so, i feel like an awful python parent right now. I've only had two snakes in my whole life and this is my first ball python.

my little guy, named pretzel, was doing absolutely great for the first year, but all of a sudden, THIS happened (pictures below)

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bx...09kdmU4Zm5TT2c

I can't remember this slowly coming on, i can really just remember seeing him one day and feeling shocked at how he suddenly looked!

I try to give him water bi-daily (sometimes I'll be so busy I forget, but I never leave him too long without fresh spring water in his bowl), I just recently put in a hiding rock for him (thinking he could rub off the skin on it possibly), he eats once a week and I have a red heating bulb on 24 hours a day.

these are things that petsmart told me to do when i got him, and i've been strictly following along to the T.

I called petsmart back because he had stopped eating for a few months, and they said he had probably had some kind of "snake flu" and said he'd be alright. he started eating again, but his skin didn't get any better!

this has been steady for about 5 months now, as I was told it might just go away on it's own. I don't want to lose my little guy, please help! I can't afford to take him to the vet anytime soon. I just need to know if he'll be okay!

responses ASAP would be appreciated. hopefully pretzel will make it through his bad skin days