Stomach/scale rot

[broadude]

Can't access my information at the moment, but I know exactly what you are talking about. This form of "belly rot" is actually a sign of when the animal's blood goes septic from a bacterial infection inside the body (usually a rodent bite or some invasive injury is the cause) In this case, the brown around the edges of the white belly scales resembles the beginning to belly rot but is actually the end stages of the progress of the illness of the snake. They do not live long after the brown shows up.

Will post more info, if no one else does, later tonight.

Here is the info: http://www.rcreptiles.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=3449 While scale rot is the more common snake skin issue..care should be taken to KNOW exactly what you have. A Vet visit is needed in the situation below.

http://www.snakegetters.com/slides/22petechiation.html




"Scale rot" or septaecemia?

Hobbyists commonly refer to any lesions seen on a snake's integument as "scale rot", whether the cause is bacterial, fungal, viral or neoplastic. It can be hard to differentiate between the symptoms of necrotizing dermatitis and hemmhorrhagic petechiations that indicate a generalized septaecemia from massive systemic infection.

This cottonmouth was severely septic and died in short order despite our efforts with antibiotics. These lesions on its ventral scales are the result of a massive bacterial infection in its bloodstream and its internal organs.

The appearance of this animal is similar to that of necrotizing dermatitis, a superficial bacterial condition caused by wet or unsanitary conditions in the cage. Necrotizing dermatitis is easily treatable; septaecemia is much more serious and potentially fatal if allowed to progress.

Good luck!