e1.jpg http://images.tapatalk-cdn.com/16/01...be06697603.jpg At first I thought maybe it'll go away with her shed since she was going into one at this point but then she shed and it didn't go away. It may be natural coloring but I would rather be safe. As far as I can tell, we don't have any sort of herp vet so I would love to not have to find one as I don't have any sort of car. As long as it isn't scale rot I think I'm okay.

Its hard to see the area you're talking about because of the flash hitting that exact spot.

From what I can see it is either a natural patch or maybe a slight burn. If it has a texture to it I would say its a safe bet its a slight burn. If not, then it is probably just its coloring.

If it is textured or dry compared to the rest of the skin you need to check you setup as it would appear you have a heat lamp or che that is creating a hotspot that is way to hot.

I noticed it before I even had a lamp or heating pad. I have the lamp on the outside of the lid so she can't get to that and I check daily to make sure there's not a hole in the substrate where she can burn herself on the heating pad. It is a little different in texture though it doesn't seem to bother her any if I touch it. I looked up what mild scale rot looked like and it worried me because it looked similar in some pics.

Two things

1. A snake does not have to actually make contact with a heat lamp or che to bet a burn. Think of it like how you get a sunburn.

2. The cage floor directly over the uth should be no hotter than the desired hotspot temp. This should then be covered with a very thin layer of substrate. 1/4 inch or less is about right.


I hope the uth has a tstat. If not you need to unplug and keep it that way until you get a tstat. Google images of burned snakes and you will see pics of burns caused by both uth's and lamps. They are nasty!

I can't afford a stat right now because I can't find them for any lower than $40. If I unplug the heating pad, she won't have a warm enough spot. I don't mean to sound like I'm making excuses but do you have a suggestion as to how to keep her warm enough if I take out the heater?

There are cheap Hydrofarm thermostats on Amazon. $28 last time I checked. I had one while I was building up the funds for my herpstat. I bought three just in case.

If you want something now, which I think is better than later, I heard you can go to a hardware store and look for a lamp dimmer or rheostat. I hope someone could elaborate more on this.

Also you can keep them warm by cranking up your own thermostat in your house if you can. I bought a $20 small room heater and just point it at my bp. There is also the hot water bottle trick.

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Originally Posted by RiA MaU

I can't afford a stat right now because I can't find them for any lower than $40. If I unplug the heating pad, she won't have a warm enough spot. I don't mean to sound like I'm making excuses but do you have a suggestion as to how to keep her warm enough if I take out the heater?

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So you cant afford a $40 stat but you can afford a several hundred dollar vet bill? Thats strange. :weirdface

Plenty of keepers have their collection thriving usuing only ambient temp control. The uth is nice but it should NEVER be used without a tstat and is not a must have item. A few of my snakes hardly ever even use it and if I decided to remove them all together my snakes would be fine.

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Originally Posted by MysticMoon001

If you want something now, which I think is better than later, I heard you can go to a hardware store and look for a lamp dimmer or rheostat. I hope someone could elaborate more on this.

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A dimmer can be used but the problem with them is they are dumb. What I mean is if the temp in the home goes up they does know and therefore do not respond. They then make the hotspot hotter and possibly create a hazardous situation. It works the same way when the room cools, so does the spot.

They are best used in a climate controlled areas that stays constant with little fluctuation.

Is a vet really that much? I can't afford that either...

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Originally Posted by RiA MaU

Is a vet really that much? I can't afford that either...

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Yes. It very easily can be. I don't find vets in general to be cheap but when you are dealing with a specialist for herps the cost goes up even higher. Snakes are great pets that don't need the vet visits like most get for their furry pets. However, when something goes wrong and they do need a vet it is not cheap. Its best to provide the best husbandry you can and avoid ever having to take your snake for treatment.

Finding a reptile vet is not always easy either.

Owning an animal is easy. Caring for that animal is the hard part.