How do i treat this burn/underbelly damage and how do i prevent it again

[OhhWatALoser]

first things first heres what i discovered on my lesser yesterday...pics taken today





im not sure if its a burn or what it is, but ill describe it the best i can.

it looked worse yesterday, i cleaned it up when i saw it with some soap and water and he had flakey scales and it was like he was in shed but i could only pull them off one at a time and the scale/skin under what i pulled off feels like new skin not really like scales, i put paper towel down for him (normally keep them on newspaper) and cleaned up the cage really good and let him sit over night.

this morning he didn't seem to change much, i know hes bleeding a little cuz there was a ring of blood in the paper towel, but hes not bleeding much, just what you see but besides that didn't seem any worse. i delt with christmas stuff and got home now, now it seems like theres nasty skin trying to grow back or some sort of film covering it, kinda reminds me of wet shed, and i was wondering if thats him healing or is that some sign of something else? u can see it in the pics above. im about to go out and get some neosporn w/o pain killer (i searched the forum last night and it seems like no matter what it is, it used for treatment for anything underbelly)

and thats about were i stand with treatment, im not sure if i want to clean him again cuz if its skin/scales growing back i don;t want to wipe it off, but if its soemthing else then i do want to clean him up.

now my next question what did i do wrong and how did this happen, seems like most burns accure due to uncontrol heat pads so heres my set up...

a rack i built myself 6 tubs he lives in the upper left tub, 2 more ball pythons live in the middle and right, 2 carpets live on the bottom left and middle, the dummy cage with the temp probe is on the bottom right. i have 2x Ultratherm pads one for the top and one for the bottom, the tubs slide over the pad. controled by a helix stat, set at 88 degrees. and yes i felt the pad when i saw this, it wasn't hot at all so it wasn't melfunctioning, just felt warm.



heres his cage, normally there is newspaper instead of paper towel, hide in the back water bowl up front, u can also see the faint ring he left from last night.


and heres my dummy cage with the probe


neigher of the ball pythons on the same heat pad are burned, mayb its something else? i don't trust any vets around here, so their my last resort, accually i doubt id take my animals there unless it was to get medicine. so im looking for advise from other who have delt with a similar issue. so any more info i could give you guys to help me out, i just want my little guy to get better and i don't want this happening again, thanks

[Gecko Den]

That looks more like scale rot than a burn; to me at least. How often do you change the newspaper? Also that water bowl doesn't look too sturdy; if he tips it a lot and then is laying on wet newspaper that could be your problem.

[mainbutter]

My bet would be scale rot since it sounds like there is no way your snake could have burned itself.

[nixer]

i say scale rot also but why do you ahve your probe in that tub tape it about an inch away from the flexawatt if its back heat or if its belly heat put in right on the heat tape. also i noticed scotch tape which you should use that alum. duct tape!

oh yes and i would take a tub and put some paper towel down and put some povi-iodine/ some water on the paper towls and let it in there a few times a day! then use the neo-sporin

[OhhWatALoser]

he has been known to tip the water bowl, could be the problem, ill do soemthing about that.

newspaper gets changed everytime they poop or urinate

the probe is like 1/4 off the floor, i placed the probe by letting the heat run all night (obviously with no animals in it) and felt the tub for the hottest part, and about a 1/4 inch off the floor on the back was the hottest part so i stuck the probe there.

so if its scale rot, whats the best way for me to treat it, and i really wondering about the filmy stuff, is that him healing, or do i want to clean it off.

[OhhWatALoser]

misread.. alrite what exactly is povi-iodine so i can look for it

and as for the tape, its in a dummy cage, no animals will be harmed

[broadude]

That's my take too...scale rot. It's not so localized as it would be if it were a burn..but spread along the bottom scales as if it spread out.

I would research the causes of scale rot as it is commonly caused by unsanitary conditions.

I have had to treat a minor burn before and the Vet gave me some 1% Silver Sulfadiazine cream. I also picked up some Nolvasan Antiseptic Ointment later to treat the wounds on a rescue...either will work if there has been no infection set in.

I would keep the temps as are and keep the tub SPOTLESS, clean paper EVERYDAY. Fresh water EVERYDAY a lukewarm bath in Chlorhexidine/water solution EVERYDAY and rub either of those ointments on the areas in question daily until the shed.

If no improvement...a VET visit is necessary.

Remember this: I am NOT a Vet..this is only what has worked for me.

[OhhWatALoser]

what exactly is Chlorhexidine, and is it something i can pick up at the drug store?

[broadude]

what exactly is Chlorhexidine, and is it something i can pick up at the drug store?

http://www.reptilebasics.com/Cleanin...p-1-c-249.html

This treatment will also work if it's scale rot and an infection hasn't set in.

[broadude]

Then again..it could be a burn...you haven't mentioned having a thermostat on the heat tape.