Scab on the face

Hello,

New to the forum and to pet snake ownership. I am still learning the terms here so bare with me please. I just bought a beautiful to me blue eyed leucistic ball python. Bought her February 9th with her tank to reduce stress to her new home and let her acclimate for a few days. So after a few days I noticed what I thought was substrate on her nose but after getting a closer look it appears to be a scab. I will try to post a picture so you can let me know what you think. And she is going to shred again soon I assume as her eyes are becoming cloudy. Will the shed fix the issue or make things worse?

Some background on her, have not seen her once on the top screen of her enclosure since I have had her. Her analog temp and humidity guages were bad so I know her humidity has been bad and her temp was not to far off and the proof was her bad shed( in pieces when I got her. Also now that I think about it her top of her nose scales looked kinda dry and wrinkly if that makes any sense. Maybe bad she’s as one of her eyes did not completely shed it seems.

Hi, & welcome. Yes, actually pics would help us to help you. You mention a "screen top" on her enclosure, so I assume she may have scraped her nose on that & caused the scab. When she sheds, the scab will come off but it will do so repeatedly with subsequent sheds, healing better each time. Snakes shed to grow, but also shed more often when healing an injury, fyi.

I don't know how much of a scab it is, not having seen it, but if there's much of a wound- if it seems raw after she sheds, you might want want to pick up some Vetericyn ointment for topical use on snakes- available in pet stores or online sources. Vetericyn is water-based & made for reptiles, so it won't mess up the sheds the way petroleum jelly-based ointments* made for humans can (*such as Neosporin -WITHOUT pain relief ONLY, or polysporin ointments -they can be used very sparingly) but Vetericyn is preferred, OR a little dab of Betadine (aka povidone-iodine) antiseptic.

You'll probably want to cover most of the screen top with something like foil that the air cannot go thru...that will help keep the humidity where you want it- inside for your snake. It's VERY important that each time your snake sheds, you make sure that both of her eye caps & also her tail tip has shed completely; she may need some help from you if not- be very gentle about it, but left on they can cause damage. Eye caps get harder to come off, not easier (try giving her a very damp terry towel to rub against); snakes can lose their tail tip from sheds left on, even after only once or twice- there is very little blood flow in their tail tip to begin with, & shed that stays on actually constricts it so the tissues die, & might need surgical amputation later to prevent infection. So just a little bit of checking can prevent these things.

Snakes aren't hard to live with- but they have their own unique issues you need to know about. Providing the proper temperatures (with heat controlled by a thermostat for safety), enough humidity, and at least 2 hides (one on the warm side & one on the cooler side) will go a long way to keep your beautiful BEL healthy & thriving.

:welcome:

In my experience when you adopt or take in a snake from a previous owner they are often not in the best shape. Owners rehoming their pets are often doing so after not having time for them for a while. If you make sure your husbandry is correct they have great threads on here to help with any and all topics regarding proper BP husbandry I'm sure your new snake will be just fine. One of my best practices is to soak my ball pythons when I notice they will be going into shed soon, I find that helps hydrate them and have a better shed. Congrats on your new companion! :D

I yet don’t have the ability to post pictures yet it seems so I uploaded it to my profile picture and other pictures to my album on here?

i already have some of the vetericyn in a spray and a gel for my other pets but is see they make a specific one for reptiles, is this the one you mean? I’ll get some reptile version and some betadine just to have on hand. I have covered the entire top with high temp foil tape and only left a round hole on top for the basking/uh bout and the infrared heat bulb humidity as 50-60% on hot side and Bout 70-80% on cool side. With the old guages it was showing 55% humidity at all times but in actuality it was 25%! Hence the issues she’s had from previous owner. I got a thermostat coming an Inkbird WiFi version as the non wifi version was hard to use. Likely I just need more schooling on it so I ordered a WiFi version until I can get a Herpstat I believe it’s called. She does have two hides now fake plants an larger lug water dish for he to soak in if need be and a nice piece of wood, and added a jungle background to all sides but the front as he tanks had always been open. I’m much happier she’s more comfortable now.


If im posting pictures wrong tho I am open for suggestions

Pictures: https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...-Post-Pictures

Yes, of course you want to use the Vetericyn ointment made for reptiles. :gj: I know they make all sorts of products for other animals too.

Yeah the owner was moving I a few months, going thru a divorce and was living on military base. And I’m still waiting for her to track down her hubby to provide me the info on the genes of the snake and any other useful information but nothing yet. Asked for me to sell her back the snake in case I didn’t want her. Anymore but that’s. It happening and he was also a bad parrent I think, maybe I’m upset.

soaking her in about 84-85 degree water about half of her height in depth? Does that sound right? And for bowling and how offer? On a side note since i got her she does not feel as dry as she used too :)

I think after seeing the picture that you should have an experienced reptile vet check her out. You can try looking in her mouth yourself, but one issue is that you really don't have a good baseline of what is normal because you are new to snakes, so you aren't going to be able to tell what is abnormal if you open it up and look. Even trying to get her to open up so you can get a good look without injuring her could be challenging if you don't have help and aren't really confident with how much pressure you can apply holding on to her and things.

I worry that she might have necrotic tissue in her mouth that needs to be removed, or that she might need treated for mouth rot. Her face looks a little swollen aside from the very dark scab, which alone could be an indicator of something pretty serious.

I agree with nikkubus ^ ^ ^ on this (a visit to an experienced reptile vet)- her face looks swollen to me as well, & it's hard to know what might be behind that scab- it's not that "tiny" and injuries (& resulting infections) to a snake's face can be rather serious since the head is so involved in various critical life functions (brain, eyes, eating, breathing...).

This might help you find a vet, if you haven't already: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

I’ll try to get a more recent better picture, that picture was about 2 weeks ago. That link for a vet was helpful thank you very much. The vet I take my cats too was on that list which is lucky as they aren’t accepting new customers or what not due to the whole covid thing, most aren’t around here I’ve heard.

I’ll make a call to the vet tomorrow and describe to them what you guys have mentioned. Swollen face, possible mouth rot and a concerning scab. Is there anything you recommend I do in the meantime? I’m not sure how soon I can get in to the vet.

Do you guys think it might be from pushing on the tank? According to my girl she remembers it pushing around the glass and screen top the first day we had her so maybe the swelling and scab is from that? She has not done it with me since the changes to the tank with background paper all 3 sides minus the front, foil tape on the top and a few fake plants and a large piece of wood. Maybe it’s wishful thinking her bad tank setup from her old owner is at fault.

Sorry for the huge ramble I’m just really hoping it’s not something that she dies from
While waiting to see the vet. She has been eating and is due tomorrow for another feeding that maybe I should postpone until the vet visit ? Ok my rant is over. I do appreciate everyone who has replied.

Thank you


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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...1cb8b9a115.jpgfigures out how to post a picture.... I think. Taken Sunday the 21st


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Crossing my fingers for you that there isn't a really long wait for appointments at your vet, I know that has been a huge issue with covid. It could be something moderately easy to fix, you just can't know till you get an experienced vet to take a look so you really have to play it safe.

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Originally Posted by aa_ezra

I’ll try to get a more recent better picture, that picture was about 2 weeks ago. That link for a vet was helpful thank you very much. The vet I take my cats too was on that list which is lucky as they aren’t accepting new customers or what not due to the whole covid thing, most aren’t around here I’ve heard.

I’ll make a call to the vet tomorrow and describe to them what you guys have mentioned. Swollen face, possible mouth rot and a concerning scab. Is there anything you recommend I do in the meantime? I’m not sure how soon I can get in to the vet.

Do you guys think it might be from pushing on the tank? According to my girl she remembers it pushing around the glass and screen top the first day we had her so maybe the swelling and scab is from that? She has not done it with me since the changes to the tank with background paper all 3 sides minus the front, foil tape on the top and a few fake plants and a large piece of wood. Maybe it’s wishful thinking her bad tank setup from her old owner is at fault.

Sorry for the huge ramble I’m just really hoping it’s not something that she dies from
While waiting to see the vet. She has been eating and is due tomorrow for another feeding that maybe I should postpone until the vet visit ? Ok my rant is over. I do appreciate everyone who has replied.

Thank you


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I meant to mention- that's exactly what it looks to me like it's from- pushing on the top or wherever the "way out" of the tank is (some have front sliding doors). What I would do is email the photo to the vet to see how urgent they think it is. I wouldn't exactly say this is an emergency - but if you aren't comfortable opening her mouth or know what you're looking for when you do, she should be seen before too long, so that if there's an infection going on it doesn't have time to get worse & harder to treat. Some snakes that push on their faces end up with an abscess that has to be surgically removed, & that is no fun at all, more expensive too. It sounds like the modifications you made to her home probably fixed the issue- I hope so, as some snakes are really stubborn about pushing, & their reasons for doing so might include wrong temperatures (usually excessive heat), hunger, mating drive, need for more space, bright lights (snakes hate 'em), or plain old curiosity, etc.

Feeding schedules are entirely human concerns, your snake can wait to eat if you're going to the vet (or might be) anytime soon, but I would speak to them first & schedule her meal so it's well-before (optimally a week) or after her visit. She may likely be stressed after the visit, & may need a few days to settle down- our snakes really don't understand these things. Also, if she is prescribed medication, that may affect how she feels (she might not feel like eating for a while), & some treatments definitely don't enhance a snake's appetite. So it probably would be best to get her fed prior to seeing the vet- in case she doesn't have a meal for a while after the appointment. That's cool that your vet is on the list.

Ok so my vet is not accepting new patients but since I have been active last 3 years I was accepted the office tried for Friday if there were any cancelations but the soonest I could get in with them was Tuesday march 2nd. Have them weight length and the diagnosis you guys thought it might be. Today is her feeding day so I think I’ll feed her as I would assume 5 days time she will be good to go. Would it be good insurance to have her fed before the visit that way she has energy to manage whatever medications she might go thru?

Here are some picture as of today. Scab has not changed but her nose seems smaller and those pics were not the besthttps://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...a0e498f5d4.jpg


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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...0797e466f9.jpg


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https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...f642419b92.jpg
Look better you think?


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Not much facial swelling now, if any- it does seem better to me too, at least on the "outside"- hopefully not a mouth infection going on though. Yes, 5 days is fine, I'd feed her now, it's a good sign she wants to eat also- best to keep up her energy. She looks pretty healthy overall. Just a good idea to get her mouth (inside) checked, IMO- glad you got an appointment. :gj:

Vet offices aren't all the same- I just had my elderly dog at the vet today, & she's quite busy. But I don't blame anyone for caution, no one needs to catch COVID. ;)

I would agree, the swelling seems to have gone down. That is a great sign. March 2nd is a reasonable time frame in my opinion for her to get checked. I would also agree she should be okay to eat, 5 days is a good enough gap.

Thanks, makes me feel a little better and not just imagining the swelling is gone. She has been eating every week since I’ve had her and I’ve had her 3 weeks so I was hoping her eating every week was a healthy sign. And within the last week ( 5 days) she made 2 poops with Urates as under the poops was wet. The poops were half green/white about 4 days apart give or take a day.

Glad you guys think she looks healthy I thought she looked a little under weight.


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It's hard to judge a snake's weight when they're coiled up, but from what I can see she looks fine. Be careful what snakes you're comparing her to, as some people over-feed their snakes too.

Maybe this will help you judge her weight better:
https://reptifiles.com/ball-python-c...ealth/obesity/

Since you've only had her for 3 weeks & you're going to the vet anyway, I'd suggest taking a fresh stool sample with you if at all possible, so they can check for parasites. That would be one cause of a snake being underweight, because they're involuntarily sharing their food, & if your snake has ever eaten live or fresh-killed rodents, she could be harboring intestinal worms. Not saying she is, just saying it's easy to check for in their stool, & easy to eliminate the problem if it exists.

She was being fed once every two weeks frozen attic medium rats from Petsmart.......

Good news and bad news. Good news I’m a super proud papa... I just found a cat sized poop all brown and her shed skin stuck to the big poop and man did it stink! I found this cleaning just now preparing to feed her, and boy was she ready to eat!

Bad news I just tossed the poop with substrate. If I have to go dig it out of the trash I will but will it keep for 5 days and how should I store it? Can I look for obvious parasites myself and will the said parisites she may have stay alive long enough? If so I’m going trash digging.

Thanks

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Originally Posted by aa_ezra

She was being fed once every two weeks frozen attic medium rats from Petsmart.......

Good news and bad news. Good news I’m a super proud papa... I just found a cat sized poop all brown and her shed skin stuck to the big poop and man did it stink! I found this cleaning just now preparing to feed her, and boy was she ready to eat!

Bad news I just tossed the poop with substrate. If I have to go dig it out of the trash I will but will it keep for 5 days and how should I store it? Can I look for obvious parasites myself and will the said parisites she may have stay alive long enough? If so I’m going trash digging.

Thanks

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Hello. Late to the thread.

1. Good sign she's eating.

2. I agree that a vet makes sense.

3. To the best of my knowledge, poop samples are good for about 24 hours +/- to be able to see all possible parasites, bacteria, etc. There is a little flexibility, but not 5 days worth.

Absolutely no need to go trash digging!

Welcome to the forum and let us know if you need help with anything else. Also, please let us know what the vet says.

:rofl: "Congratulations" but go ahead & toss it, unless you're so proud you're going to have it bronzed...? It needs to be fresh (!) for the vet to test, so if you don't get another pile at the right time, ask if you can drop it off as it "becomes available".

BTW, how old is this snake? (or how big, if you don't know her hatch-day?)

You won't likely be able to see anything with the "naked eye"- you need to know what to look for & the right equipment to see it. Best left to the pro's.

Funny how the act of shedding "inspires" some snakes- & some leave it all neatly inside their shed skin! I wish they'd all do that, lol.

Already went trash digging lol. I tossed it back after reading the post


I was told by the previous owner that she was 2 years old. Her weight was 385 grams on feb 11th and 24-27” long, best I could as I just started handling her. I’ll try again today see what measurements I get

Got a good look at her today, she’s super baby smooth. Face swelling looks gone..... and the scab is also gone. I though she had it after the shed but I guess it fell off. What do you guys think? And no stuck shed on top of tail and the stuck shed she’s had on little thorn things by her butt... all gone.

Te measures shes 30”https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/202...4df9d7a49e.jpg


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She looks so much better! That's really good news. I'd still have her looked at just to be safe to really see inside her mouth but it makes me feel a lot better that she is already looking so much better.

Agree with ^ ^ ^ :gj:

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Originally Posted by aa_ezra

...and the stuck shed she’s had on little thorn things by her butt... all gone.

Te measures shes 30”https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...4df9d7a49e.jpg


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She really looks wonderful now- btw, those "little thorn things by her butt" are called "spurs". It would still be a good idea to have the inside of her mouth checked, but it's a really good sign that the scab disappeared with this shed. Living with you seems to agree with her. ;)

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Originally Posted by aa_ezra

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soaking her in about 84-85 degree water about half of her height in depth? Does that sound right? And for bowling and how offer? ...

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Don't think I answered this one- that's a "yes" for how to soak, but keep in mind the lack of traction is stressful, so avoid soaking unless it's really needed for a stuck shed. A nice damp towel often works just as well without being so scary for them.

And just because they're called "ball pythons" doesn't mean you're supposed to go "bowling" with them! :rofl:No wonder she had a scab on her nose...:D

Back from the vet. Snake is healthy, nothing was found in the mouth, scab he figure wash from pushing on the glass and I think so too.

BUT! The biggest upset is that she...... is a he so, I guess I got a male and the previous owner was sure it was female.... either the lied, didn’t know, checked themselves or the online vendors they bought it from was wrong.

I’m glad I know the sex but that means if i wanted to breed the snake( maybe) I’m 3 years behind :/... but at least he is healthy and I’ll get over that it’s not a female in time.

:gj: I'm really glad you got her/his mouth checked. Gender mistakes do happen- sometimes on purpose, but not always. At least he's verified healthy now.

Oh goodness. Probably an accident not popping correctly but who knows. Glad he has a good bill of health!

If you aren't even sure you want to breed him, you aren't really "behind" :P take your time. He has many, many good breeding years left in him.

Yeah I’m over it now lol. But I would like little white baby snakes. But still dunno what’s genes he has. Vet office loved him tho. Vet has a pie bald I think you call it

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Originally Posted by aa_ezra

Yeah I’m over it now lol. But I would like little white baby snakes. But still dunno what’s genes he has. Vet office loved him tho. Vet has a pie bald I think you call it

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Well isn't this your first -& only- snake? So you still need another one anyway- he's just got a head start. Genes might be a problem though, as far as what traits might be "hiding"; if the source got the gender wrong, I don't think I'd bet on anything they might have said about his genetics. But he's a pretty nice BP no matter what, IMO.

True I agree with you there. The white skin and blue eyes is pretty cool. Really let’s you see the snakes eyes and them moving around. Kinda like cat eyes. Wide when it’s dark and very small when light is out.

He now weighs 560grams from 385. So she has gained 175 grams in 21 days, but her food guess does not count right? So minus 100grams for the rat give or take a few grams of that’s 75 grams. Seems good right?


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by aa_ezra

He now weighs 560grams from 385. So she has gained 175 grams in 21 days, but her food guess does not count right? So minus 100grams for the rat give or take a few grams of that’s 75 grams. Seems good right?


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Best to weight them "empty" (after they take a dump after latest meal). The weight of the meal being digested gives an inaccurate weight (too high), because some of that "gain" is waste, or will be, but not all. ;) (you keep flipping genders, lol...hard to break that habit, I know)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by aa_ezra

He now weighs 560grams from 385. So she has gained 175 grams in 21 days, but her food guess does not count right? So minus 100grams for the rat give or take a few grams of that’s 75 grams. Seems good right?

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I would hope that a lot less than 100g of that is food. Weaned rat at 30-49g should be the correct size, maybe a small if he was >500 empty. Seems like a little more weight gain than I would want in 21 days at that size. If it were actually 75g of gain, that would pretty much be right on target but the recent meal was a little too big if that is the case.