Pink Belly: About to shed or something worse?

1600ish gram female, currently being treated for an RI (daily oral doses of Baytril for 30 days, almost done meds, still lots of mucous), she was shipped to me with the RI, it wasn't from my husbandry. Housed in a 44 qt rubbermaid for the extra height, paper towel substrate, water changed daily or every other day at most. Cool end 80-82, hot end 94-95 to help with RI, lowered yesterday when I noticed the pink belly, now 90-92.

Her belly is quite pink, but since this is my first ball python of this size, I'm not sure if this is what pre-shed looks like in the bigger ones. My 500 gram male pastel just shed, and his belly was very pink, solid pink, so I guess that is what this could be, but I thought I would post some pics to be sure. Her skin was also feeling rather dry, so i just gave her a 15 minute soak. Now I'm worried that it was the wrong thing to do if this is the beginnings of scale rot or something. There are no signs of any sores, or blisters or anything like that.

Lots of pics.
http://img545.imageshack.us/img545/5228/dsc07944k.jpg
http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/4333/dsc07946x.jpg
http://img842.imageshack.us/img842/3585/dsc07947c.jpg
http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/1087/dsc07950f.jpg
http://img29.imageshack.us/img29/1070/dsc07954ms.jpg
http://img190.imageshack.us/img190/3268/dsc07955e.jpg
http://img809.imageshack.us/img809/8002/dsc07956g.jpg
http://img24.imageshack.us/img24/4973/dsc07957pq.jpg
http://img508.imageshack.us/img508/7595/dsc07958y.jpg

It looks like a pink belly before shed to me. My large normal's belly looks like that before she starts going blue. It will probably get pinker as she progresses with the shed process.

shedding

Do NOT soak the snake, it does not need it, you only need to increase the humidity.
Also I have never heard of an antibiotic tx for 30 days for an RI :confused:

Is soaking harmful? I've never seen any ill effects from it before. (not that I've done it often) Like I said, I only left her in for 15 minutes.

IIRC it can cause stuck shed and what not.

It can cause a bad shed, the snake has natural oils, that are necessary for proper shedding, and by soaking, it leaches away these oils, causing the snake to shed in pieces.
Soaking can be done just after a bad shed, to remove any stuck shed.

I'm gonna say the samething as everybody else, shedding. But I am gonna add something, I have older biggers and they do that weirdness you showed us. Nothing to be alarmed about it just looks weirder cause they are larger animals. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by llovelace

It can cause a bad shed, the snake has natural oils, that are necessary for proper shedding, and by soaking, it leaches away these oils, causing the snake to shed in pieces.
Soaking can be done just after a bad shed, to remove any stuck shed.

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Thank you for expanding ... this is where I was going :D

Soak that snake. Every other day at least. Antibiotics are hard on their kidneys, and they need those extra fluids. I had several animals shipped to me last year with RIs, and it's par for the course. If your vet is telling you not to soak, I'd find another vet.

If you're almost done with your course of antibiotics and see no change, I'd drag her back in for something else. Sometimes it can take months of battling and several switches of meds before you finally kick an ri, just hang in there.