Scale Shedding Following Mites

[Mowgli]

I bought a baby ball python 11 days ago from Petco, and after 1 week I realized that he had mites. I have treated my snake with a betadine bath and spot checked him for mites, which I drowned using mineral oil. I also treated his environment by throwing out all of the substrate, boiling his hides, water bowl and climbing tree, and fumigating the tank using a cat collar.

Now, three days after treatment, there are shedded scales (translucent "flakes") in his tank and I can see the same hanging from him. The scales are a mixture of square shaped belly scales and scales from elsewhere on his body.

He has not been soaking in water, which he did when he had mites, and is alert with no abnormal behavior except that he has not used his hide since the mite treatment.

Is this something to be concerned about? Could it be due to stress? Or is he shedding the scales where mites had bitten him?

Thank you for your help.

[CoolioTiffany]

My female Ball python had that scale thing happen to her, but she didn't act unusual or anything. It's gone now, and I noticed this happened when she was on Cypress Mulch. I think from rubbing against the Cypress Mulch and low humidity (when I had her in a tank) caused the scale shed to happen.

I would keep an eye on your snake, keep checking for mites daily on it and in the enclosure. What's the humidity level? I think the humidity COULD be causing the scales to shed, but still not completely sure.

[dr del]

Hi,

It's actually the oil you rubbed on her that's causing this.

It also won't really solve your mite problem as they tend to lay their eggs away from the snake and then re-infest the area when they hatch.

What you really want to use is Provent-a-mite from pro-products. You need to follow the instructions precisely but it has a residual effect killing mites for the next 30 days - so when those eggs hatch the mites die without living long enough to cause problems or breed.

You can buy it online and have it delivered. I think its somewhere in the region of $18 a can - but you use only a light spray so that can will last a long long time.

**edit**

Also please don't use a cat collar or any other home remedy designed for different animals - it's entirely possible to kill your snake doing things like that.

**end edit**


dr del

[Mowgli]

Thank you for your responses.

As I understand it, the mineral oil is causing the "shedding" I am seeing. At this point should I be be concerned and take my python to see a vet? Or should I just discontinue use of the oil and keep an eye out for any other complications?

Also, I understand that you are not recommending the use of cat collars or other home remedy methods, but given that I fumigated the tank (for clarification my python was NOT in the tank during fumigation and I aired the tank our for 3 hours with a fan) should I still apply provent-a-mite to the environment? I do not want to risk more harm by using toxins in the tank.

Again, thank you so much for you help.

[Darkice]

Thank you for your responses.

As I understand it, the mineral oil is causing the "shedding" I am seeing. At this point should I be be concerned and take my python to see a vet? Or should I just discontinue use of the oil and keep an eye out for any other complications?

Also, I understand that you are not recommending the use of cat collars or other home remedy methods, but given that I fumigated the tank (for clarification my python was NOT in the tank during fumigation and I aired the tank our for 3 hours with a fan) should I still apply provent-a-mite to the environment? I do not want to risk more harm by using toxins in the tank.

Again, thank you so much for you help.

Yes get the Provent a mite. Mites will keep reinfesting and none of the others cures will kill them all. PAM will stop them forever.

[Mowgli]

**UPDATE**

I ordered the Provent-a-mite. Thanks for your advice.

Now, my snake has not shown signs of mites, but has only come out of its hide for brief time periods over the last three days (may have been more active while I was sleeping). This is new behavior as he would do much more exploring before.

I have read that lethargic behavior is one early sign of the shedding process. Given that I have seen shedded pieces around the cage before this, is it possible that my python is in the beginning stages of shedding, which had just coincided with the mites?

While I do believe it is possible, I am cautious to assume that is the case. Is hiding behavior like that described above normal, or cause for concern at this point?

It has also been over a week since he was fed, but he was on a bi-weekly feeding schedule when I purchased him.

Thank you.

[dr del]

Hi,

Well we have a sticky on the shedding process that will tell you all the signs to look for.

They do tend to become a bit more reclusive during shed - but BP's are normally quite secretive anyway.

Normally we would only expect to see them out and about for any length of time at night and them to spend all day inside one hide or other. You may catch them moving from one to the other of course during the day.

So the fact he is spending all his time in the hides is probably a good thing rather than a bad.

It sounds as though he may be adjusting to his new home - all the handling for mites etc could have been stressing him out so stick to the no handling except for necessary cage cleaning and try feeding him every 5-7 days.

I would still treat with the provent a mite when it arrives though - but remember to follow the instructions exactly. It's potent stuff and you want to be sure you do it right.

If you are nervous about it throw up a thread on here and have someone walk you through it.


dr del

[CritterVet]

What was the active ingredient in the cat collar?

[stlsteelersfan]

Mites
I have 5 separate BP in 5 separate tanks I got rid of the mites in 4 of the tanks using PAM, but it seems 1 tanks I noticed still had a couple on "THUNDER" BP name. I made him a humid hide boxafter I sprayed the tank and both hides down with PAM. Then I made the humid hide and put it in afterwords. She really likes the humid hide. I wonder if the mites are hiding out in there since I made humid hide after the PAM treatment and I did not spray that hide.

[Mowgli]

What was the active ingredient in the cat collar?

Active Ingredient (by weight): Tetrachlorvinphos 14.55%