Scales Flaking?

Hey everyone I have a quick question:

I left for a few days to go home for Thanksgiving and when I came back my BP had managed to not only rip the thermometer off the wall of the tub but to also spill her water and pee all over her paper towels (Sheesh, it was a mess) Anyways, as I was changing her towels out for Aspen, I noticed that she had some raised scales and that they felt rough and were making a noise as she crawled around my neck. I first though that I caught her in the middle of a shed, so I soaked her for 30 min in lukewarm water but when I checked her this morning, she has NO shed loose and no pink belly, cloudy eyes, etc. Basically no signs of shedding or going into blue as far as I can tell.

It is not scale rot as there is no swelling, infection, nothing. I have been putting neosporin on a cut she had on the underside of her neck near her head but these scales aren't really near that wound.

The scales just individually flake off in one piece or you can peel them off. Really weird. I read somewhere that this is a sign that a BP is about to shed in some cases. What do you guys think? Caused by the super low humidity after the spilled water and pee dried up? Or just pre-shedding? OR something more serious?

Edit: Just really looked at her and its not just that one part its her whole body. Her neck is starting to flake, she feels rough and dry, pieces of clear scales are coming off. Since I was gone for 3 days maybe I missed her blue stage? or she is just beginning the process? Or is she dried out because of the low humidity when I was gone? (I'm assuming the humidity was low not 100% sure)

I know when i was a beginner i had some Hack breeder tell me to give my ball python a mineral oil bath to help it shed. Not only is oil bad for snakes, but she shed EACH INDIVIDUAL SCALE off all over her tank. It was the biggest mess i've ever seen and it was all over a 55 gallon tank. I was pissed and came on here to find out what i actually did and that the oil separate the scale from the top layer of skin and it sheds off individually.

Did you do anything similiar to this recently?

Nope. She has never been near oil. The only thing I have done is put neosporin (without painkiller) on a rat bite she had recently. twice a day for at least a week and put her on paper towels for over around 1.5 months. I would think it was the neosporin seeing as thats a side effect but its all over her body. Maybe when she coiled up she rubbed it on herself? Or she's just in shed, and since my humidity was low because of the above situation i'm just gonna have to deal with a horrendous shed.

Edit #2: My gf just noticed that her head scales are wrinkly. Looks like she's beginning the shed process but with no blue? or is that on its way?

Also her bottom scales are very rough to the touch, papery feeling, and when you look at them sideways you can see it starting to come off. Also her scales look transparent.

Sounds to me like she's about to shed...and it's gonna be a rough one. It will likely come off in a million little pieces and she may have a lot of stuck shed afterward.

I would make sure the humidity is increased, although it is probably too late for that effort to make much difference. Let her get as much of it off on her own as she can without bugging her. And THEN, if she does, indeed have a lot of stuck stuff...then I'd soak her and help her off with the rest of it.

Yeah JLC , thats what I was thinking. And after going to cornsnakes.com and searching for some more info, I found pics of snakes that were going through a process that looked very similar. They said that it sometimes happens a week before going into blue but granted these were also cornsnakes. The only question I have now is whether or not she is going into blue or has already been through that stage and is about to shed in the next couple days. What do you guys/gals think?

I've not heard of ball pythons flaking before they go blue...but I suppose if conditions were dry enough, anything is possible. It IS possible to miss the blue phase entirely...especially if you were gone for a few days. Going simply on what we've read here...I would expect to see an enclosure full of shed-bits in the next 2-3 days.

Yeah, im hoping. I'm worried about the flaking. I don't know how low the humidity was but I'm assuming pretty darn low because when I opened her tub after being gone the paper towels were bone dry along with the rest of the tub. On an interesting note, she was also in a striking position and super stiff when I removed her hide and picked her up. Weird behavior from her.

I don't know whats going on. I'm just hoping its a bad shed and not dehydration. And like I said before, the best way to describe it would be that single scales are flaking off and that she feels dry, rough and papery. And that some of her head scales look wrinkly. Otherwise she is acting normal. I could try a few pics but I don't know how detailed they would be because its not super obvious unless held at exactly the right angle or if you were holding her.

Was her water bowl dry when you got home, too?

What you need is a reliable hygrometer to let you know what the humidity is at all times. If you don't know what it was when you got home..then I'm assuming you don't know what it is on a day-to-day basis.

Can you describe your set-up for her? What sort of enclosure and what size? How are you heating it? How are you measuring the temperature gradient?

Her water bowl was bone dry and I use an Accurite dual hydrometer/thermometer with a probe for the hotside. The humidity stays between 45%-50% always unless she is in shed and thats when I spray the tank to bump it up. Hot side is between 90-92 and cool side ambient is in the 80's by way of repti heat cable (attached to a dimmer) run through the rack because of how cold my roommates keep the apartment. The heat cable will dry the rack out which is why i usually keep the water on the hot side to counteract this. She has been on paper towels for the last 1.5-2 months due to a rat bite and my putting neosporin on her twice a day for at least a week. She was just put back on aspen last night because it holds humidity better and is easier for a shed imo.

I use a Zoomed heating pad connected to a reptitemp 500r thermostat until I get a Herpstat pro. She was kept in a 50 quart tub measuring 33X19X7 inside of a melamine rack but I just had new custom rack built and switched her last night to a 41 quart tub (35X16X6)

Temps upon my arrival: 78.1 cold, 89.8 hot. I didn't check humidity because it wasn't my first concern when I saw the paper towels and knocked off thermometer. Now I wish I had.

When I came back last night everything, including water bowl, was bone dry. I left Tuesday and came back Friday night so I'm assuming it happened Tuesday night/Wednesday sometime. I'm thinking it may be dehydration but it could also be shed.

Maybe some mild dehydration going on...but I don't think that would cause flaking scales outside of the shedding process. It would, however, make the current shed cycle very difficult.

I believe you said you already soaked the snake, yes? And with a bowl full of fresh water, I'm sure she is properly hydrated once more. I don't know what size bowl you usually use...but if it's a small one, you might consider trying a big, wide dish in there for now...on the warm side...that she can soak in if she wishes. I don't normally recommend allowing a ball python to soak at will (I'm not anti-soaking...I just don't believe it's necessary most of the time)...but in this case, when she got sooo dry...it might at least help her feel better to soak at will for a few days, and may help her shed more completely on her own.

Will do, the bowl I currently use is not big enough to soak in so i will put one in that is. And yes, I already soaked her for 30 minutes last night. Thank you and I'll be sure to post updates!

UPDATE***

Its been 4 days and still no shed. She looks fine, just ate a small rat yesterday and is prety much acting normal. Put a bigger water bowl in with her and the humidity is in the high 50's to low 60's. My guess would be that shes just beginning the whole shed cycle.

Well, her belly is starting to turn pinkish so it looks like she is beginning the shedding process.

The neosporin may have something to do with it. I had an imported female with a scrape that I put neosporin on and she shed individual scales. Silver Sulfadiazine (SSD) cream is a good alternative, but you have to get it from a vet or order it online and it's not cheap.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FireStorm

The neosporin may have something to do with it. I had an imported female with a scrape that I put neosporin on and she shed individual scales. Silver Sulfadiazine (SSD) cream is a good alternative, but you have to get it from a vet or order it online and it's not cheap.

---

Excellent diagnosis and advice!

Neosporin can and will cause scales to flake off. When I read the OP's first post my first though was that neo or polysporin may have been applied to the snake.

Silver Sulfa is the gold standard when it comes to reptile skin issues - it works great and it doesn't result in the scale issues.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FireStorm

The neosporin may have something to do with it. I had an imported female with a scrape that I put neosporin on and she shed individual scales. Silver Sulfadiazine (SSD) cream is a good alternative, but you have to get it from a vet or order it online and it's not cheap.

---

That was the first thing that I thought of as well - had the same thing happen to me when I first got into ball pythons and had to put neosporin on a snake - there's no way NOT to get it all over the snake, and it does shed individual scales all over the place.

Not to mention they are almost impossible to clean off of glass and plastic once they've dried there.

What ended up happing. Did the snake make a full recovery. I used Neosporin recently which caused some scales to flake off. He shed now, but where they flaked they are still seem dry in that area. I don't want him to get reinfected so keeping him very clean. What was your outcome?

I can't comment on the OP's snake, but I can say the female I had made a full recovery. I still have her, and she's sitting on eggs now that should hatch any day. The neosporin doesn't do any long term damage. I bet with the next shed, your snake will be fine.