Just when I thought he was all better

I posted about my ball python a few weeks ago that he was showing signs of scale rot. I know what the problem was and I changed how I keep the humidity up (I only spray the sides of the tank and have a large water bowl under the basking light). I took him to a vet who said that it was a yeast infection, and was told to soak him twice a day, every 12 hours in a solution of 1 gal of water and 3 ounces of Nolvasan. He shed his skin, looked MUCH better, and is eating well.

I looked at him under sunlight today and saw the rusty spots seem to be coming back! Is it possible that I was not completely killed? I had a humid hide in the tank for him and I took out the moss that was in there after seeing this and don't think I'll be using it again.

Any suggestions on what to do? Im going to call the vet tomorrow, but I was curious if anyone else had this problem.

I hope everything goes well. But for my particular situation when my snake was ill. I took him to the vet and they were treating for scale rot. Which i may mention i hand to open my snakes mouth by hand 3 times a day and shoot an antibiotic into her mouth 3 times a day for this. Then i didn't notice anything really happening and through this site and other things i did my own research i diagnosed my snakes problem and went to the vet and requested they write me the prescription for what i thought the problem was and low and behold she started to improve from that point. This taught me to always seek alternatives for what could be wrong with your snake. yes vets usually know what they are talking about but they can be wrong too.

Unfortunately with vets as well as MD's, they aren't always on top of things, remember knowledge is power, I hope everything works out for the best.

One other thing to keep in mind is that alot of vets claim to be Herp vets, but in all actuality, they haven't gotten all the knowledge and experience as those who actually specialize in Herp care. I've had vets tell me they were Herp vets, but when I actually sat down and talked to them more in-depth about their actual experience in treating reptiles, it became quickly obvious that these people had very limited, if any actual experience in handling and treating reptiles for any type of illness. Just as doing your homework by researching illnesses and problems with your pets through sites such as this, it's also imperative that you conduct the same level of in-depth research into any vet you are contemplating using to care for your pets.
As with humans, you are always entitled to a second opinion regarding the diagnosis of your snake as well. While it may cost a bit extra, at the end of the day, it will be worth it to ensure your pet is properly diagnosed and receives the treatment it needs to get well again. ;)

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Originally Posted by grim reaper in NY

One other thing to keep in mind is that alot of vets claim to be Herp vets, but in all actuality, they haven't gotten all the knowledge and experience as those who actually specialize in Herp care. I've had vets tell me they were Herp vets, but when I actually sat down and talked to them more in-depth about their actual experience in treating reptiles, it became quickly obvious that these people had very limited, if any actual experience in handling and treating reptiles for any type of illness. Just as doing your homework by researching illnesses and problems with your pets through sites such as this, it's also imperative that you conduct the same level of in-depth research into any vet you are contemplating using to care for your pets.
As with humans, you are always entitled to a second opinion regarding the diagnosis of your snake as well. While it may cost a bit extra, at the end of the day, it will be worth it to ensure your pet is properly diagnosed and receives the treatment it needs to get well again. ;)

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Very well put :)

Other than removing the moss filled humid hide, what sort/type of substrate is this snake normally kept on?

the substrate is reptibark, but it is dry. It only gets residual spray from the tank walls. I live in Northeastern PA and there are VERY few vets who will even see reptiles. I'm going to call today and see what he says about it.. I wish I had a camera to post a picture.

It's not awful looking on him.. not as bad as it was when I first brought him, but worse than it was after the week long treatments. it looks like rusty little lines on some of the belly scales and along some of the scale's edges

Is there any way you can post some pics? There are a lot of people on here who may be able to diagnose it through their own experiences.

I'll try to post some tonight or tomorrow

Ive taken one of my snakes to my herp vet before and all he did was tell me to soak him in betadine solution. I did and the next time he shed it was all gone.

Is the humidity in your place lacking? I don’t understand why you would have to spray down the tank all the time. If you have to spray only do a little and it should be completely dry by the morning. And that’s just to assist shedding. If your snake has a yeast infection you are overdoing it.

Since your having probs because of the high humidity I would suggest you stop spraying all together. And only do it if its having a hard time shedding.

ok thanks everyone for the info. i get a little frustrated (before I found this forum) because I keep getting mixed info. One person I talked to said to have humidity at 70% all the time and spray a few times a day, another said that I must have a humidity hide in all the time, and I bought several books- they all have diff info and a couple don't even say anything about humidity!

Right now I stopped misting, I bought betadine and will begin treatment today, and took out the moss in the snake cave. He has a large water bowl underneath the basking light. Should the water bowl be enough to maintain proper humidity?

Also, I have about half of the tank top covered with a piece of plexiglass because its a screen lid, this was for humidity at the suggestion of another person I asked at an expo. Should I take away that and just leave the whole top screened?

Sorry for all the questions, its just maddening to try all of these diff suggestions (before the ones here), and everything turn out bad!

Try switching his substrate too. I used to have repti-bark and it turned my snakes belly brown. It may not seem wet, but just the moisture it pulled in was enough to color her scales. I changed her substrate to Aspen as soon as she shed and never had a problem again.