Uninformed vet? PLEASE HELP!

[STROUSE90]

My ball Lucy went to the vet today, she had a red belly that went away but has yellow leathery spots on 2 parts of her belly, each that are about two inches long. Her scales on the bottom of her are falling off but the ones on top look perfectly normal. Visually noticeable that she's uncomfortable on her belly. The last 3-4 days she's been drinking the most absurd amount of water. Like, almost any amount of water I put in front of her.

The vet said that she thinks it's a burn from the bottom. I use a reptile heater and it's two inches from the bottom of the tank, and it's temperature is at 90. I told her that it didn't sound like it made any sense that Lucy had been using that heater for 2 years, and that it only now randomly started burning her? She also suggested that I put a heat rock in for my ball to sit on. I was surprised to hear that because I always heard heat rocks burned pythons... But she told me that almost every time she sees a burn, the owner had a reptile bottom heater and not a heat rock.

Anyway I am very nervous, I don't want anything bad to happen to my python, she's been given antibiotic shots and a lotion that I'm supposed to put on sparingly twice a day. I was told to give her a bath, but when I did my lucys belly got SUPER red and irritated despite the water being only luke warm. I'm just nervous that maybe she's been misdiagnosed since the vet was suggesting things that I had always heard of as being big no-nos (heat rock) (putting lotion on twice a day) and was adamant about it being a burn when her heater is only 90 and had never been a problem before. The vet didn't give much attention to me explaining how much water Lucy had been drinking, just brushed it off as part of the burn.

If anyone has info they could give me to help with Lucy's well being PLEASE help! It would be much appreciated.


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[STROUSE90]

Here are some pictures, this one is the top view, she is completely ok


These ones are of her belly



This one is of her flaky scales



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[Bloodborn25]

No no no, did I say no cause that heat rock even on a thermostat still can burn the animal. That heat mat shouldn't be the cause of this I almost thought belly rot at first till I read on, I can't say but try a new heater maybe or put a thermostat on the old one. If we had pictures it can be better maybe if the heat mat to see if discoloration our signs of over heating on it? Please let us know that she's ok.

0.1.0 normal Ball Python

[STROUSE90]

Her belly is a little more red than usual because of the luke warm bath the vet suggested. It wasn't like that before the bath. Just had the yellow spots


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[Archimedes]

okay, first off, time to find a new vet. your girl may have belly burns, but putting a heat rock in will not rectify that situation. instead, pick up a thermostat. it'll keep belly temps where they have to be to avoid burns. Hydrofarm makes affordable ones, although more popular models include the VE100 and the Herpstat collection.

Heat rocks are garbage.

baths are really unnecessary unless you're doing a betadine rinse. even then, the water should be room temp, not warm to your touch at all. when you sprinkle it on your wrist, it shouldnt have any heat, kinda the way you would test a baby bottle.

what is your humidity? the other option is a possible case of scale rot, caused by too much moisture.

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[Bloodborn25]

Ok so it does look like burns but my question I'm thinking is how if the mats 2 years old and did ok it should still be ok but you never know if keep her in a there but use over head heat as her source till it's figured out is the old one on a thermostat out no?

0.1.0 normal Ball Python

[STROUSE90]

No no no, did I say no cause that heat rock even on a thermostat still can burn the animal. That heat mat shouldn't be the cause of this I almost thought belly rot at first till I read on, I can't say but try a new heater maybe or put a thermostat on the old one. If we had pictures it can be better maybe if the heat mat to see if discoloration our signs of over heating on it? Please let us know that she's ok.

0.1.0 normal Ball Python

Just uploaded some pictures, there is a temp gauge on the heater and it's at 90 degrees.


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[STROUSE90]

Heater is two inches from bottom, and the temp gauge is always 89-90.


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[Bloodborn25]

okay, first off, time to find a new vet. your girl may have belly burns, but putting a heat rock in will not rectify that situation. instead, pick up a thermostat. it'll keep belly temps where they have to be to avoid burns. Hydrofarm makes affordable ones, although more popular models include the VE100 and the Herpstat collection.

Heat rocks are garbage.

baths are really unnecessary unless you're doing a betadine rinse. even then, the water should be room temp, not warm to your touch at all. when you sprinkle it on your wrist, it shouldnt have any heat, kinda the way you would test a baby bottle.

what is your humidity? the other option is a possible case of scale rot, caused by too much moisture.

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Archimedes I was thinking scale rot at first too, flaking scales go's hand in hand with it. Hmm but ya get a new vet or a very good breeder near you to check her out

0.1.0 normal Ball Python

[STROUSE90]

Also, humidity is around 50. Been trying to get that up higher but I don't think that would be part of the belly issue


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