HELP! BP has a problem!

Im a student at ball state in muncie. Just went home for a week (fed my baby girl before I left) and came back to her in not so great condition. I picked her up and she had like 20 scales that are all puffy and red. I touched them and it looked like blisters. I dont know what the heck is wrong but I feel horrible and need some guidance as to wtf this is and how to help her. Please help ASAP!

Thank you so much
-Ed-

(picture)

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...90429_3092.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...90429_3092.jpg

Looks like a burn. How are you controlling your heat source?

Or could be scale rot, but someone else better confirm that.

Edbean, We need to know more about your set-up, What are you using for heat, If it is a UTH is it controlled. Can you give us some more info

first thing I would do is apply some ointment like neosporin then check on here. I've never seen rot in person and I hope I don't need to. Looks like 100 percent burn

I have about 2 inches of sand on the bottom and a tank heater. I never got a thermostat because I dont have any idea how the hell it works or where to get one for a non-ridiculous amount of money. (ya I know its worth my pets health)

Im guessing this is what happened. We (my 2 roommates and I) were gone all week. No heat on, so the appartment was probably like 60-65 and she stayed on her heater all week. Ive had this setup for about 6 months and NEVER had a problem. Its gotta be a burn and for that reason.

I put neosporin on it and unpluged the heat pad (for the time being). What else should I do?!?

I would bet its a burn, so if you could please list what to do and link me to a thermostat FAQ thread it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

Get the snake off the sand. Pronto. It is not a suitable substrate for a ball python. You can instead use paper towels or newspaper. If you have a low wattage heat lamp, I would use that for the time being until you can regulate the UTH properly.

The cheapest reptile thermostat can really only be found online. It is called the reptitemp 500r and costs about $25. Please order one as soon as you can.

Get a reliable thermometer. You can get an accurite digital outdoor/indoor weather station for $11 at the home depot. I figure that you are not properly measuring your temps and humidity. If you want to get your UTH up and running a little sooner, get a piggy back light dimmer (lutron lamp dimmer) from the home depot as well. It also costs around $11. Basically you plug the UTH into the dimmer and the dimmer into the wall. Then you use the dial to lower the heat. This method does require adjustments based on room temperature fluctuation unlike a thermostat which maintains a constant temp no matter what.

TAKE IT TO THE VET. Neosporin will only help external damage. If the snake has internal damage it needs to be seen by a vet. You will notice some scales flaking off because of the neosporin but it shouldn't be a problem.

I hope your snake recovers! :snake:

I second what Kaorte said but you could also use newspaper as a cheap bedding.

Definitely see a vet immediately--you need a proper diagnosis, not a guess by us based on a photo! The condition shown COULD easily be deadly if not treated. Septicemia is a dire risk with a skin infection.

Thanks for the quick replies everyone, baby girl and I really appreciate it.

I took out the sand and put newspaper down, Ill be looking for a thermostat today after class. I put neosporin on her and the swelling has gone down a ton. It doesn't look like she has any internal problems, but ill be taking her to a vet as soon as I can find one (remember I said I live in muncie lol)

My question now is... do I feed her or wait until the sore goes away? I don't want her to constrict the mouse and get hurt more, but I also don't want her to starv. I fed her last on monday nov 23rd 2009. Shes 1.5 years old probably 2.5-3 feet long.

Thank you! :please:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Edbean

Thanks for the quick replies everyone, baby girl and I really appreciate it.

I took out the sand and put newspaper down, Ill be looking for a thermostat today after class. I put neosporin on her and the swelling has gone down a ton. It doesn't look like she has any internal problems, but ill be taking her to a vet as soon as I can find one (remember I said I live in muncie lol)

My question now is... do I feed her or wait until the sore goes away? I don't want her to constrict the mouse and get hurt more, but I also don't want her to starv. I fed her last on monday nov 23rd 2009. Shes 1.5 years old probably 2.5-3 feet long.

Thank you! :please:

---

She won't starve. I wouldn't feed her for a few weeks until it starts to heal up.

You need to take that snake to the vet. If you had taken precautions and spent the money in the first place you wouldn't have had this problem. Now you're probably going to have more than a thermostats cost in vet bills.

Put her on paper-towels or newspaper until she is completely healed. Either keep that substrate permanently or put her on aspen or cypress. Sand and cedar are VERY bad.

Everyone else has already given great advice. I just wanted to chime in with some well-wishes for your baby. I lost my very first snake (a ball python) because of a burn very much like the one in your photo. I didn't have a thermostat and didn't realize I needed one thanks to some really poor advice in the beginning. That was many, many years ago and I learned my lesson the hard way. Hopefully you've caught this in time.

Thanks again for the info, Im doing my best for her, lets just hope shes ok. :please:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Edbean

Thanks again for the info, Im doing my best for her, lets just hope shes ok. :please:

---

I hope you do as you say you are going to do this time. In this thread (http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=101788) you stated that you had a thermostat. which it now appears was a false statement. So either do what is right for your snake or find it a better home. :mad:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by snakecharmer3638

I hope you do as you say you are going to do this time. In this thread (http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=101788) you stated that you had a thermostat. which it now appears was a false statement. So either do what is right for your snake or find it a better home. :mad:

---

First off don't tell me to "find a better home" because I do the best that I can for my snake. If you had any idea who I was or what I do for her you probably wouldn't have made such a brash ignorant statement.

Second, at the time of that post I did have one (I thought), but it turns out it wasn't the correct thermostat as it was for regulating my freezer and for some reason doesn't register temperatures (or regulate them) above something like 50 degrees. Im a heavy researcher but obviously made a mistake by not listening to everyone who spoke of the importance of a regulated heating pad.

Third, Ive NEVER had a problem with the heating element until now. Like I said before I was gone for a whole week. Im kicking myself in the azz right now because I didn't take her home with me. If I had this whole thing could have been avoided. I 110% believe that because I was gone and the temp in my apartment went from 72 to probably 62 she sat on the heater the entire week and thus burned herself. Also keep in mind that I had a thick layer of sand and 2 matts over the heater to prevent this from happening (she kicked them off while I was gone, something I would have noticed had I not left. (btw, I used sand because the breeder I got her from said he uses sand for his at home, I didnt buy playground sand, I got reptile sand... and regardless of the info on here, the breeders word weighed more with me at the time... obviously that too was a mistake and once again I learned something I wish I did previously)

My lesson. Buy a herp thermostat, use newspaper, and NEVER leave her alone for more than 2 days.

I want to say Im sorry to you personally right now for clearly offending you by my "apparent" lack of animal care. I clean her cage frequently, feed her well, handle her almost all day every day, and LOVE her VERY VERY VERY much. Im not the person who neglects their animals and have obviously made a grave mistake that will NEVER happen again. So to you and her Im sorry.

As for my snake, I have a vet appointment scheduled wednesday (soonest opening I could make w/ classes and their busy schedule) until then I will be soaking her daily in an iodine bath and applying neosporin to hopefully prevent any infections. Her swelling has gone down greatly already and Im praying that she survives unscathed.

Thank you.

To control temp of my uth before my ranco came in I purchased a standard electrical box (for light switch in the wall....) put a dimmer light switch in it, ran cord to plug into wall, ran a female plug out the other side of box, presto for like 10 bucks I could adjust the temp of the heat pad (rather effectivly, really impressed me how steady and reliable it was.) After a little experimentation i found the "sweet spot" and marked it with a marker on the dial and the face plate so if accidently moved it can easily be re alighned
Cheap and easy...

Good job, sticking up for yourself, Edbean. :) I am a strict believer that people should do the research BEFORE even buying the animal, but sometimes that's not always available to us, and someone who seems to "know their stuff" will tell us "how it is" and that turns out to be false. That, and people are real quick to jump the gun and made rude assumptions. :irkd:

You've done great, and couldn't have handled this situation any better. People make mistakes. How else would we learn? I hope she gets better! :snake: :please:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Edbean

First off don't tell me to "find a better home" because I do the best that I can for my snake. If you had any idea who I was or what I do for her you probably wouldn't have made such a brash ignorant statement.

Second, at the time of that post I did have one (I thought), but it turns out it wasn't the correct thermostat as it was for regulating my freezer and for some reason doesn't register temperatures (or regulate them) above something like 50 degrees. Im a heavy researcher but obviously made a mistake by not listening to everyone who spoke of the importance of a regulated heating pad.

Third, Ive NEVER had a problem with the heating element until now. Like I said before I was gone for a whole week. Im kicking myself in the azz right now because I didn't take her home with me. If I had this whole thing could have been avoided. I 110% believe that because I was gone and the temp in my apartment went from 72 to probably 62 she sat on the heater the entire week and thus burned herself. Also keep in mind that I had a thick layer of sand and 2 matts over the heater to prevent this from happening (she kicked them off while I was gone, something I would have noticed had I not left. (btw, I used sand because the breeder I got her from said he uses sand for his at home, I didnt buy playground sand, I got reptile sand... and regardless of the info on here, the breeders word weighed more with me at the time... obviously that too was a mistake and once again I learned something I wish I did previously)

My lesson. Buy a herp thermostat, use newspaper, and NEVER leave her alone for more than 2 days.

I want to say Im sorry to you personally right now for clearly offending you by my "apparent" lack of animal care. I clean her cage frequently, feed her well, handle her almost all day every day, and LOVE her VERY VERY VERY much. Im not the person who neglects their animals and have obviously made a grave mistake that will NEVER happen again. So to you and her Im sorry.

As for my snake, I have a vet appointment scheduled wednesday (soonest opening I could make w/ classes and their busy schedule) until then I will be soaking her daily in an iodine bath and applying neosporin to hopefully prevent any infections. Her swelling has gone down greatly already and Im praying that she survives unscathed.

Thank you.

---

First let me say “I'm sorry if your feelings were hurt.... but at least your belly is not burned.”

I am all about giving people a second chance, I know that we all make mistakes. But to say that you do "heavy research", and when your given some of the most important information, which you then say you have taken care of and now your saying you made a mistake and bought the wrong equipment. Well then you should have made it a point to get the right equipment. So maybe it is more appropriate to say that you did SOME research.

And I never said you had to find your snake a better home. I said “either do what is right for your snake or find it a better home." Meaning... Don't say you are going to regulate the heat and then choose not to until it becomes a problem. Your really lucky that she only has a small burn. She very well could have died.

And no need to apologize to me. I am not offended just felt bad for your snake because this is something that could have been avoided.

Good luck with your snake... “I truly hope that she gets better.”

Thanks

so I went to petsmart and all they had were reostats... it says on the package they can be used for lights, rockets, or UTH. Are these reliable or is a thermostat better???? And why?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...:referralID=NA

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Edbean

Thanks

so I went to petsmart and all they had were reostats... it says on the package they can be used for lights, rockets, or UTH. Are these reliable or is a thermostat better???? And why?

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...:referralID=NA

---

A rheostat is okay. A thermostat is better though.

A rheostat just a dimmer. It limits the power going to the heat mat to make it cooler. The problem with this is it doesn't realize when the room temperature fluctuates so the temps will swing based on how hot the room is.

A thermostat has a temperature sensor that you place on the heating element. The thermostat uses the information from the thermometer to either adjust the amount of power going to the heating element, or turning it off when it gets too high and on when it gets too low.

Basically, you will have to constantly adjust a rheostat and you will only have to set a thermostat once.

got ya thanks!!! unfortunately my local petsmart NEVER has anything I need, so it looks like I have to return this and order one online :mad:

Yeah most chain pet stores dont carry the thermostats in store. I have never seen one in store before.

Big Apple Herp has inexpensive analog thermostats that do the job, and are under $40.
If you want to go for the best option, Herpstats are are $99, but will adjust the power flow to the device to make sure that the temperature stays within a couple of degrees of what you set it at, rather than turning on and off the way an analog thermostat does. Obviously this is much better for the animal, for the heating device, and for your power bill.

You need to check your Neosporin and make sure it is the regular version without pain reliever. I hope your snake recovers...


Rob

UPDATE:

Got back from the vet, minor burn, no internal damage that they could find. The doc said to just keep the moisture up, frequently change bedding, and keep using the neosporin.

Also ordered a 500r thermostat, should be here friday or sometime early next week. In the mean time I have this rheostat working decent. My thermometer is set at 92.5 continuously so thats a good thing.

Question? Any good ways to increase humidity and KEEP it there. I put moist towels or spray mist water in and its dry in 2 seconds.

Thanks!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Edbean

Im a student at ball state in muncie. Just went home for a week (fed my baby girl before I left) and came back to her in not so great condition. I picked her up and she had like 20 scales that are all puffy and red. I touched them and it looked like blisters. I dont know what the heck is wrong but I feel horrible and need some guidance as to wtf this is and how to help her. Please help ASAP!

Thank you so much
-Ed-

(picture)

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...90429_3092.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e6...90429_3092.jpg

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Edbean

I have about 2 inches of sand on the bottom and a tank heater. I never got a thermostat because I dont have any idea how the hell it works or where to get one for a non-ridiculous amount of money. (ya I know its worth my pets health)

Im guessing this is what happened. We (my 2 roommates and I) were gone all week. No heat on, so the appartment was probably like 60-65 and she stayed on her heater all week. Ive had this setup for about 6 months and NEVER had a problem. Its gotta be a burn and for that reason.

I put neosporin on it and unpluged the heat pad (for the time being). What else should I do?!?

I would bet its a burn, so if you could please list what to do and link me to a thermostat FAQ thread it would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

---

Yep..it looks like a burn. This is the problem when people keep their animals somewhere that's too cold. The UTH may get too hot to try and compensate, and the snake will always stay on it since the cage is so cold. You need to keep the ambient air temp in the cage up. A sphagnum moss hide can help with humidity. Place something over the screen if you have a tank.


Listen to the Vet and keep using neosporin.

You could cover 3/4ths of the screen top with aluminum tape. That would help hold in moisture a bit better. If you aren't using lamps the humidity should be pretty good. Just mist the tank once or twice a day. As long as it doesn't stay wet (dries out over time) then your fine.

Hi

I was reading on your post here and its sound like u need help well heres my advice i have 4 ball pythons and a boa and ive had problems like u all have and i went to this site here http://snakebytestv.ning.com/profiles/blog/list

Those people there know what there talking about and some are experts and ive been going there for some time now and they have answered every question had about ball pytons give it a shot im a member there so u might see me there.

G L with that

Hi

that looks like a seriously burn what are using for a heat source in the cage heat rock or heat pad. i reconmend a heat rock ive had mine for 3 years now and ive havnt had no problems with it yet working great and my 5 pythons lay on it all the time and there not burnt. another thing you can do for that burn is take a teaspoon of iodine put that in a coffee cup and rest warm water to touch and then put the iodine on ur snake and that will help with bacterial and any cuts burns maybe and then wait min 2 n rise her off quite good

Also go to this web page these ppl know what there talking about there experts some are im a member there its great place http://snakebytestv.ning.com/profiles/blog/list


Gl with it

No, please do NOT use a heat rock. They're dangerous! Most people on this forum do NOT recommend them, and are surprised that pet stores still sell them.

@ DR3AMZS: Brian from Snakebytes is a member on this forum, and people often talk to him for advice. This forum is also a very reliable source of information! Welcome!

Oh, and he already established it was a burn, and from what it looks like, he's treating it :D

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by DR3AMZS-Ball-Python

Hi

that looks like a seriously burn what are using for a heat source in the cage heat rock or heat pad. i reconmend a heat rock ive had mine for 3 years now and ive havnt had no problems with it yet working great and my 5 pythons lay on it all the time and there not burnt. another thing you can do for that burn is take a teaspoon of iodine put that in a coffee cup and rest warm water to touch and then put the iodine on ur snake and that will help with bacterial and any cuts burns maybe and then wait min 2 n rise her off quite good

Also go to this web page these ppl know what there talking about there experts some are im a member there its great place http://snakebytestv.ning.com/profiles/blog/list


Gl with it

---

I don't think you have any idea what you are talking about. Heat rocks are EXTREMELY dangerous. First you said you had 4 pythons and a boa and now you have 5 pythons?

From the posts I have seen of yours on the snakebytes site, it looks like you need more husbandry help then this fellow on this thread does.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Edbean

First off don't tell me to "find a better home" because I do the best that I can for my snake. If you had any idea who I was or what I do for her you probably wouldn't have made such a brash ignorant statement.

---

First, let me make it clear that I am glad your snake will be okay! I winced when I saw the picture, but it sounds like things are looking up. Mistakes happen with any pet (ask me about feeding my dachshund a pork chop bone, and the vet bills that ensued!) , and I'm glad you caught this before it became a fatal mistake! You sounds like you care very much for your snake, and obviously you didn't intend to do any harm, and no one is saying otherwise.

That said, since you made the statement above, let me ask: Who are you? What do you do for her? This is the internet, an impersonal communication medium, and the only information we have about your specific conditions is what you offer us. So far we know these things:

You were keeping a ball python on sand substrate, a bad thing

You left your snake alone for a week in a tank with an unregulated heat source, a very bad thing

That room got down to 62f, with nothing but the unregulated UTH to keep your snake warm. What were the ambient air temps during this time?

Your snake suffered from a nasty burn while you were gone on vacation

I'm NOT judging you, and I'm NOT accusing you of anything, but given the information above, are you really surprised and upset that people are concerned about your ability to take care of a snake? Especially when you say that you are a heavy researcher, but ignored all of the (heavily corroborated) information you found online in favor of the person you got the snake from.

Your snake is not a dog or a cat or a goldfish, it is an undomesticated animal that is not native to your area. Snakes depend on their natural environment to regulate their body functions, and when you keep one as a pet in an environment that is not its own, the responsibility to regulate its temperature (and body functions) rests solely on your shoulders. No exceptions, no excuses.

I'm sorry if this came across as a lecture, and I apologize if it offended you -- but I would rather you be offended if it could possibly prevent the death of someone else's snake, wouldn't you?

Take care!

no prob. I was ignorant to several things pertaining to the care of my bp and those problems have been corrected. thanks for the info.

As a final update to this thread...

I increased her humidity and she shed last night. Her burn is 99% gone, the only way I can tell where it was is a hair width of red far under the new scales. I put some more neosporin on, but she looks like nothing ever happened. Im extremely happy about that.

I also fed her this morning, she ate quickly and is now in her hide.

Thanks again from my and baby girl for all the helpful info.

Glad to hear she's recovering well!

Final update: Got the repti 500r thermostat in today. Got my temp set between 92-95. Her humidity is perfect, just cleaned the cage, and her wounds are basically invisible. I think her next shed will complete her healing fully.

Thanks again for all the help from my and my bp.

While that certainly could be a burn it could just as easily be a patch of scale rot (blister disease). Was her cage dirty? I agree 100% that paper towels are the way to go right now. They should be checked twice a day while she is healing. No I would not feed her right now. Get her to a vet first.
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