scale rot?

ok i know the best idea is to take a snake to the vet, but i am almost sure that this isnt scale rot. does it always start on the underbelly of the snake? my snake has small patches of what look like dry scales on his sides but his underside seems absolutely perfect... i have checked for mites and there are no signs of them in his cage. could he just be rubbing to hard on the hard surfaces in his cage and i dunno, scratching himself? or is this a sign of scale rot?

I would say that it is probably not scale rot. However, without seeing the animal, it is hard to say for sure. He may well be rubbing too hard on some surface, or sometimes, when a snake sheds, a couple of scales may come off with the shed. Those scales will usually be back in place after their next shed. Hope this helps.

Could it be left over bits of shed?