Anyone ever see bubbled scales?

What in the WORLD is going on here. Just a little info, I am in the middle of switching over from tanks to a rack but this one in still in quarentine. She had mites when I got her and she is still in pretty bad shape. She is getting ready to shed again and it seems like there is a lot of mite damage to her head. Anyway she was in a tank with aspen bedding and an UTH, a water bowl and a hide. I pulled everyone today for a weigh in and I noticed these scales that were lifted and bubbled up with fluid inside of them. I have NEVER seen anything like this on a snake and Im trying to figure out if its from mites and having a hard time shedding, or if its something else. It's clear fluid though which leads me to believe its most likely not infected. Here are some pics I took real quick with my phone to just give you an idea. Anyone ever run into this? Any ideas what it might be?

http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...01111-1111.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...01111-1110.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...01111-1111.jpg
http://i27.photobucket.com/albums/c1...01111-1110.jpg

WOW!! not sure I've ever seen anything like that before out side of a burn. If I had to guess and this is just reach in the air guess..I'd have to think it is some reaction to the mites and combined with going into shed the old skin may have let go early and filled with that oil that helps them shed.. again just guess.. Wait till she sheds and see what it looks like then..


Please keep us up todate..

Do you think I should try to soak her and shed her?

I would just leave it alone until she sheds, then see how it looks. It kinda seems like some kind of blister, but I don't know how she would have gotten one.

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Originally Posted by Courtney281

Do you think I should try to soak her and shed her?

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Naaa Just bump the humidity up like normal and let her shed..

well she has more then just one, so I dont think its a blister. And if you press on it (it's not painful to her) then it spreads and seperates more shed skin, so the oil in between the two layers actually makes sense. I'm giving her a soak since her tank is a little on the dry side right now and then I'll wait for her to shed on her own and let you all know how it goes.

It's just wierd though, 19 years of having snakes, I've never seen that. Although my snakes are taken way better care of then this was had been. Poor thing, Im glad she is with us now where she will get the care and love she obviously needs.

Was she rubbing on anything in her enclosure?? :confused:
I don't know about snakes, but I'm sure you all know why people get blisters (repetitive rubbing of some kind) :P
I wonder if she rubbed them on something and got one?? I have no clue. That's really interesting. :oops:

I have no idea what that is, but you don't want to soak a snake thats going INTO shed. The water leaches the oil from their skin and makes it harder for them to shed.

I don't know but so I am asking can it be blister disease? I have never seen it just read about it but the way you spoke about the problem sounded like what I have read on it. I really hope it is something simple and not blister disease, it might be worth a consideration, I assume that the pre rescue conditions were bad.? Just I thought. good luck

"The first signs are usually watery blisters on the reptile’s skin. These blisters then burst and transfer the infection into the reptile’s body, leading to septicemia, an infection of the blood which is potentially fatal, as well as infection in the internal organs. In addition, the skin around the initial blister may rot away leaving the body exposed and even more vulnerable to other bacterial and fungal invasions as well as injuries, abrasions and burns. Mites can also spread bacteria to the blisters and in some cases, bacteria can cause abscesses at the site of the blisters which recur as ulcers following the next shed."


http://www.reptileexpert.co.uk/BlisterDisease.html

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

I don't know but so I am asking can it be blister disease? I have never seen it just read about it but the way you spoke about the problem sounded like what I have read on it. I really hope it is something simple and not blister disease, it might be worth a consideration, I assume that the pre rescue conditions were bad.? Just I thought. good luck

"The first signs are usually watery blisters on the reptile’s skin. These blisters then burst and transfer the infection into the reptile’s body, leading to septicemia, an infection of the blood which is potentially fatal, as well as infection in the internal organs. In addition, the skin around the initial blister may rot away leaving the body exposed and even more vulnerable to other bacterial and fungal invasions as well as injuries, abrasions and burns. Mites can also spread bacteria to the blisters and in some cases, bacteria can cause abscesses at the site of the blisters which recur as ulcers following the next shed."


http://www.reptileexpert.co.uk/BlisterDisease.html

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Without knowing the conditions the animal was kept in prior to the current owner getting it, could it be Blister Disease aka Belly rot? Sure could..it they don't go away or get worse then a vet visit will defiantly be needed.

Just keep an eye on them and after she shed look her over good.. if it is blister disease soaking her will only irritate the problem.

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Without knowing the conditions the animal was kept in prior to the current owner getting it, could it be Blister Disease aka Belly rot? Sure could..it they don't go away or get worse then a vet visit will defiantly be needed.

Just keep an eye on them and after she shed look her over good.. if it is blister disease soaking her will only irritate the problem.

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Pre rescue conditions were= In a 10 gal tank with sand and no heat pad with a screen top lid, and no light for any kind of warmth. It was like she had NO idea what she was doing with this snake. She had her like this for 8 months (how long she had her). She had mites (which I have treated for and no longer see any on her) and she was FREEZING cold when I picked her up.

God I hope this isnt belly rot and just a case of a bad shed :( I feel so bad for her

Oh, and don't worry, I won't soak her anymore. Will just let her be and see what happens. Is belly rot contagious to other snakes?

I've seen ticks make scales look like that when they get under them. That's very well what it could be. That's just my opinion, and it's just a hobby for me. So don't take it at face value.

I hope it isn't blister I am glad to hear that you are looking after her I have 3 rescues here at the moment too, ticks and dry and WAY WAY under fed... (one year old and 130 gm... :taz::mad:) Hopefully it will clear up after the shed!

UPDATE: The bubbles got worse and I didn't think she was getting ready to shed afterall. So I pulled her out the night before to check on her and her head and first inch of her nexk was all swollen like it was all filled with fluid. Also everywhere the bubbles were the white scales were all turning pink :O So yesterday we got in first thing in the morning and took her into a vets office and relinquished her over cause they said they would take care of her. I don't have the money to take on a long process of caring for blister disease since we just built a rack cause we found she brought in mites to almost my whole collection. So I didn't want her to suffer, so I handed her over. It's better then her suffering here. Anyway thanks everyone for the ideas and help. I'm sure she will do just fine where she is