Fluid Bubbles

Our bp has recently got these fluid filled bubbles.
I'll start start with some background information. I'll refer to it as a she but we really don't know the sex, and we don't care to probe or pop it to find out.

We rescued this snake, March 3rd. It was being rehomed due to the kid not properly caring for it. There was also another one but it died. She is 15-18 years old. She came very dehydrated and very skinny. She hadn't shedded her eye caps. You could see each bump on her spine and feel her ribs. (I'm sure this isn't the correct terminology) She was in the middle of shed which was coming off in pieces. The day before she was fed 3 mice, which they said she got every 2 weeks. She had no hides, no plants, she did have a red light heat bulb. Substrate was aspen. No gauges of any kind. Good size water bowl. So we ordered a heat mat on theromstat, set to 90. A CHE to up the ambient temp. Also on a thermostat. Some hides, digital gauges, and plants to help her feel more secure, temp gun and a scale. We were told only issue was she was blind.

We switched her to paper towels to watch her bm and urine habits. So far she has had 3 bm and quite a bit or urine. I'm not positive on what a normal amount of pee is in what time frame. Put mineral oil on her several layers of stuck eye caps, which were wrinkled and dented.

She had some wounds so I was advised to do Betadine iodine soaks, to help keep infection away and to hydrate her. Since she was so thin we switched her to f/t rats every 7 days. She eats like clock work! She had 3 meals before we weighed , she weighed in at 749 grams that was before she had a bm. She currently weights 864. I'm not sure if this is to much weight to soon or on track.

So my s/o was trying to be helpful and put a sticky gauge in her habit! While we were waiting for the digitals to show up. So then of course she got it stuck on her, I got toilet paper to put on the part that wasn't stuck to her to prevent further damage while I looked up how to get it off! Anyways she beat me to it and it took the skin off. I'd say about a smaller then a nickel size. So then back to the soaks until we got to the vet. By the time we got her to the vet she developed this fluid bubbles. Couple days later they were smaller in size. We got her into the vet, of course she is dehydrated and underweight. Doesn't look infected, said it could of got infected but since they were getting smaller and since she was still acting normal. To keep doing what we doing, except to increase feeding to every 5 days. She has shed twice still in pieces. I was really hopeful that it would be a proper shed with the right humidity and temps. Well actually I've had trouble with humidity since she is on paper towels, but she does have a humid box. We switched substrate to cypress to help with humidity, a spray down every few days and it stays at 65-70. Her heat mat is set at 89. The CHE is at the same. Warm side is 85, cool side 75. I'm thinking I need to move the che over more to the center to raise ambient temp on the cool side. So anyways she has had these fluid bubbles for about 3 weeks now. They have not gone down any more. It appears to be clear fluid. She goes back to the vet the end of next week.

My s/o and my daughter wanted a snake so I started researching different breeds and was debating between a ball and a corn snake. Few weeks later I came across this rough looking snake and thought I could provide a better life, I know I didn't know everything but I had learned the basics from research. My s/o had own a snake many years ago and I had taken care of a green Burmese about 10 years ago. So I truly thought I could do right by this snake and give her a better life. I am now feeling like I have failed her! I have done many hours of research and I can't seem to figure out for sure what's wrong with her. I do feel the couple of ideas, but would

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1Q...L34qFER346kkX2

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1Q...NRaKGkU-89XMx9

https://photos.google.com/album/AF1Q...QQAv-SK50calyg

Sounds like you're doing everything right to get her back in good health. I'm glad to see she made it to a loving and caring home. I don't know anything about the fluid bubbles, I'm sorry I can't help with that but I do hope she gets better soon. You certainly didn't fail her at all, so a little mistake happened but you are definitely taking much, much better care of her than her previous owner. Also, the images you posted aren't showing up, it says "404 - image not found".

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Originally Posted by Valyndris

Sounds like you're doing everything right to get her back in good health. I'm glad to see she made it to a loving and caring home. I don't know anything about the fluid bubbles, I'm sorry I can't help with that but I do hope she gets better soon. You certainly didn't fail her at all, so a little mistake happened but you are definitely taking much, much better care of her than her previous owner. Also, the images you posted aren't showing up, it says "404 - image not found".

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Thank you, I am trying to figure out a different way to share the photo links, google photos did not work for some reason.



https://www.facebook.com/702870391/p...1864828420392/

https://pin.it/oraeoynemahnt6

I know uploading pictures can be a pain, here you go.
https://scontent.fyyz2-1.fna.fbcdn.n...8d&oe=5D713644https://scontent.fyyz2-1.fna.fbcdn.n...3c&oe=5D3EEFD7https://scontent.fyyz2-1.fna.fbcdn.n...ea&oe=5D6D1BAAhttps://scontent.fyyz2-1.fna.fbcdn.n...11&oe=5D3C2F06https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...7cff8f4423.jpg

I’m in a FB group for ball pythons and there was a user there who recently posted about their experience with a malnourished rescue (baby) who developed these fluid pockets. The skin actually ended up breaking open/coming off. They said the snake had very little muscle tone and the parts of the skin with these bubbles felt thin and papery, like an elderly person’s. They had to take her out of her normal enclosure when she went into shed and put her in a shedding tub with only a damp towel so she wouldn’t rip open the wounds, but the last post I saw she was healing and improving. I don’t think they found out for sure what caused it, perhaps just the malnutrition. I hope yours ends up okay, it’s great that she’s getting taken care of.


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There was a thread a few months ago that had the same kind of thing happen. Like same situation about adopting and everything. I remember the skin ripping and had to be taken care of but all seemed good at the end!! Yours looks in way better shape so I hope for the best for your noodle!! U are giving it the best last of her life and hopefully a few more to come! We need more people like u in this world

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Originally Posted by octo_owl

I’m in a FB group for ball pythons and there was a user there who recently posted about their experience with a malnourished rescue (baby) who developed these fluid pockets. The skin actually ended up breaking open/coming off. They said the snake had very little muscle tone and the parts of the skin with these bubbles felt thin and papery, like an elderly person’s. They had to take her out of her normal enclosure when she went into shed and put her in a shedding tub with only a damp towel so she wouldn’t rip open the wounds, but the last post I saw she was healing and improving. I don’t think they found out for sure what caused it, perhaps just the malnutrition. I hope yours ends up okay, it’s great that she’s getting taken care of.


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I'm apart of a few bp groups, which one was it? I'd like to try to find the post. Thanks

I did see the post about Dave and the other about Frost. Their pist do seem similar. I think Dave ended up getting vit c shots or something? Are you talking about either one of those? If you know of a different one I'd like to read the post. Thanks

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Originally Posted by SnakeNovice19

I'm apart of a few bp groups, which one was it? I'd like to try to find the post. Thanks

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It was in Not Just A Pet Rock. I saw you posted in Advancing Herpetological Husbandry, which is the parent group of Not Just a Pet Rock. The user is named Courtney Fox, and her snake is Hera, but if you do a group search with “fluid” it comes up.


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Originally Posted by octo_owl

It was in Not Just A Pet Rock. I saw you posted in Advancing Herpetological Husbandry, which is the parent group of Not Just a Pet Rock. The user is named Courtney Fox, and her snake is Hera, but if you do a group search with “fluid” it comes up.


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Thank you!

Looks almost like a burn due to the redness but it's in an odd place. Plus you said the UTH is on a thermostat.

Malnutrition can cause a condition called slipped skin disease due to the lack of vitamin C. Someone else here had a rescue ball python with it. The skin is paper thin and tears easily so the snake needs to be in a very minimalistic enclosure with nothing its skin can get snagged on until it recovers.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ry-Image-Heavy

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Originally Posted by bcr229

Looks almost like a burn due to the redness but it's in an odd place. Plus you said the UTH is on a thermostat.

Malnutrition can cause a condition called slipped skin disease due to the lack of vitamin C. Someone else here had a rescue ball python with it. The skin is paper thin and tears easily so the snake needs to be in a very minimalistic enclosure with nothing its skin can get snagged on until it recovers.

https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...ry-Image-Heavy

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Yeah there is really no way it could be a burn. There isn't a heating pad on the side.

I have read a few post but nothing really on treatment. As of right now her skin seems good as its not really thin. I did put her back on paper towels because I didn't want the bubbles to be poked with the cypress substrate.

So will she absorb the fluid eventually? Or will the vet need to drain them? I was thinking more the lack of vitamin c because of malnourished she was/is. Or she got over watered from being so dehydrated so possibly renal failure. I'll do some more research of slipped skin disease I didn't look to much into when I came across it because her skin isn't falling off, but that doesn't mean it wont. Thanks

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Originally Posted by SnakeNovice19

... As of right now her skin seems good as its not really thin. I did put her back on paper towels because I didn't want the bubbles to be poked with the cypress substrate.

So will she absorb the fluid eventually? Or will the vet need to drain them? I was thinking more the lack of vitamin c because of malnourished she was/is. Or she got over watered from being so dehydrated so possibly renal failure. I'll do some more research of slipped skin disease I didn't look to much into when I came across it because her skin isn't falling off, but that doesn't mean it wont. Thanks

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I agree w/ bcr229's post above. Snakes that have been chronically starved get very thin-skin that tears open easily. I suspect that the fairly sudden increase of food & water is a challenge for "her" whole body (including renal function). The blisters may break open, & if so, I recommend using Silvadene cream on them (get from vet or search OTC), but don't deliberately break them open "to drain" as the LAST thing she needs is an invitation to infection. Even with early weight gain, just understand that healing for this sweet snake will take a long time...you may have ups & downs (& I'm glad you'll be seeing vet soon too)...stay patient & optimistic, seen others like this recover in time. And"yes" to paper towels for substrate, btw. You could try supplementing her food with reptile or avian vitamins (for f/t prey, put vitamins in oral cavity prior to feeding).

Yeah I would never personally drain them, she is currently set up like quarantine because I didn't want them to pop open and cause more damage. This will be her 2nd trip to the vet, I am anxious to hear his thoughts. We did get to speak with a vet from K-State university and she is concerned about us making a 7-8 HR around trip due to stress on the snake. She said the few cases she has seen were not good out comes. Of course this is based off her not doing an exam. She asked for us to call back tomorrow for further discussion. So I'm hope full about that.

I will get some cream so if/when they come open we will have it on hand!

I have rep-cal herptivite with beta carotene multivitamins. Would this work or do I need something else? How much each feeding?

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Originally Posted by SnakeNovice19

Yeah I would never personally drain them, she is currently set up like quarantine because I didn't want them to pop open and cause more damage. This will be her 2nd trip to the vet, I am anxious to hear his thoughts. We did get to speak with a vet from K-State university and she is concerned about us making a 7-8 HR around trip due to stress on the snake. She said the few cases she has seen were not good out comes. Of course this is based off her not doing an exam. She asked for us to call back tomorrow for further discussion. So I'm hope full about that.

I will get some cream so if/when they come open we will have it on hand!

I have rep-cal herptivite with beta carotene multivitamins. Would this work or do I need something else? How much each feeding?

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When I've supplemented the snakes I've bred, I just used a little bit of powdered vits. -basically what I could fit into the rodents mouth- you'll want to pry the mouth open carefully, use a small tool (tweezers or something) as the teeth are sharp, then push the mouth closed. If you just put the vit. powder on a damp rodent, it changes the way it smells (snake may reject it) & by the time the snake swallows it, much of the powder falls off. If using a liquid vit. you can inject it into the rodent, but the powdered vits. don't dissolve well, they clog the needles. I wouldn't worry about an exact measurement of the vits.- I think a little will be helpful.

There's been a couple members posting on this forum with similar skin issues in rescued BPs...healing is very slow but they've made progress. I hope the fluid gets re-absorbed without breaking the skin. Do keep us posted, would love to know what your vet thinks also. Gosh, that really is a long trip! Best way to
transport is in a cloth bag, secured, then place with padding underneath in styro-foam shipping box or "ice chest", to minimize temp. changes during trip.

Awesome, thank you! I will keep everyone posted. Yes it is a long trip, thank you for transportation idea!

By the way, wedging the ice chest in, or putting a seat-belt around it is also a good idea, so if you have to stop fast, the container with snake doesn't go flying.
Can't trust other drivers not to stop fast or cut you off. Have a safe journey...