Help! Burn or Scale Rot?

beachvibesbyeff

Let me tell you who made a mistake here, YOU by buying an animal in the first place, I can tell you are NOT READY for animal ownership.

Animal ownership requires to be mature, responsible, have time to devote to your animal and it’s needs and finally be able to provide financially for that animal. Obviously none of the above applies to you.

If your BP pulls through do yourself and this animal a favor re-home him.

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Originally Posted by beachvibesbyeff

Since it seems like you went out of your way to make an attack, I'd like to do the same. I don't know how much you weigh, but for your own good, if your talking about health conditions here, you should apply them to your own life. Exercise, please. You make the uneducated assumption that Pre Med has nothing to do with snake health and well-being. May I ask, how far did YOU go in school? Hopefully you received a high school diploma. Exactly what do you do for a living?

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Since you are legally an adult. You CAN make your own decisions. If you feel it's better for the snake then take it with you, although I myself doubt it's ability to thrive in your care. Find an apartment that allows pets. LOTS DO!

As for you attack on Jo, are you kidding me? :ohmygod: She very logically broke down you situation, and you come back with assumptions on her weight?!?!?! :O What does that accomplish. The 'she started it' rationale is very immature.

If it makes my post any more valid to you yes I do have a college degree. I received a BS in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Zoology. I've worked as a vet tech and I've worked with wildlife rehabilitation. Not that makes me any better than anyone else, but apparently you see a degree as a measure of intelligence. It's not... necessarily. Life has a wonderful way of teaching us any numerous lessons (whether we earn a degree or not), and you are obviously missing one here. :no:

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Originally Posted by tigerlily

As for you attack on Jo, are you kidding me? :ohmygod: She very logically broke down you situation, and you come back with assumptions on her weight?!?!?! :O What does that accomplish. The 'she started it' rationale is very immature.

If it makes my post any more valid to you yes I do have a college degree. I received a BS in Biological Sciences with an emphasis in Zoology. I've worked as a vet tech and I've worked with wildlife rehabilitation. Not that makes me any better than anyone else, but apparently you see a degree as a measure of intelligence. It's not... necessarily. Life has a wonderful way of teaching us any numerous lessons (whether we earn a degree or not), and you are obviously missing one here. :no:

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:trophy: :trophy: :trophy: :rockon:

I have been following this thread from the start and haven't posted anything yet because alot of people have given some wonderful advice but I can't not say anything anymore.

BeachVibes, that post is uncalled for here, and I am sure that everyone agrees. Frankykeno was just trying to get you to see what everyone else on this forum obviously sees and apparently you just can't get. And I CANNOT believe that you posted on a forum full of BP lovers that if your snake decides to sleep in its own wastes so be it. That it should know better and to go in the corner. That is utterly rediculous, and this is coming from a premed student. You have no business owning a snake IMO, or any other animal. And I can't believe that you wouldn't even consider doing the right thing and having someone take in your snake temporarily while you are away, someone who will clean its cage, handle it so it stays used to being handled, etc. etc. And your "Reptile Friend" who is in the pet store where they don't look like they clean the cages regularly, that friend obviously doesn;t have the knowledge to diagnose and treat your snake. If they can't even take care of the basic husbandry of snakes in their care at the petstore, how is he going to treat your snake, and why would you trust a petstore that runs like that???? Why anyone would seek help from a reptile section in the majority of petstores in the first place is beyond me, but to seek their help and look to what they say over a herp. vet is unfathomable. Your poor snake needs veterinary care and your mom needs to be thanked and commended for trying to do that. Your snake really, IMO, needs to be better taken care of, using a UTH with no thermostat, allowing it to sleep in its own wastes if it wants to, that is shameful. With you being gone and your mom not wanting to touch the snake, who is going to treat your snake for it's injury?? Are you just going to let it suffer and say well it should have had the IQ to move away so it didn't get burned ? Are you going to let your mom drive this snake around to someone who will actually touch it to treat it?? Or are you just hoping that it will get better eventually on its own without anyone's help?

And there are similarities between living things, but what differences there are are major. Not even a regular vet is qualified enough to treat a snake, you would have to see a herp vet, someone that has studied and had experience with reptiles, to get a proper diagnosis.

All I can say is that I feel for your poor snake and your mom...they both deserve better...........

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Originally Posted by beachvibesbyeff

As far as cage cleaning goes, I've been to pet shops where it looks as if they clean the cage once a year, but the snakes look as if they were maintained by an enthusiast. If the snake chooses to lay around in its own feces, so be it, they should have the IQ to go in a corner, where they do not roam.

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No they are only "enthusiastic" about making some money. Hopefully you have the IQ to know the difference however it seems perhaps you do not. The understanding and concepts available to a human brain are not present in the reptilian brain (your medical studies will at some point cover some of this as the human brain also includes a base reptilian type function). Snakes therefore are not capable of the type of decisions humans are capable of.

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I didn't call my friend nor the reptile man I know, due to lack of time, your correct. However, I left my Mom the address of the reptile man I know, and I told her if the snake looks like she's having trouble moving or whatever, to take her down. She's never been to this pet store where he's at, and everytime I asked her if she wanted to go with me there, she's refused, because I told her it's quite smelly, and it looks like they do not clean the cages regularly. So, Franky, you're not quite on track so far.

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Oh I'm on a track, child, and it appears to be quite a nasty, smelly track. So your "expert" keeps a pet store so dirty and smelly your mother has the good sense to refuse to go there. This is your "expert" that you would prefer see your snake over a qualified herp vet? How terribly sad for that snake!

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And for the funds? Are you out of your mind? Of course I'm not going to pay that back.

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Why does this not surprise me.

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No, I would not board the snake with someone else. What would the point be? I may of well the sell the snake. I live in an apartment, and am almost certain am going to be living here year round, taking summer courses as well, so either I have a snake here, or at home, or not one at all. I live a few hours from home, so if the cage did get pretty messy, I could come home every other week...

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So you will allow this snake to lay about in it's own waste products until you perhaps have time a couple of times per month to deal with it? Allowing any living creature to be housed in such a manner as it's environment becomes fouled with excessive feces and urine due to the neglect of the owner is a chargeable offense under animal protection laws. As far as selling this snake...good luck finding anyone that would be stupid enough to pay you for a snake that is now ill due to neglect and poor care. Find a rescue or a responsible, experienced and caring owner - it's that snake's best bet.

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As a Pre-Med student.....

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Yes, yes we've got how terribly impressed you are with yourself, however, again, you are pre-med not pre-vet. How about the next time you are ill you go see the local vet...or better yet that nice friend of yours with the nasty, smelly pet store! :)

As far as the rest of your post, it continues to show your lack of maturity and lack of common sense and respect for others, including in this case your own pet.

I skimmed some of the replies to me, and let me ask you all something. Why do you all own a snake? What's the point? You all act like it needs more and better care than a Golden Retriever. Let me tell you, it DOESN'T. No matter how much you clean its cage or supply the "perfect living environment," it's not going to show any affection towards you or become friendlier. No matter how much you tell yourselves, your ball pythons do not like you. They are not companions.

Ball pythons are even known to thrive in periods of neglect. I'm not saying neglect is good, but if it has to happen, ball pythons can maintain quite well. And for your information, mine has under fine conditions.

As for the thermostat, my friend who sold it to me, said you didn't need it...he said keep the U.T.H. under the tank, and use two sheets of newspaper as substrate, provide a hide on the hot side, and a water dish on the cool side, and you will be fine...this coming from a 19 year old kid who owns over 100 snakes, has his own snake room, and has even had at one point, a King Cobra.

Someone posted how their snake is attacking tongs like prey. A lot of snakes lay in their own feces. They are dumb as nails. Now you might say, well, why did you ever get a snake in the first place? Well, if you read one of my prior posts in this thread, I always wanted a reptile, and through a friend, decided against a leopard gecko and went with a ball python. I think she is a very cool animal, but to all you people on this forum, I hope you grow up. Snakes need care, but NOT half of what everyone here is preaching. I hope to who ever has kids on these forums, they are treated as nicely and as well as you treat your little ball pythons.

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Well, if you read one of my prior posts in this thread, I always wanted a reptile, and through a friend, decided against a leopard gecko and went with a ball python.

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Lucky for the leo, not so lucky for your poor snake. :( A pet rock would have been more appropriate for you.

Well, I have an update on the situation. I just off the phone with my parents. My Mom was crying earlier because she and my Dad went to the vet, and my Dad had no idea (she never told him)...and when he heard it was $220, flipped. The vet still wanted to keep it longer, but thanfully my parents got her out immediately...and did what I wanted my Mom to do in the first place...took her to the pet store where they are essentially reptile experts.

They guy took her in, like I imagined, and did so without any charge what so ever, he said we'll watch her here, and get her better. He said it's not nearly as bad of a burn as the vet, or my Mom had thought. He said he's against U.T.H. and recommends if you do use one, to go to Home Depot and put tiles down under the substrate. He recommends heat from above, CHE.

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Well anyway, I don't see how it can be a burn, because we've had the same setup for 3 months no problem (although I have been helping her shed...taking off areas she couldn't)...it's a 10 gallon glass aquarium, I used to sheets of newspaper, and a UTH...and a rock that is on the cool side (not heat rock) just regular rock...

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No kidding she hasn't seen any improvements! It couldn't have been a burn, I've used the exact same substrate, heating source, yada yada, and this wouldn't all of a sudden happen (although some of you may argue, the temps/etc. may fluctuate, but are house temperatures remain the same give or take one degree). So it's obviously either a scale rot or something else, and thank the Lord my Mom is picking her up tomorrow, and is going to take her straight to the person she should'vetaken her to in the first place.

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What happened to your claim that it couldn't possibly be a burn? I guess we really have no idea what we're talking about. :ohmygod:

I haven't posted in this thread up until now, because you have had great advice given to you by experienced snake keepers, some of which have learned lessons the hard way. You obviously have no intention of becoming a responsible reptile keeper youself, for which I feel very sorry as you will undoubtedly continue to keep your current snake, and any replacement animals in sub-par conditions. If you want a BP that lives to be anywhere near 50, you should start listening to those who have decades of snake-years of experience under their belt.

I, like many other members here, keep snakes for the enjoyment of seeing them display natural behaviors, grow and breed, among other things. Can this be done in conditions that are not ideal? Yes they can, but why would you give an animal in your care anything less than what the herp community knows and agrees to be the best environment to avoid potential injury, and ensure optimal health. If you are not prepared to give your animal these conditions, including proper veterinary care, then you will never be a responsible snake keeper, plain and simple.

I hope you will correct not only your husbandry according to the tried and true methods described all over this forum, but also your attitude toward those who have had the concern for your charge in mind in this post. If you are not humble enough to take advice, you will struggle with many things in life, not only snake keeping. When you move onto your next passing fancy (or before), please find a good home for your snake rather than leave it in it's own filth for months because it's just a dumb snake.

-Evan