Bubbling scales on the belly?

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Originally Posted by Elitedog

I'll see if i can pick up a dimmer and call the vet later today.
Few more questions before I do though, will just a heatlamp be okay for a ball python, just for maybe a week or 2? The area the lamp is heating is at 32'C.
And also, I never actually got a clear answer on this, but it is in fact a burn on her?

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The picture looks like a burn blister but it's hard to tell.

Do you have a temperature gun or IR/point thermometer so you can measure the surface temperature of the glass over the UTH?

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Originally Posted by Elitedog

I'll see if i can pick up a dimmer and call the vet later today.
Few more questions before I do though, will just a heatlamp be okay for a ball python, just for maybe a week or 2? The area the lamp is heating is at 32'C.
And also, I never actually got a clear answer on this, but it is in fact a burn on her?

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I would say yes looks like second degree burns to me. Yes the snake will be a lot better off without the uth on for a couple of weeks. In fact I don't use uth's at all, and I don't recommend them to anyone, at least not for BP's. In my gallery you will see pics of two heat bulb domes one on each end of a 40 gal. The temps I keep at about 82 one side to 86 the other. The tops of the hides provide a warm spot of 88 to lay on if they want but I never see them do it much if ever.

I don't use dimmers either I have my night heat bulbs plugged into thermostat's. Dimmers you will have to adjust a lot. Thermostats keep the temp in a close range and do the adjusting for you. You can get the best one (a Herpstat) at spyderrobotics.com or you can get a Vivarium Electronics at Reptilebasics.com Those two are the best. You can also get thermostats at Amazon and walmart on line. Walmart on line sells VE thermostats from reptile basics even. I am using a Vivosun from Amazon for one of my over head heat bulbs, and Century for the other. I think Vivosun is better than Century. I use the Zilla black light night bulbs. 100 watt. They are kept on 24/7 but the thermostat's have them off most the time.
The cheaper thermostat's including Vivosun and Century are not as reliable as the Herpstat's and Ve's are, but for the overhead bulbs they do the job for now.

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Originally Posted by Elitedog

I'll see if i can pick up a dimmer and call the vet later today.
Few more questions before I do though, will just a heatlamp be okay for a ball python, just for maybe a week or 2? The area the lamp is heating is at 32'C.
And also, I never actually got a clear answer on this, but it is in fact a burn on her?

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To be clear, a thermostat is preferred for safety & the higher temps that BPs require, but a dimmer is cheap-quick-readily available, & works pretty well for lights (you can use it for your own lamp later on, if you like). Heat lamp alone should be OK for the time being, but also depends how cold your room/house is as to how much added heat you need for a BP to stay healthy, so it's hard to answer you on that.

The blisters appear to be a thermal burn to me, but could also be some other skin disease...either way, not good. Logically though, with an unregulated UTH, this is most LIKELY a burn.

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Originally Posted by bcr229

If you can not get your snake to a vet quickly, Mountainside Medical will sell silvadene (silver sulfadiazine) online w/o a prescription. It is better for snake burns than the petroleum-gel based antibiotic ointments.

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Is it worth buying a bottle of that to keep on hand, as a just in case? Or does it expire pretty quickly?

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Originally Posted by Gocntry

Is it worth buying a bottle of that to keep on hand, as a just in case? Or does it expire pretty quickly?

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Check the price on it...might be a different answer for different owners, depending on your budget. I don't recall how long before it deteriorates, but more than a year.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Check the price on it...might be a different answer for different owners, depending on your budget. I don't recall how long before it deteriorates, but more than a year.

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It was under $20.00 shipped for a small 20g tube, so the cost doesn't pose an issue, I can add it into the "Snake" first aid kit. A long expiration date

makes it worth it for me

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Originally Posted by Gocntry

It was under $20.00 shipped for a small 20g tube, so the cost doesn't pose an issue, I can add it into the "Snake" first aid kit. A long expiration date

makes it worth it for me

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I agree, especially if you are someone who also takes in rescues now & then, or have friends with snakes too. It's great for wound healing on snakes, not strictly burns.

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Originally Posted by Elitedog

Yes, it is a heatmat but it's not connected to a thermostat, was never a problem before.

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Famous last words.....

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Originally Posted by PitOnTheProwl

Famous last words.....

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...and so easily avoidable

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Originally Posted by Elitedog

Look, I feel bad enough already. Ya, I messed up and apparently talked to the wrong people. Over the past 5 years I've seen many people talk about their snakes and enclosures and I do not recall them once mentioning a thermostat.
Thankfully, she's not bleeding anywhere and I'm going to keep an eye on her heatpad more often, unplug it when it gets too hot. Or maybe I'll just use my heatlamp and unplug the pad all together.
I'll just have to keep this up for about 2 weeks till the stuff gets here. I ordered a thermostat, a heatgun and Betadine Solution to help treat her if necessary.
...
I know your right, I'm just upset at myself.

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PLEASE unplug the heat mat. All signs point towards a burn caused by the heat mat. So PLEASE unplug it.