Need help, like ASAP.

I am at work right now, and a customer just brought in a ball python that is suffering from the worst scale rot I have ever seen. Its affecting almost half of its body, it's disgusting. My boss won't let me treat it at work, wants me to take it home with me.

I will put up pics when I get home, what do I do???

It has open wounds, and stuck shed in it. I don't want to pull it off because It's going to hurt. He's also bleeding.

I have never experienced this before, I am so upset right now.

man that really sucks! :( I really dont have any idea what you could do but I wish you the best of luck.

i have no experience with scale rot, but i've heard, hear say, that repti-wound helps??? i am totally unsure though, sorry :(
not a fan of petsmart but you may can pick up on your way home ???

http://www.petsmart.com/product/inde...ductId=2752622

good luck with the little guy

I had a case that I was able to cure using triple antibotic ointment. Rubbed it on once a day and make sure to give a small waterbowl which he can't soak it and/or spill. Good luck!

i have never had to deal with it but i have read a lot about it just in case. first i would go to a vet and have them look at it. it may need some antibiotics or some other treatment. as the other said, put antibiotic ointment on it and keep him warm and dry. hopefully these posts can get u started, and soon i hope some people with experience with this will make a post

I took in 2 bps that had it bad.

1. Quarantine. You don't know what else is wrong with it.

2. Newspaper in the tub. Change it very regularly.

3. Normal Polysporin twice a day until shed, then maybe once a day until the second shed.

4. Small waterdish. Keep low humidity.

5. Up temps a little to help with immune system.

Make sure that if you are going to handle the snake for treatment that you wash your hands and don't touch ANYTHING with dirty hands, (including the tap, use an elbow, or wash it after).
I would check the snake for mouth rot, and RI, but not right away. This snake is probably not going to like handling and prying its mouth open.

Good luck. It really is heart breaking to see the little guys suffering, but don't worry, the treatment is pretty fool proof from what I understand. Both the ones I picked up are 100% now!

Definitely a vet check, immediately...if the python is septic, hope is slim. The faster you can get him on antibiotics, the better chance he has.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mr. s

I took in 2 bps that had it bad.

1. Quarantine. You don't know what else is wrong with it.

2. Newspaper in the tub. Change it very regularly.

3. Normal Polysporin twice a day until shed, then maybe once a day until the second shed.

4. Small waterdish. Keep low humidity.

5. Up temps a little to help with immune system.

Make sure that if you are going to handle the snake for treatment that you wash your hands and don't touch ANYTHING with dirty hands, (including the tap, use an elbow, or wash it after).
I would check the snake for mouth rot, and RI, but not right away. This snake is probably not going to like handling and prying its mouth open.

Good luck. It really is heart breaking to see the little guys suffering, but don't worry, the treatment is pretty fool proof from what I understand. Both the ones I picked up are 100% now!

---

This is very good advise. Make sure the ointment does not have pain killer, regular triple antibiotic ointment will work. Temps high humidity low. It may also need a round of Baytril if it is as bad as it sounds.

Defiantly quarantine. Paper towels or newspaper, I personally prefer paper towels.
I would definitely recommend a trip to the vet for a thorough check-up and advice about cleaning/dressing that wounds/scale rot.
I have heard of others using silver sulfadine cream on BP open wounds (I havent used it).
We had a Rescue a few years ago and she had scale rot so bad her infection ran her body hot and she had to have injections.

Good luck let us know how the little guy does.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Warocker's Wife

I have heard of others using silver sulfadine cream

---

I have used this but it was a perscription ointment for a wound on my hand, we can't get it over the shelf here. It did work really good.

I have no advice just words of support. Let us know how it goes, good luck.

Mike

Lots of good suggestions. Since I don't see the routine that I have used before (on a Bull snake) I'll contribute: :)

I have used Nolvasan Antiseptic Ointment along with baths in Chlorhexadine solution (follow directions)

I didn't use paper towels, I felt that would allow the snake to get nasty faster (paper towels just don't absorb well and during the time I am at work, they can trash a tub). I used fresh Aspen (pretreated with P.A.M). Gave the snake a bath in Chlorhexadine mixture and then rubbed the Nolvasan on the scales.

Someone asked me why use both, because Nolvasan and Chlorhexadine are basically the same thing, but different mediums? I used both because the bath allows the disinfectant to get between the scales and the Ointment has staying power and as the snake slithers though the substrate some rubs off in there and stays and as long as wastes are removed, it helps keep the tub more sanitary for the snake rather than a filmsy paper towel, which may get soaked during the time that I am not home.

Hope this helped. http://entirelypets.ecomm-search.com...vasan+ointment

Betadine will be good for cleaning and killing germs on the body. Do not put it in open wounds at all as its not for that.

Do that 3 times a day along with Polysporin and in few sheds everything should heal up, but may need some Antibiotics to help with it a bit as well.

Pictures are at the end of the post, warning, they are a bit graphic.

Thank you everyone for your replies, and suggestions I have been reading just didn't have time to reply while I was at work. Our vet clinic is closed on the weekends, but luckily I live next door to my vet. I gave him a call, he told me to bring the snake over when I got off work.

Due to the amount of damage the scale rot has already done, my vet says he isn't completely sure what he can do at this point. He took the snake with him, but I myself cannot afford to pay the medical bills that would come along with that. He's going to give me a call today, with a decision whether hes going to try and treat it or and have to humainly put him down.

I cannot believe someone would have the NERVE to bring that animal into a petstore, let alone just to ask me if he could take bigger mice. I offered to remove the stuck shed from the snake for the guy, and that is when I found the scale rot in the back room. I confronted him about it, the guy just laughed and was like Dang, I never seen that on him before... BS! Are you KIDDING ME! The snake, was in a 75gl tank.

All I can say, is I am pretty sure that grown man was afraid of me by the time he left our store. After I told him that he'd need to go to the vet, and the bills might be a bit pricey he said he didn't want it.

My camera is crappy, if I had a better one I could actually show you the open wounds that were open on 2 places of his body.

WARNING. Graphic pictures.
http://i42.tinypic.com/v4os40.jpg
http://i41.tinypic.com/eqpe1h.jpg
http://i42.tinypic.com/210gbuq.jpg

dangthat looks bad but i bet the snake could pull though given time and proper help/care crosses fingers and wish you luck. (I also let the vet guy know he a drop off to the pet store were you work. ( know the vet I delt with with one snake didn't charge me anytihng when I told himI t wa a droppoff and I was doing rescues as ahobby .

I've seen much worse make a wonderful recovery, actually:

http://www.ball-pythons.net/forums/s...hlight=Phoenix

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ghlight=rescue

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by mechnut450

dangthat looks bad but i bet the snake could pull though given time and proper help/care crosses fingers and wish you luck. (I also let the vet guy know he a drop off to the pet store were you work. ( know the vet I delt with with one snake didn't charge me anytihng when I told himI t wa a droppoff and I was doing rescues as ahobby .

---

Oh he already knows, I am friends with my vet. I told him everything and he is going to see what he can do, and if he can save him I told him I'd love to take him in. It's just I can't afford any more bills right now.

Since you are that close to your vet, personally, see if he will just sell you the injectable antibiotics and give the shots yourself. It is not hard to do, I'm sure he will help you with the first one. With an aggressive round of injected antibiotics and the antibiotic ointiment everyday, he may stand a good chance. I'm no vet but have helped deal with stuff like this before and have learned a lot from my vet (a very good exotic vet)...my vet would treat this with Baytril every other day for a month, .4cc/1000g. Please let us know what your vet says

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FatBoy

Since you are that close to your vet, personally, see if he will just sell you the injectable antibiotics and give the shots yourself. It is not hard to do, I'm sure he will help you with the first one. With an aggressive round of injected antibiotics and the antibiotic ointiment everyday, he may stand a good chance. I'm no vet but have helped deal with stuff like this before and have learned a lot from my vet (a very good exotic vet)...my vet would treat this with Baytril every other day for a month, .4cc/1000g. Please let us know what your vet says

---

Yeah, that's probably what I will do. Just depends on how much its going to be, I don't have much extra money left right now. I just didn't want that guy taking the snake home and throwing it away like garage, which is what he said he was going to do. It's going to take a lot of injections, ointment and whatever else to clear that up.

Damn, that is just nasty! How can someone let an animal get to that point? I just don't understand. Stupid idiot!
Hopefully the vet will be able to get him squared away. It's bad and there might be a lot of other things going on too. A little TLC and vet care may go a long way though. Glad you were there to get him and then get him to where he needs to be, whatever the outcome. Poor fella!
I just hate to see such things.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Clementine_3

Damn, that is just nasty! How can someone let an animal get to that point? I just don't understand. Stupid idiot!
Hopefully the vet will be able to get him squared away. It's bad and there might be a lot of other things going on too. A little TLC and vet care may go a long way though. Glad you were there to get him and then get him to where he needs to be, whatever the outcome. Poor fella!
I just hate to see such things.

---

Yeah, it was a big shock when I realized it while I was at work. I just don't get it, he went off telling me how his tank was clean and all this crap and he wasn't looking me in the eyes while telling me this. He was full of it. There is no way an animal gets scale rot if you have a clean enviorment, let alone it was in a 75gl tank?? We'll see what the vet can do.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shescountry89

Yeah, that's probably what I will do. Just depends on how much its going to be, I don't have much extra money left right now. I just didn't want that guy taking the snake home and throwing it away like garage, which is what he said he was going to do. It's going to take a lot of injections, ointment and whatever else to clear that up.

---

If he will sell sell you the injections without a vet visit you shouldn't spend more than $35-45. The ointment is straight off the shelf at Wal-Mart, cheap brand, couple dollars. It will be worth the reward of knowing you saved this animals life...good luck to you.

ugh....wow...that is really bad. Let me first say I have never dealt with this. But I read a ton....lol.

I would def. keep him on papertowels and not aspen....I do understand the reasoning to scrape off the dead skin...but I think it would be very very painful. Also I believe that the dust particals from the aspen would get into the moist wound which would not be good.

Secondly....a friend of mine...which is actually on this site as well is very good friends with one of the leading reptile vets in Southern AZ. He is very well known and also takes care of the Desert Museum reptiles out here as well as has been on Reptile talk shows.....ANYHOOO....he recommends Bactine instead of Neosporin. As this allows the wounds to breathe as well and air does typically help things heal. ?? Take that as you would like. ;)

Also I would if you can see if that vet will prescribe some antibiotics. As bad as that looks I think the snake runs the risk of a terrible infection....so if you can get a hold of it....I would def. try.

Someone also suggested a bath in cholerexothine...(did not have time to look at my bottle for spelling)....I thought that was a great idea as well.

Last but least....I would also handle the snake with medical laxtex gloves....this will also stop any of your oils or salt to mix in with the wounds. Probably not sting the snake as much.

Gosh I wish you luck.....that is so sad and just kills me when I see things like that. One reputation point for you for going above and beyond to help this poor guy!!

Poor little snake. I hope he/she makes it. That guy should go to jail for this.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FatBoy

If he will sell sell you the injections without a vet visit you shouldn't spend more than $35-45. The ointment is straight off the shelf at Wal-Mart, cheap brand, couple dollars. It will be worth the reward of knowing you saved this animals life...good luck to you.

---

Well, since my vet is also a good friend he isn't going to charge me anything right now. Though I said I am going to pay him some money for helping me out with this. I gave him a call when I got off work tonight and he says he's cleaned up the wound quite a bit, and it's pretty bad but they are starting treatments.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by BPelizabeth

ugh....wow...that is really bad. Let me first say I have never dealt with this. But I read a ton....lol.

I would def. keep him on papertowels and not aspen....I do understand the reasoning to scrape off the dead skin...but I think it would be very very painful. Also I believe that the dust particals from the aspen would get into the moist wound which would not be good.

Secondly....a friend of mine...which is actually on this site as well is very good friends with one of the leading reptile vets in Southern AZ. He is very well known and also takes care of the Desert Museum reptiles out here as well as has been on Reptile talk shows.....ANYHOOO....he recommends Bactine instead of Neosporin. As this allows the wounds to breathe as well and air does typically help things heal. ?? Take that as you would like. ;)

Also I would if you can see if that vet will prescribe some antibiotics. As bad as that looks I think the snake runs the risk of a terrible infection....so if you can get a hold of it....I would def. try.

Someone also suggested a bath in cholerexothine...(did not have time to look at my bottle for spelling)....I thought that was a great idea as well.

Last but least....I would also handle the snake with medical laxtex gloves....this will also stop any of your oils or salt to mix in with the wounds. Probably not sting the snake as much.

Gosh I wish you luck.....that is so sad and just kills me when I see things like that. One reputation point for you for going above and beyond to help this poor guy!!

---

Thank you so much for that advice, when I first got him I kept him on paper towels and tried putting ointment on him that we had. It's call bactatracine? I think something like that. I pulled off as much shed as I could that wasn't near the wounds. I did use gloves AFTER I found the rot when I took him out of the carrier they had him in. I hope he pulls through it, I can't stand seeing that kind of thing happen.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by tjm

Poor little snake. I hope he/she makes it. That guy should go to jail for this.

---

Yeah, I agree.

I am sure he will make it if he is given good care (which he is!).

He might heal faster then you think! There should be a significant improvement after every shed, and usually when they have a burn or belly rot, they will shed over and over again until it is healed.

Good luck! You are doing the right thing!

Oh and as for the ointment, bacitracin, polysporin, or neosporin without pain reliever all will work.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shescountry89

Well, since my vet is also a good friend he isn't going to charge me anything right now.


[/B]

---

You seem to have a lot of these "friends".:D:D

Since you have been given a lot of good advice on here, there's no need for BG to chime in on the advice part. It looks like you have it handled.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Big Gunns

You seem to have a lot of these "friends".:D:D

Since you have been given a lot of good advice on here, there's no need for BG to chime in on the advice part. It looks like you have it handled.

---

I don't live in that big of a city, I know almost everyone involved with reptiles around here. My neighbor, just happens to be one of the main exotic vets in this area. So yeah, I do have a lot of friends.

I greatly appreciate all the advice.

Maybe we can track down the guy who gave you the snake, and force him to live in a bathtub full of his own urine and feces until he is covered in weeping pus filled bedsores, and then rub him down with sandpaper and cover him in salt and lemon juice. And then throw him out of a moving vehicle at 50 mph onto the front step of the emergency room... Maybe then he can experience what that poor snake had to go through... :twisted:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ham

Maybe we can track down the guy who gave you the snake, and force him to live in a bathtub full of his own urine and feces until he is covered in weeping pus filled bedsores, and then rub him down with sandpaper and cover him in salt and lemon juice. And then throw him out of a moving vehicle at 50 mph onto the front step of the emergency room... Maybe then he can experience what that poor snake had to go through... :twisted:

---

Hahaha, you are SO evil. I like it! :P

And you are such a good samaritan! I like it!
I am glad that snake ended up in great hands like yours!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ham

Maybe we can track down the guy who gave you the snake, and force him to live in a bathtub full of his own urine and feces until he is covered in weeping pus filled bedsores, and then rub him down with sandpaper and cover him in salt and lemon juice. And then throw him out of a moving vehicle at 50 mph onto the front step of the emergency room... Maybe then he can experience what that poor snake had to go through... :twisted:

---

I hate it when people don't open up and say what they really feel about something or someone. :) Ham...how do you really feel about this guy??? :D

Well if you want me to get really descriptive...
Actually I will stop there, I dont want to get banned from the forum... lol

Can nothing be done about the guy in question? You've got hard evidence of animal neglect/abuse and a vet that can back up what's going on with the animal. He should have to pay for what he's done (or allowed to happen) to that snake.

O..M..G...That poor snake. I hope it does a complete 360. And don't give up on him..even if your vet does! People have already given you some great advice on here, so I'm just gonna hope for the best.He's in your hands..probably no better place...;) . We here for ya...and the snake.:gj: Good luck and here's to a speedy and comforable recovery.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ham

And you are such a good samaritan! I like it!
I am glad that snake ended up in great hands like yours!

---

Thanks :) I do my best.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FatBoy

I hate it when people don't open up and say what they really feel about something or someone. :) Ham...how do you really feel about this guy??? :D

---

:rofl: Nice.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ham

Well if you want me to get really descriptive...
Actually I will stop there, I dont want to get banned from the forum... lol

---

I am sure we could all come up with something great to say about how to get back at those who treat their animals like crap, we'd all get in sooo much trouble.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Quiet Tempest

Can nothing be done about the guy in question? You've got hard evidence of animal neglect/abuse and a vet that can back up what's going on with the animal. He should have to pay for what he's done (or allowed to happen) to that snake.

---

Normally when someone brings in an animal to give up to us, we fill out a form and if the person has mistreated it we do turn it in. But since he had just brought it in to ask me if it could take bigger mice then just turn around and leave when i noticed the injury I couldn't get his information like I wanted. I can't just grab him and make him give me his information, trust me, I wanted to but I could get in trouble.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 4theSNAKElady

O..M..G...That poor snake. I hope it does a complete 360. And don't give up on him..even if your vet does! People have already given you some great advice on here, so I'm just gonna hope for the best.He's in your hands..probably no better place...;) . We here for ya...and the snake.:gj: Good luck and here's to a speedy and comforable recovery.

---

Thanks! I hope everything turns out alright, the vet says he is still hanging in there so I am confident that he might just be able to get through this!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Ham

Maybe we can track down the guy who gave you the snake, and force him to live in a bathtub full of his own urine and feces until he is covered in weeping pus filled bedsores, and then rub him down with sandpaper and cover him in salt and lemon juice. And then throw him out of a moving vehicle at 50 mph onto the front step of the emergency room... Maybe then he can experience what that poor snake had to go through... :twisted:

---

I know I'm probably going to be flamed for this but IMO I think that the guy did the right thing...
Let me explain...
For all we know this guy could have...
Recieved the snake like this.
Tried to rescue the snake.
Had absolutely no idea about the snakes needs when he bought it.

There are so many "Ifs" to the treatment of this animal. Don't get me wrong this is absolutely horrible but if he didn't bring it into the pet store think how much worst off the snake would have been... Not everyone is as gifted as we are to have such amazing resources such as us. But yur posts are based on assumptions.
Now sure I agree with the above quote if this "douchebag" in this scenario just was lazy and did leave the snake in horrible conditions but there's too many unknowns to come to conclusions.
Now since he did take off he was either A) embarresed at his ignorance or B) felt absolutely horrible he put his pet through this or C) scared because he's adouchebag...

Thank you very much country for this amazing rescue :-). It's amazing that you are willing to spend your hard warned cash to save this animal :-).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jeremy78

I know I'm probably going to be flamed for this but IMO I think that the guy did the right thing...
Let me explain...
For all we know this guy could have...
Recieved the snake like this.
Tried to rescue the snake.
Had absolutely no idea about the snakes needs when he bought it.

There are so many "Ifs" to the treatment of this animal. Don't get me wrong this is absolutely horrible but if he didn't bring it into the pet store think how much worst off the snake would have been... Not everyone is as gifted as we are to have such amazing resources such as us. But yur posts are based on assumptions.
Now sure I agree with the above quote if this "douchebag" in this scenario just was lazy and did leave the snake in horrible conditions but there's too many unknowns to come to conclusions.
Now since he did take off he was either A) embarresed at his ignorance or B) felt absolutely horrible he put his pet through this or C) scared because he's adouchebag...

Thank you very much country for this amazing rescue :-). It's amazing that you are willing to spend your hard warned cash to save this animal :-).

---

It was a grown man, maybe in his mid 40s and his son who was about my age that came in. But was the father who was talking for his son, and when I brought the snake out to show them what I had found the kid got really quiet and his dad LAUGHED, he acted as if nothing was wrong with this picture. The reason he left, was because he didn't want to deal with the medical bills. As soon as I said the word "vet" he just didn't care anymore.

I know people do rescue animals not knowing what they are getting into, and not knowing how to treat it. This does happen. But the dirtbags that come into my store and KNOW what they have done, and have the nerve to drop a neglected animal off and laugh in my face like they've done nothing wrong need to get their butt whooped.

But thank you, it's going to take me a bit to help out with those medical bills as well. Considering I have just enough money to pay for what I have at the moment, trying to pay off medical bills of my own.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by shescountry89

It was a grown man, maybe in his mid 40s and his son who was about my age that came in. But was the father who was talking for his son, and when I brought the snake out to show them what I had found the kid got really quiet and his dad LAUGHED, he acted as if nothing was wrong with this picture. The reason he left, was because he didn't want to deal with the medical bills. As soon as I said the word "vet" he just didn't care anymore.

I know people do rescue animals not knowing what they are getting into, and not knowing how to treat it. This does happen. But the dirtbags that come into my store and KNOW what they have done, and have the nerve to drop a neglected animal off and laugh in my face like they've done nothing wrong need to get their butt whooped.

But thank you, it's going to take me a bit to help out with those medical bills as well. Considering I have just enough money to pay for what I have at the moment, trying to pay off medical bills of my own.

---

Thanks for clarifying :-). The comment was just about running him over then lol.
But again, good rescue :-).

How is the snake doing Country?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jeremy78

Thanks for clarifying :-). The comment was just about running him over then lol.
But again, good rescue :-).

---

:) Thanks

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FatBoy

How is the snake doing Country?

---

He's slowly but surely getting better, looks a lot better with all that nasty shed off but the wound still looks pretty bad. My vet, Dave, is taking a liking to him that's for sure. We're trying to decide on a name yet. He's a sweet little thing, i'm suprised after what he has gone through.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FatBoy

Since you are that close to your vet, personally, see if he will just sell you the injectable antibiotics and give the shots yourself. It is not hard to do, I'm sure he will help you with the first one. With an aggressive round of injected antibiotics and the antibiotic ointiment everyday, he may stand a good chance. I'm no vet but have helped deal with stuff like this before and have learned a lot from my vet (a very good exotic vet)...my vet would treat this with Baytril every other day for a month, .4cc/1000g. Please let us know what your vet says

---

Yea i had to bring my ball into the vet. I was told i couldn't handle the snake often because "salmonella" because i'm pregnant.. but after 2 months of not holding him i got fed up and called around to realize.. salmonella is pretty rare and as long as you wash your hands and keep everything clean you should be fine.. with that said.. i picked him up.. and didn't realize he had burrowed through the substrate and burned half his body on the UTH which led to an infection and he had all the substrate stuck in it. it was open, and oozing, and he was pretty dehydrated. I took him to the vet and i have to give him a shot everyday for 2 weeks of Baytril which was cheap.. for 13 shots i paid 6 dollars. I then changed the substrate to just layers of papertowels (can't burrow into those!) increased temp and decreased humidity. I was petrified because i am so afraid of needles... but i had a friend help me, we soak the snake in warm water for about 10-20 minutes in a good size tupperware bin with a cover with holes in it.. only a few centimeters of water.. put him in a towel on the floor and dry him up... and we just keep his head covered with the towel and he stays completely still. it's easier than just holding the snakes head and worrying about him biting or thrashing while you're trying to give the shot... i was able to turn him upside with ease and apply topical cream to his belly... then we'd hold the snake down firmly and give him the shot... after the 3rd day it's almost no sweat. I still feel bad because he's in pain, but it's been a week, i didn't give him a shot 2 days ago, he ate yesterday (first time in over a month!), he seems to be doing better. the hardest part is when you get the needle in and he starts contracting and the needle comes out. but holy hell that is the nastiest thing i've ever seen.. i thought mine was bad.

before i noticed the infection (because the bark like substrate was stuck in it!), he was going through a bad shed and his eyes looked caved in. I actually looked on youtube for proper ways to soak. which is how i got the tupperware idea from. I soaked him for an hour. the shed came off i barely had to touch it and it came off so easy. and his eyes are filling back in. it's better than just putting him in a big bathtub and watching him swim around like a distressed eel...