I think my snake has a burn.

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So there are the pictures. The second one is as bad as it gets on her. It’s very patchy, and really only close to her tail. It doesn’t look nearly as pink as it did last night, unless I was just imagining things. In all the dozens of hours I spent researching before buying her I never saw anything that said a thermostat was a needed item. They made it just sound like, “Oh it’s nice to have, but you don’t need one with a UTH”. I don’t know how that happened but it did. And there was someone who said I have been on this site for a year and, I should know better. To you I never use this account. I used it for my snake once when blood was coming out of her nose(it ended being the rats blood coming through her nose while eating). And then another 2 times for a project I was working on. But if you go back and look at my older posts know that I just ended buying 2 crested geckos, who are doing pretty good.She also wasn’t wheezing today, but I only handled her for 5 minutes instead of an hour plus. I’m still going to take her to the vet soon because I wanted to get her checked up anyways because she came from petsmart of all places. And I’ll buy a thermostat later today. I’ll be waiting to see your responses to the pictures. Also what should I set the thermostat too after I get it? And should I even turn it back on before she goes to the vet? Also while researching I saw that an RI can be caused by too high and too low of humidity, but it is usually the temp being too low. And just another thing. I wanted to switch her to bioactive because humidity is a very basic thing, and her sheds have never been good despite how often I mist her cage. It gets very dry during the winter here, and I’ve never had a problem with humidity for my crested geckos which do have a bioactive setup.

Well I can't see the pictures you posted, try following this.

And what the thermostat temperature shouldn't really matter, if you put the thermostat in between the UTH and your enclosure there's going to be a discrepancy between the actual hotspot and what temperate the thermostat is set to. I usually aim about 5 degrees above what I want it at take temps with a heat gun and adjust it from there. And if you can't even maintain proper humidity for your BP you shouldn't even try a bioactive yet.

There are no pictures ...

do you have any other heat sources ?? How are you keeping up ambient temps? Heat lamp? Ceramic heat ?

a UTH provides belly heat. Does nothing for the ambient temps.

What temp is your room where the snake is kept?

im sorry again as others have said I know you are in a crisis but I don’t know where you did this “research” to miss some of if not the major points of Simple snake husbandry.

2 identical hides, temp gradient with a hot side 89-90 cool side in the upper 70s to low 80s. Stable humidity of 50-60 bump it in shed. THERMOSTATS. Bam done.

You need to go lay out your entire set up with pics and a list of what’s there.

Posting pics here of your snakes possible burnt belly isn’t going to do anything but waste time. Get to a vet for the wheezing and the burns and go buy all you don’t have and try to help the poor snake.

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Originally Posted by zina10

Don't worry about such a thing as bio active.

You need to concentrate on the BARE NECESSITIES. Nothing else is as important as that. These snakes are from a region which has higher temps then we usually have. So yes, we do need a heat source. On the other hand, to high temps cause burns, neurological issues, death. A thermostat is 100 % non negotiable.

I rather see a snake in a plain tub you can buy for $15 that has been rigged with the UTH on a thermostat then a snake in a big tank/cage and incorrect heat.

That snake may very well have a burned belly. The pink you see is just the beginning. That will quickly turn far nastier. Very painful, as well. As Sunny pointed out, you are not a beginner. You knew better.

But what is done, is done. All you can do now is to get your husbandry 100% right. Like NOW. Get a thermostat. Don't guess temps. Get them right, period. If your humidity is to low then cover most of the lid. Add a larger bowl. Mist part of the tank several times the day (don't get all areas wet, though)

Again, if there is a burn, don't put her on soil or even substrate, forget about bioactive for now. What you need is to keep that snake as clean as possible. Meaning on paper towels that will need to be changed often. The burn will need to be treated. This will take a while. If this will turn into a bad burn, you will need a vet to prescribe you certain salves you should use. Sure you can try DIY stuff, but burns can kill. The chance for infection is high, and the snake can quickly turn septic.

Share pictures, let us see how it looks. Fix everything asap, you can get a thermostat for $30 or so on Amazon. Start looking around to see if you can find a Vet, you may need one.

Good luck to you and the snake..

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^^^^ THIS!^^^^^^

I work in a burn hospital for children. Burns are no joke no mater how minor they seam. Our worst enemy is infection and we spend most of our time trying to prevent and treat infection as we do the burn itself. Temperature and humidity are key and have to be correct to heal properly and even then there are times where all you can do is pray. Think about how bad a small burn hurts you. Then put yourself in a "no choice situation". That is where your snake is right now.

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Originally Posted by skylord0110

So there are the pictures. The second one is as bad as it gets on her. It’s very patchy, and really only close to her tail. It doesn’t look nearly as pink as it did last night, unless I was just imagining things. In all the dozens of hours I spent researching before buying her I never saw anything that said a thermostat was a needed item. They made it just sound like, “Oh it’s nice to have, but you don’t need one with a UTH”. I don’t know how that happened but it did. And there was someone who said I have been on this site for a year and, I should know better. To you I never use this account. I used it for my snake once when blood was coming out of her nose(it ended being the rats blood coming through her nose while eating). And then another 2 times for a project I was working on. But if you go back and look at my older posts know that I just ended buying 2 crested geckos, who are doing pretty good.She also wasn’t wheezing today, but I only handled her for 5 minutes instead of an hour plus. I’m still going to take her to the vet soon because I wanted to get her checked up anyways because she came from petsmart of all places. And I’ll buy a thermostat later today. I’ll be waiting to see your responses to the pictures. Also what should I set the thermostat too after I get it? And should I even turn it back on before she goes to the vet? Also while researching I saw that an RI can be caused by too high and too low of humidity, but it is usually the temp being too low. And just another thing. I wanted to switch her to bioactive because humidity is a very basic thing, and her sheds have never been good despite how often I mist her cage. It gets very dry during the winter here, and I’ve never had a problem with humidity for my crested geckos which do have a bioactive setup.

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There are soooo many issues in this reply....

First, you did "dozens of hours of research"??? Yet didn't see anything about the importance of a thermostat??? Dozens of hours clearly isn't enough, and you clearly weren't learning from reputable sources.

You typically handle your poor snake for over an hour????

And did you mentionin a previous reply that the snake has only ONE hide????

Time to FORGET EVERYTHING YOU KNOW AND START OVER.

Start here :
pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?201740-How-to-Setup-a-Glass-Tank-(20-long)-With-Pictures!
to learn how to set up your enclosure

Also study this caresheet : pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?127203-Ball-Python-%28Python-regius%29-Caresheet

...and this : pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?30763-BP-Husbandry-FAQs

Your "dozens of hours of research" obviously wasn't enough. It's quite simple, the more you read, learn and study the animal you're keeping as a pet the better you can care for it.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but you've got a LOT to learn. That snake has probably been suffering a good long while now, so PLEASE fix your mistakes for the sake of the snake.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by craigafrechette

There are soooo many issues in this reply....

First, you did "dozens of hours of research"??? Yet didn't see anything about the importance of a thermostat??? Dozens of hours clearly isn't enough, and you clearly weren't learning from reputable sources.

You typically handle your poor snake for over an hour????

And did you mentionin a previous reply that the snake has only ONE hide????

Time to FORGET EVERYTHING YOU KNOW AND START OVER.

Start here :
pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?201740-How-to-Setup-a-Glass-Tank-(20-long)-With-Pictures!
to learn how to set up your enclosure

Also study this caresheet : pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?127203-Ball-Python-%28Python-regius%29-Caresheet

...and this : pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?30763-BP-Husbandry-FAQs

Your "dozens of hours of research" obviously wasn't enough. It's quite simple, the more you read, learn and study the animal you're keeping as a pet the better you can care for it.

I'm not trying to be a jerk, but you've got a LOT to learn. That snake has probably been suffering a good long while now, so PLEASE fix your mistakes for the sake of the snake.

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^^^^THIS!^^^^

@craigafrechette I know I made mistakes (we all have). Getting proper education is key and understanding the information provided as well. I question OP's age? Hope OP listens to the advice given and will get the snake the help it needs or find someone else who will.

Off topic.... sort of.....

I had an argument with my local petsmart the Saturday. They had a banana BP with a rectal prolapse. It was bad! The poor thing needed surgery and hydration. The caregiver and manager on duty said he just pooped and that he was ok. This was far from OK! Yesterday I called the dayshift manager and told him about the poor guy. He said he would look into it. I went to check on him right after work, he was gone and the manager was no longer on duty. I acted interested and had the snake person show me the BPs they had and inspected them all for issues. The only thing I had to say about the rest was that humidity was way to low and empty water bowls. I also made a comment about them being all piled up together. She said "Its so cute that they snuggle up like that." I took a care sheet and feeding chart out of my pocket and tried to address their husbandry issues and she seamed receptive of the information and I got a few "WOW I did not know that!" responses out of her. Keep in mind this is the person who is assigned feeding and cares for them the evening shift. She deals with them the most. She said she will try to improve the husbandry and thanked me for the education. She also invited me to come back anytime to see the progress. We can only hope she will make the changes and we also hope OP will as well. The evening person was told that the Banana BP "sold" that morning after weeks of not selling. I wonder if the BP's new owner will get the poor guy the husbandry and help he needs.

Yes, the sticky on how to set up a glass enclosure is a must-read!!! When I got my bp, for the first two weeks or so that I had her, I was only using a heat light, and humidity was regularly like 30-40% unless I misted like 5 times a day. Then, she started showing signs of RI. I was told by this site that it was most likely due to too low temps, and too low humidity. After reading the sticky, I ordered a UTH, thermostat to regulate it, and a digital thermometer with a probe to more accurately measure temps and humidity, and started covering about 3/4 of the screentop with aluminum foil to keep in humidity. Read that sticky!!! Once I got her husbandry right, her signs of RI went away, and she's been thriving. Now that winter is over, and with these humidity modifications, it stays up to 60-70% easily, even without misting. I've read that as long as your enclosure is not wet, higher humidity shouldn't be a problem, that it's the lower humidity which causes issues.

Number one, best piece of advice I can offer: stop being resistant to the advice you're getting here. People aren't being jerks. Crap on the internet can always be interpreted how you want, but this advice is meant for the well-being of the snake. Don't argue, don't defend. We get it. We're on your side, especially if you want what's best for your animals. All of us have been new keepers at one time or another, and we've all made mistakes. We're here to make sure the mistakes don't continue and to help you and your critter have a long and healthy relationship.

Please listen to the advice being given... it's all meant with the absolute best of intentions.

I don't think you people realize how unfriendly you often sound. I came on here concerned that my snake might be getting burned alive, and then you all start telling me, "Everything you are doing is terrible and wrong". I have a good understanding of what I'm doing. I didn't realize that UTHs can get so hot, but outside of that she's been doing good. I don't think she's actually even burned, but nonetheless I'm going to bring her to the vet. I'll buy a thermostat, and I'm going to switch her over to bioactive once she is all good. Yes I have another source of heat. I already said that. Yes I have a second hide. I don't know if I said she only has one, but that's not true. She rarely ever uses it, but it's there. I shouldn't have said that she never had a good shed because she was fine over the summer, fall, and even the earlier parts of winter. It was one hiccup, and yes it was a big one, but if you guys did your own research you'd see it's not plastered everywhere as a necessity. It may seem basic to you guys because you are all active on this site, and very experienced, but to someone who is a newer reptile owner it isn't. Also somebody please tell me what temp to set the thermostat to. I know you said it doesn't matter, but it kinda does. I need to know what temp it can get too before it starts getting dangerous for her. I know you all mean well, but some of you guys really need to change your tone. You can very easily come off as snarky, and elitist. I can't bring her to the vet until May 4th so what should I be doing in the meantime in case it is actually a burn? Also here are the pictures. I'd say she's a little more red in person, but not by much. Sorry if I'm coming off as obnoxious, but I don't like people telling me how to handle my snake when I'm already following most of the advice given. Also I'll handle her for over an hour if I want to. It's not an hour plus every day, and I'll avoid handling her until I know she's okay, but when she is okay I'm going to handle her for long periods of time. And I wait at least a full day before handling her after she eats. She hasn't shown any signs of stress yet, and plenty of people get along fine doing the same thing.https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui...2c0d&zw&atsh=1https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?ui...2c0d&zw&atsh=1