wierd shed

ok my bp shed in pieces . . . then after a couple of pieces came off his eyes clouded up and his skin became really dull. now along his spine a strip of scales has peeled off and another patch has dried out like the other scales did before the scales peeled off. i have been soaking him for about an hour a day in lukewarm water. what can i do he is going to the vet thursday but i don't think the vet will tell ma to do anything other than what i have been doing plz lemme know what this is or if any one else has had this happen

here's some pics
the first is the body shot note the dullness in the scales on the left side of the picture these were shed before his eyes clouded up
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/100_0814.jpg
this pic is of the belly scales on that dull section
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/100_0813.jpg
and this pic is of the scales that have just plain come off
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/100_0810.jpg
lemme know what the fuzz is goin' on here cause i'm racked

Yikes that looks scary!

I can only guess.... but to me that place where you say the scales have come off looks like maybe something scraped the snake? Snakes do rub up against stuff when shedding... is it possible there is something sharp in the enclosure or elsewhere the snake could have come in contact that could cause that if the rubbed against it hard enough? Dunno if that would explain the other places though...

actually he shed the skin there and it dried out overnight and peeled it looked fine at first and then it just shriveled

Hi,

I think you're right to have made an appointment at a qualified herp vet. I would go so far as to email him those photographs as I really, really, don't think that is a shedding issue at all.:(

The underside has marks on it and, while its hard to see and impossible to be certain over the internet, I think it looks similar to scale rot. It might just be staining but coupled to that mark on the back I would want it checked if he was mine.

The bit on the back looks like an old wound (as can be seen from the scarring) has re-opened or the skin (which tends to be thinner and more delicate in these areas for ages afterwards) has got damaged in some other way.

Hope he's ok and let us know what the vet says if you can.



dr del

I don't think this is a normal shed at all. It looks like your snake is developing some serious scale rot, or a burn.

The scales that are discolored, are they chipping at all? Peeling and shriveling?

Please get him to a qualified herp vet ASAP.

Call the vet's office and see if they advise giving peroxide baths (half peroxide, half warm water) to clean up any bacteria.

In the meantime, get him on paper or paper towels, just the bare necessities. Also, check and make sure your UTH isn't too hot or broken.

Let us know how it goes.

Just an advisory.. Peroxide actually damages healing tissue and isn't recommended for anything more than getting blood out of clothes really.. It isn't a disinfectant, IMHO.

Either betadine soaks or chlorhexidine soaks, and possibly some neosporin on that belly. Looks like he has some belly rot going on.

How is he housed?? I can't say that's ever happened to any of mine.

I've heard to use alcohol, peroxide, betadine, chlorhexidine gluconate, almost any type of antiseptic. It's good to know peroxide isn't all that effective.

Did you figure out how those scales came off of his spine?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by SatanicIntention

JPeroxide actually damages healing tissue and isn't recommended for anything more than getting blood out of clothes really.. It isn't a disinfectant, IMHO.

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I'm so glad to hear you say that. I'd heard that probably about 10 years ago that it had been decided that peroxide usually killed just as much healthy tissue as it killed germs and so it was no longer considered appropriate to use it as a first aid disinfectant type thing on open wounds. Also, killing the tissues that are trying to heal will lead to extra scarring.

But it seems like every one from the school nurse to the first aid station at an amusement park to the doctor in the emergency room have still wanted to use it to disinfect various cuts & scrapes my kids have gotten. So what's up with that? Is it still considered good to use or not?

i use peroxide on my own cuts that i get then neosporin over it and ive heard about the scar tissue thing too but to tell you the truth i havent noticed it.

It's fine to use to get actual dirt out of a wound, but any hydrotherapy(squirting water into a wound) will clean that out easily. It's not fine to use in an already healing wound, as it does not discern between dead tissue or live tissue and will kill both.

Personally, soaking in plain saline will keep the area clean and help prevent infection. I just finished treating a friend's dwarf female rat for an abscess on her cheek by just flushing the wound with saline and keeping it open to air.

I've flushed wounds with chlorhexidine and betadine(not at the same time) and they are actually disinfectants and prevent bacterial/fungal growth. Peroxide.. will not.. Though it will get blood out of clothing like nobody's business! ;)

Schools in the state that I work in our now NOT allowed to treat with peroxide.

oi ok slow down lemme do this one at a time dr del the appointment is tomorrow and the office is closed for the night
littleindian whatever no peroxide in the house and neosporin is in shortsupply he is getting soaks for about an hour a day in lukewarm water
satanic he is on newspaper the uths are on low so they are probably about 70 degrees F. i know how this happened he shed a few pieces namely where it looks bad the skin got very moist despite me toweling him off, i soak them when their eyes cloud. the next day he looked like that and his eyes clouded and he shed out two days ago, except where it looks bad now the skin is very dry.

oh wow.. i thought that white patch in the last pic was a glare from the camera flash until i figured it out.. get to a vet asap

You have extremely poor husbandry, which is the main problem. That's obviously much more than a "bad" shed.

You say Neosporin is in short supply, does that mean that you have some? If so, use it!

Stop soaking him everyday. Did you soak him before he shed? If you did, that has the potential to hurt his shed process.

Why are they "PROBABLY" on 70 degrees? That's very cold. I'm assuming that's the warm side, I don't even want to know what the cooler side is. Probably? You have a UTH and no thermometer? That long scale peel is probably a burn.

Your poor snake.

do me a favor, shut up. i don't need some one to come in here a criticize me with out posting a way of remeding the problem. the uths, plural: two, one on each side, are warmer than 70 degrees they keep the tank at an ambiant temp of 70 that is the cold side for the warm side i have a heat lamp aimed at a ceramic hide. the hide can be used as a basking spot and the heat warms the inside of the hide as well. lemme re-iterate the strip of missing scales is not a burn the scales simply dried out too much and peeled off. going to the vet today will post what she says l8r.

ok upon reviewing the weather report for stl i found that i have to reschedule the appointment on account of all the snow

Quote:

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Originally Posted by serpents-prey

do me a favor, shut up. i don't need some one to come in here a criticize me with out posting a way of remeding the problem.

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He did give some ideas to remedy the problem. Actually, pretty much his whole post was a bunch of suggestions.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bender29

You say Neosporin is in short supply, does that mean that you have some? If so, use it!

Stop soaking him everyday. Did you soak him before he shed? If you did, that has the potential to hurt his shed process.

Why are they "PROBABLY" on 70 degrees? That's very cold. I'm assuming that's the warm side, I don't even want to know what the cooler side is. Probably? You have a UTH and no thermometer? That long scale peel is probably a burn.

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I think it is very odd that this happened over a bad shed, but we will wait for an answer from the Herp Vet.

I agree with Connie, that post was full of recommendations. Admittedly some of them were more implied than said outright, but they were definitely there.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bender29

You have extremely poor husbandry, which is the main problem.

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Translation: Fix your husbandry!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bender29

That's obviously much more than a "bad" shed.

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Translation: Stop assuming this is just a shedding problem, because lots of knowledgable and experienced people are telling you that it isn't. Instead, find out what the real problem is.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bender29

You say Neosporin is in short supply, does that mean that you have some? If so, use it!

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Translation: Use the neosporin!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bender29

Stop soaking him everyday. Did you soak him before he shed? If you did, that has the potential to hurt his shed process.

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Translation: Stop soaking him everyday. Don't ever soak him before he sheds, as that can make things worse.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bender29

Why are they "PROBABLY" on 70 degrees? That's very cold. I'm assuming that's the warm side, I don't even want to know what the cooler side is.

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Translation: 70 degrees is WAY too cold for any part of the enclosure.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bender29

Probably? You have a UTH and no thermometer?

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Translation: You should know exactly what your temps are. Get a thermometer.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bender29

That long scale peel is probably a burn.

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Translation: Stop assuming this is just a shedding problem, it looks much worse than just a bad shed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by bender29

Your poor snake.

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Translation: Your poor snake.

We are all just worried about your snake. Please take the advice that you are being given, and that you asked for. Advice isn't always what you want to hear.

Hopefully you'll be able to get to the vet tomorrow. Please let us know what you find out.

yeah i'm sorry but its getting pretty bad here and the appointment is at 5:00 i am going to reschudule the appointment for next weeks tuesday at 6:00 there is just too much snow coming in we have neosporin but i do not know where it is will triple antibiotic salve work?
and i know this is not a shedding problem but it started with his shed. i have him on newspaper should i put him on paper towels? he has two uths under his tank they both get warm to the touch with out being too hot and one is set lower than the other for exp one is set to low one is set to medium.
is there any thing i can put in to raise humidity? and my collection has mites so could the spray have caused this? could mites have caused this? what is causing this? i need some answers.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by serpents-prey

i need some answers.

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I'm somewhat speechless, but I'll do my best to give you what answers can be given under the circumstances.

The easy one: Newspaper is fine. No need to change it unless it's dirty...in which case fresh newspaper is still fine. Paper towels are fine, too. Whatever you prefer.

As for the rest...nobody can tell you how to fix your temps if you don't even know what they are. If you can't get out of the house to keep an established vet appt...then I'm going to assume you can't get out of the house to go buy a thermometer, either. But if you have ANY sort of digital thermometer, or even those little sticky dials ....anything...that can give you an idea of what the temps in your cage are...you need to USE them. If you have any of those old sticky dials...just lay 'em right on the paper under or near the hides...leave 'em for awhile, and then check to see what they say. Hopefully they won't be tooo far off the mark.

Especially for a sick snake, you need to get those temps UP...and yet ensure that the surface he is lying on is not hot enough to burn. You really need to have the entire tank warmed up to 80-85 degrees, with a warmer spot in the low 90s.

Right at this moment, humidity is not your most serious concern. Soaking the snake or wetting down the bedding in an attempt to increase the humidity are only going to make things worse.

The triple-antibiotic should be fine, so long as it doesn't have any pain reliever added to it.

I've never heard of mite spray causing this sort of damage. You don't say exactly what you used, so no one can really even guess what you might have done with it.

I've also never heard of mites causing anything that looks like what you've shown in the pictures...but if the infestation is severe enough, they CAN make a snake very, very sick and eventually kill it. So maybe they can also contribute to a weakened immune system that would lead to the scale rot and a thinning of the skin.... :confuzd:

I'm just guessing....and really, that's all any of us here can do at this point. Even if we had a vet on staff here, he/she could only guess at what's going on without actually seeing the snake in person.

We can't fix the severe husbandry issues over the Internet, either. All we can do is point them out and do our best to offer ideas for at least finding a temporary fix. It's YOUR snake and your responsibility to use your own brain to figure out how to apply the advice you've been given or come up with your own ideas if all of ours get shot down for whatever reasons you can come up with.

Hi,

I would probably use paper towels yes. (only because it might be easier to see any discharge compared to newspaper)

I don't know enough to advise you on the triple anti-bac - does it have painkiller in it?

Low and medium don't really tell us anything - stick a decent digital thermometer on both and let it sit for 30 minutes or so for the readings to stabilise if you can.

I'm also not sure if you should be trying to raise humidity or lower it. :(

Did you send these pictures to your vet? Could you ask their advice on the phone?

The last set of answers are really best left to a qualified vet who has actually examined the animal if I'm honest.

One question on the white looking wound on his back if I may - are the edges of the scaled area "rolled up" looking or are all the scales flat and then it just stops having scales?

The reason I ask is I've seen a snake where the skin had split and it looked an awfull lot like that but I can't actually tell for certain from the photo's.

**edit**

Doh old slowfingers McKilty was beaten to the punch again :(

**end edit**



dr del

Quick questions from me. When the snake had stuck shed, while you were doing all this soaking and so forth....did you peel any stuck shed off manually i.e. pick at the shed when it was dry on the snake? Did you apply any ointment to this snake's skin that we aren't aware of? Do you use any overhead lighting with this snake?

Even if you cannot get out to see your vet, considering a winter storm and so forth, you can certainly phone the vet, email those pictures right over and at the very least discuss and get advice on supportive home care until the storm passes. Your snake deserves this effort from you.

You've also been given very specific help regarding your husbandry, I'd suggest you attend to that as soon as possible before anything gets worse.

ok lets see, JLC i have the sticky dial things and they're on the glass my mistake have a humidity thing and it reads 70 at the top. i will move those after this post and repost later the triple antibiotic salve has no painkillers. the spray for mites is called reptile relief and say kills mites on contact as a precaution i have stopped using this spray until i hear otherwise. Dr. Del let me take another look at him and get back to you. the scales looked flat and fused before they came off. Franky no i didn't pick at the skin but i noticed that there was a spot about the size of a dime that was shed and looked like he was shedding so i placed him back in the tank with a few rocks placed together to help him shed and when i came back the next day to handle him he looked like that and the scales were "sweating" and humid despite me drying him he was also cold despite sitting on the uth and he was only cold in certain spots. hope this helps.
saturday is the earliest i can get out to get a digital thermometer and other stuff. i will repost later

Dr.del he is entering another shed and the scales are rounded the there's nothing the vets have no way of recieving photos and he is never there when i am home to talk to him

Hi,

If the edges are rounded then I am leaning more towards your snakes skin having split wide open - in all honesty that isn't something i'd be willing to leave till tuesday next week as the chances of infection are very very high. :(

Also the longer it goes without being fixed back together the more problems it will likely cause as the edges shrivel and die back.

I can't beleive a vet in this day and age wouldn't have acess to email either at work or home. :weirdface

Looking at your previous posts I don't think the scales were "sweating" but more probably "oozing".

I would also try and phone from work or whatever because if he basically has an open wound like that and an infection in his belly time is not exactly on your side.


dr del

well the skin didn't split a strip of scales came off just off no spliting involved.
gotta go get the reading on the temp in hide. ok temps are 86 degrees in warm side hide and 80 on cool side should i lower the cool side? and humidity needs to rise its at 50%
as i have said the scales peeled off in my hand i was handling him and it just came off.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by serpents-prey

do me a favor, shut up. i don't need some one to come in here a criticize me with out posting a way of remeding the problem. the uths, plural: two, one on each side, are warmer than 70 degrees they keep the tank at an ambiant temp of 70 that is the cold side for the warm side i have a heat lamp aimed at a ceramic hide. the hide can be used as a basking spot and the heat warms the inside of the hide as well. lemme re-iterate the strip of missing scales is not a burn the scales simply dried out too much and peeled off. going to the vet today will post what she says l8r.

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Wow.

Thanks for the leaving the negative reputation on top of it. Your maturity shines throughout your thread. Moving on... for your snakes sake...

You said that the UTH's themselves were at 70 degrees, which is why I stated that they are way too cold. I didn't realize you had two. You weren't specific in your previous posts.

Regardless, you need to get a digital thermometer showing you what the temps are. Do you (or your father) happen to have a temp gun?

That's ashame that you aren't able to make it to the vet. I'd try to deal with this sooner rather than later.

And I'm sorry that you weren't able to see my solutions to some of your problems. I'll try to bold, italicize, and underline them next time.

Regardless, best of luck to your snake. Hopefully he makes it out of this.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by serpents-prey

well the skin didn't split a strip of scales came off just off no spliting involved.
gotta go get the reading on the temp in hide. ok temps are 86 degrees in warm side hide and 80 on cool side should i lower the cool side? and humidity needs to rise its at 50%
as i have said the scales peeled off in my hand i was handling him and it just came off.

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No, leave the temps alone. The warm side could be higher, but they aren't that far off. Your humidity is fine at 50%.

Did they individually come off or was it like a full strip of scales/fat? Do you still have the strip? Are the other scales around the area loose?

I'd say you should use white paper towels as you could easily notice if he starts bleeding from his wound. I'd take out any sharp objects in the terrarium.

The rocks that you put in, were they decently sharp/rough? If your snake has a mite problem, he could have "rubbed" his skin off due to extreme irritation.

ok i apologise i just do not need people coming off as abrasive. about your question the scale came off yes i have a piece left i think no fat on it. the stones are sandstone maybe not sandstone but abrasive enough to help with shedding. i was estimating the temp of the uth's because i had the thermometer at the top of the tank. yes my father has a temp gun. we are going to walmart saturday to pick up a digital thermometer. we will have to pick up paper towels because all my father has is mechanic cloth and thats blue and greasy.
i will try to get ahold of the vet tomorrow and find out if i can email him pictures.
i think getting a boa this summer just went down the drain. oh well there's always next year. i will try to get better pics of the spot on his back

ok have more pics and am uploading now
first this is the tank he is in its a 55 gal. tank
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/100_0815.jpg
i got one allbeit bad pic of him but my cam batteries are low
http://i196.photobucket.com/albums/a...s/100_0821.jpg
like i said its snowing here and bad i will try to contact the vet tomorrow and send pics but i can't leave the house before 4:00 pm when my mom gets home

does the wounded area appear to be oozing pinkish fluid? is it puffy around the wound or does it appear as if there are pockets of fluid close to or around it? those are signs of infection, which can go systemic quickly. a systemic infection is serious and can be fatal if not treated asap by a qualified vet (and even then, the snake might not be able to pull through).

The care of this animal is your responsibility, regardless of the weather or any other factor. do whatever it takes to get your snake to the vet first thing tomorrow. in the mean time, remove the rocks and anything with rough edges, do not soak the snake and use the triple antibiotic ointment on his belly and back (apply gently!).

'mkay first no there are no fluids in or around the spot second it does not have pockets of fluid third and probably most important is that this is my brother's snake but seeing as to how its in my room i take care of it. the vet is a thirty minute drive away and if the snow keeps up i won't be able to get to the vet. i will try to contact the vet tomorrow and let him know all the facts about my husbandry and will attempt to email some pictures to him. right now he is out of the office and is not scheduled to be back in the office until noon tomorrow. the soaking has been stopped and i need to know how often to apply trip-ab salve and how much. i will remove the rocks asap but he is starting to shed again
also i said the appointment is tuesday at six it is actually wednesday

call me crazy, but if this were my snakie, I'd be driving to the vet with the heater on full blast, and maybe even a hand warmer (that you can buy at almost any gas station).
I couldn't bear the thought that I might lose one of my babies.
I know a 30 minute drive in snow is a risk, but so is continually
rescheduling his appointment.

Good luck, and please, keep posting updates.

well i was not able to get ahold of the vet to email him about tank. apparently no one in the office knows his email and he himself is not there.

as for the vet thing this may sound selfish but i have done the best i can and he will have to wait a few days though i can't imagine the there is anything the vet will tell me to do other than wait for him to shed it out and apply tri-ab salve to it. if it shows signs of being infected i will take him in for an emergency vet appointment but right now i can't afford it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by serpents-prey

infected i will take him in for an emergency vet appointment but right now i can't afford it.

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It sounds like you can't afford a pet snake, then. I'm sure your intentions are in the right place, but the responsibility of an owner extends beyond the cost of the snake, food, and shelter. If you are unable to afford the proper care and medical treatment for your pets, you should wait until you can before you get one.

ok i didn't say i couldn't afford to keep the snake but my money is tight enough as is the medical treatment for this will not be more than what i'm already doing please don't tell me things like this as i will neither take it sitting down or keep my mood in check

If you think you'd be doing yourself a favor by losing your temper, by all means, go for it. The simple matter of fact is if you can't pay to take care of an animal and get it medical treatment when needed, regardless if it's planned or not, you shouldnt be keeping said animal.

Emergencies are never planned, and rarely are vet visits.

ok well the simple fact of the matter is i can neither obtain a visit today nor tommorow as the exotics vet is not there. he will have time to see my snake wednesday his is the only time he is in and my mother can drive me understand this i would love to go but i simply can't call me a bad owner i don't care but i am trying

You change your story so much. First it was due to the snow. Second you just couldn't afford it. Now the vet is simply "not there."

I honestly feel incredibly bad for your ball python.

I'm sure I'm going to get another negative rep from you, but oh well... Someone needs to call you out.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by serpents-prey

ok i didn't say i couldn't afford to keep the snake but my money is tight enough as is the medical treatment for this will not be more than what i'm already doing please don't tell me things like this as i will neither take it sitting down or keep my mood in check

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You do realize you're the one in seek of help... Why are you giving so much lip to respected members of this forum, who are only trying to help you?

No one here can force you to take the advice, but moderators can force you to control yourself when you get out of hand. Try to keep your threats to yourself as the members here aren't going to put up with your BS.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by serpents-prey

ok i apologise i just do not need people coming off as abrasive. about your question the scale came off yes i have a piece left i think no fat on it. the stones are sandstone maybe not sandstone but abrasive enough to help with shedding. i was estimating the temp of the uth's because i had the thermometer at the top of the tank. yes my father has a temp gun. we are going to walmart saturday to pick up a digital thermometer. we will have to pick up paper towels because all my father has is mechanic cloth and thats blue and greasy.
i will try to get ahold of the vet tomorrow and find out if i can email him pictures.
i think getting a boa this summer just went down the drain. oh well there's always next year. i will try to get better pics of the spot on his back

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Take the stones out of the cage. Measure the ground temperatures with your dad's temp gun and see if they are in the proper ranges.

ok first the story hasn't changed we rescheduled because of snow then because of people telling me to take him in immediatley which would caost more than i currently have i said i could not afford to take them today and the vet honestly is not there do you live in stl? i don't think so or you would know that we got almost a foot of snow and couldn't get or car out you want to call me out fine but get your facts straight first!

moving away from my finacial situation i still need to know how much trip-ab salve to apply and how often also my temps are still in the 83-86 mark 86 in the hide and 83 on the cold side.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by serpents-prey

ok i didn't say i couldn't afford to keep the snake but my money is tight enough as is the medical treatment for this will not be more than what i'm already doing please don't tell me things like this as i will neither take it sitting down or keep my mood in check

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Actually, yes, you will keep your mood in check, especially when speaking to a member of the staff. Part of pet ownership INCLUDES veterinary care. Anyone who keeps a pet should be have money set aside for emergencies.

ok fine i'm changing the topic i need suggestions aside from immediate veterinarian care as this is currently unavailable i don't want comments about my financial situation just suggestions about my snake

You've got three pages of recommendations. And the vet recommendation still stands as well. I don't think a single participant in this thread would NOT be taking your animal to the vet if it belonged to them, myself included.

For the neosporin, just put a light layer on once a day just on the wound.

i personally wouldnt be rude to everyone thats tryin to help U out with UR situation.... U wanted people to help u and they did, and u get mad cause it wasnt what u wanted to hear ???

i have read this topic over twice now, and everyone is tellin u the same things over and over again and yet u still fail to hear them.... no im no expert on this and im still learnin myself... but everything that i have ever asked, they answered.... and if they are more complex questions, they will tell u to go to the vet....

thats just my 2 cents :2cent:

ok i have explained the vet thing if it is still unclear let me restate it I CAN NOT GO TO THE VET TODAY!!! i will try to goto the on wednesday i am trying to go to the vet. i am believe me i want to goto the vet but for now i have to take care of the snake until my appointment comes up i am working on your suggestions and tomorrow i will go to walmart and pick up a digital thermometer and paper towels but for now all i can do is wait

lemme explain my financial sit i am a horse shower i take english lessons which just went up to $30 a week i spend over $120 a month on lessons and that is my allowance. I am not about to give up my lessons to take my bp to the vet once a month. and to be honest i don't care if you think bad of me for it true i would have that much more money a month but that's about the only time i get out of the house




know what actually i am going to stop posting in this thread until my vet visit just because i have obtained about all of the information i can for right now

I have also been reading and rereading this post and would just like to add that the advice you've been given.. I second. Nothing we can say can change what has happened, but it was necessary to point out that your husbandry issues were what caused the problem. Nobody is blaming you for this, they are trying to help you fix the problem and prevent further issues. The only thing anybody will blame you for is if you don't correct these problems or try to properly care for your pet.

I understand you are young and rely on your parents for a lot of things, including getting to the vet and the store etc. I will just add that snow has never been an issue for me in any emergency and I lived in Wisconsin for several years. 12' of snow would not cause issues unless we happened to not have any shovels, winter wear, or roads.

I found a cat that was nearly frozen to death and I walked the 6 miles through a blizzard to get to the vet office. I realize you may be limited but nothing is impossible, you could get to the vet if you really wanted to and had the assistance and support of your parents. I do realize that sadly, the pets of the children are not as high a priority to the parents as they are to the children sometimes. I do question the ability to get to the store and not the vets office, though. Most vets will make time if they understand the problem is serious, they don't want your pet to die any more than you do.

We are not trying to 'pick on' you, though I know it can feel that way sometimes when people are critiquing you, your husbandry skills, and other aspects of your life, living, and the animals you keep.

I'm no expert with BPs, but I have many years of animal care, including reptiles (beardies, wild caught local lizards, cornsnake) and working in various pet shops/stores, being around people that care for these animals and my months of research, reading, and talking to people who own them, herp vets etc. This is just how I see it after reading this post for the past couple of days and seeing the picts of your poor BP.