Stages of scale rot and healing?

[CamoCat]

Background: My ball python has always dug down to the glass to get to his heating pad (on the opposite side of the glass) but his old pad finally stopped working and I bought a new one. He dug to the glass like he always had and I didn't think anything of it, hadn't been handling due to shed, and the humidity was up to help him shed. After he shed I noticed the belly scales looked like they had retained some skin but didn't want to dig in myself as it would likely come off as he slithered around his cage. Apparently the new heat pad was much stronger and he burned (I think) his belly and the humidity hadn't helped either.

I have been treating it with a betadine soak, cleaned his cage and replaced the bedding with paper towels, and have been keeping humidity on the low end. I took him out today and rejoiced because the brownish color that made me think "infection" in the first place was gone, but now his scales have swelled. As I held him these blister-like scales popped all over me. The normal white color makes me think we are making progress (this is just day 3) but the blisters concern me. Are they a sign that his body is healing? I would liken this to when a person gets a sunburn and in the later stages blisters form to protect the skin, but if this is a sign of him getting worse I need to make an earlier vet appointment. This is the first time I've ever had a possible rot situation, in fact it's my first health issue ever, and I was hoping it was mild enough to maintain until I can get him in to see a vet.

[Jhill001]

Do you have a thermostat for your heat pad? How low did you let your humidity drop?

[CamoCat]

Do you have a thermostat for your heat pad? How low did you let your humidity drop?

I don't have a separate item that monitors the heat pad, but it has a dial built in that I set at a certain temp. Like I said this heat pad was new to me but as it is new I didn't expect to have an issue . For the shed my ball won't use a separate hide so I bring the humidity in the whole cage up to 65% and have never had an issue, this is why I think it's the new pad and a burn. Right now it's down to 35-40% rather than 50-55% that it usually is during non-shed times. I'm also using lamps for heat so he doesn't irritate his belly anymore on the underside.

[Jhill001]

I don't have a separate item that monitors the heat pad, but it has a dial built in that I set at a certain temp. Like I said this heat pad was new to me but as it is new I didn't expect to have an issue . For the shed my ball won't use a separate hide so I bring the humidity in the whole cage up to 65% and have never had an issue, this is why I think it's the new pad and a burn. Right now it's down to 35-40% rather than 50-55% that it usually is during non-shed times. I'm also using lamps for heat so he doesn't irritate his belly anymore on the underside.

Pictures? Can you give me a link to the heat pad you are using?

Is your substrate perpetually wet or anything like that?

[CamoCat]

Pictures? Can you give me a link to the heat pad you are using?

Is your substrate perpetually wet or anything like that?

I'm using a ZooMed heating pad and he is actually soaking right now so it would be misleading because the betadine leaves some color traces. I will check tomorrow after the discoloration is gone (and will have likely swollen back up again).

[CamoCat]

Actually a couple scales didn't pop, I have a picture here in profile as well as a straight on view of the belly. He does look a little pinkish, I wouldn't expect this irritation to be gone yet, but the brown tinges are gone.

[Jhill001]

What is your humidity at?

[CamoCat]

What is your humidity at?

40% should it be higher? Lower?

[Jhill001]

50%-60%
60%-70% during a shed cycle

Copied right from the Caresheet on this site. 40% is low for the majority of snakes that aren't desert specific.

Idk if low humidity can cause scale rot but I know it's not ideal either. Usually scale rot is from being too wet.

What are your temps at?

[CamoCat]

No it's 40% now after noticing the problem. I thought lower humidity helped with the infection.