Scale Rot

Went on holiday for about a week and left my pewter bee boy with a friend. Came back and he had a mysterious hole / scab on top of his head. I'm semi-new to snakes and I'm trying to figure out what this is. Is it scale rot? A burn? Not sure if I should seek immediate vet h elp or treat with betaine and keep it clean for a bit to see if it will heal. http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/2016...a0e5279940.jpg

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Do you feed live? Could be an infected rodent bite...

Left with a friend in its cage or something different?

New surroundings could have made it wander and search which resulted in a rub on its nose.

That's my first thought.

Such clear round margins...weird.

Almost looks like a cigarette burn. Sure this friend didn't have friends over and perhaps a party going on ...etc etc ?

I don't know, but this looks to perfectly round and deep to be an infected bite or rub on enclosure. Also looks "cauterized" for lack of better term. Like a deep round burn.

But I could be wrong.

Cigarette burn was my first thought as well. I'm thinking it was an accident of some sort. :(

His heat lamp sits directly on top of its enclosure, so I was thinking a lamp burn or from hot surrounding mesh/plastic. I do feed live, but he has not been fed since I last had him, at which point I did not NOTICE any bites, but may have overlooked a scratch. During holiday he was in a spare bedroom with no activity and no other animals.

Thoughts/suggestions for treatment? I've been told betaine is ok for wound cleaning, but i'm not sure how to treat it afterward. I'm concerned abt an open wound, but don't want to cover it with neosporin if it's infected, because I'm worried the softened scales may help it spread.

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Definitely not scale rot bc that happens directly to the ventral scales and not the mental (frontal) scales. Cigarette burn or something suspicious..:confusd:

If you can 100% rule out a burn from the external environment then you need to closely investigate you snake's enclosure and heating system. The heat source must be dangerously heating something, probably made of metal, like a screw.

Keep him on paper towels until it resolves. I would consider a exotic vet mainly bc the depth of the wound and possibility of secondary infection.

Not saying this is the case, but the thought of someone burning a snake with a cigarette is pretty sickening.

Yes, it is.

But given the perfect roundness of the wound. The even depth. And the seeming "cauterization", a burn with a perfectly round object of that diameter comes to mind.

Like someone else said, "might" have been a screw somewhere, that just so happened to be under the light and got red hot. So hot that it burned quickly through all the layers, to that depth. Also one that stuck out far enough to accomplish that. And one that the snake just so happened to lift its head straight up against.

It looks like a cigarette burn. Or a burn with another round object.

Perhaps the snake bit someone ? And it was burned to get it to let go ? I know, this is really "reaching" now, there could be another explanation that is far less sinister. But something about the location, depth and shape of the wound would make me suspicious.

pic of cigarette burns

http://photos.imageevent.com/morgens...bsize/burn.jpg

I hear you Zina. I've seen them before. That's certainly what it looks like.

Definitely a burn: the shape, depth and cauterization, I would guess a screw or something in the enclosure! Not saying it isn't an intentional burn i.e. cigarette, joint, or some other rounded object heated extensively.
I would advise against ointments unless prescribed or advised by an exotic or herp specialized DVM.
Strip the enclosure, check the safeguards and take the snake to a vet just to make sure...

Crazy that its located right in the center of the "snout"...the depth leads to believe it was on there for a quite a few seconds, which most animals, especially a snake, would pull away after the instant heat and smell directly over the head...

Please take him to the vet. It does look like a burn. Until then, put him on paper towels, keep humidity good, and, since you feed live, try to get him to the vet before feeding so nothing else happens to the sore area.

Thank you to all you guys, an appointment has already been made with my local exotic, and bedding has been changed. he is still a juvie, and I don't want to chance my Noodle hurting more.

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I'd have a serious talk with your friend.

If it were me I'd just keep an eye on it as I see no reason for the vet at the moment. I'd work to find the cause and make sure it never happens again. There is not much the vet can do except take your money.

That's just my opinion. Do what you think is best.