Burn scars

[campfirestring]

I've made a pretty big mistake as a snake owner, and i feel like all my research and experience caring for various reptiles has come to nothing because of it.

About a month ago, I came home from college to find my 7 year old Ball Python, Camo severely burned under her hot rock (which, yes, I now know is a definite NO-NO for ball pythons). She smelled like rot and most of her back along the spine was covered in a centimeter-thick area of burned flesh and missing scales. I freaked out, and even thought she was dead at first, but picked her up, gently, and found her to be basically ok. I washed her off and tried to find some help.

I was dismayed to find that there is no herp hospital where I live, so I began to do the best I could to clean her up and prevent infection. I gave her baths and read a lot of internet articles. I read Neosporin is good for situations like this, so I applied it liberally to the burn. Then went to the next person I could think of. The reptile guy at Petco told me what I was doing was good, so I kept on doing it. Then I tried to figure out why this happened.

Turns out, I had neglected a pretty big part of snake husbandry - the humidity in my enclosure was pretty low, about what a normal room is in the eastern US - maybe 40-50%. I just bought a hygrometer and did that nifty put-the-heating pad-under-the-water-bowl and cover-the-top-with-plastic-wrap trick. Humidity is now at a healthy 70%.

She's gone through two shed cycles now, and like always, hasn't done them well. (i guess that's because humidity is something I never got right, until today) but the burns just scabbed up nicely because of the ointment treatments and frequent baths I've been giving her.

the big question I have now is- will she ever grow those scales back? I can see through the cracks in the scabs that there is new flesh under the scabs, but there are no scales. the flesh is white, and looks a lot like fish skin, or people skin. from now on, when she sheds, will there be just skin to shed - and no scales on her back?

[dr del]

Hi,

There was a different cream mentioned as being the best for burns but I can't for the life of me remember what it was.

If you tell us where you are located theres a possibility we could find a reptile vet close to you as well.

Scars might take a lot of shed to form and will probably always be visible if they are as large as you say - though pictures would help assess that.

In the mean time here is a thread with examples of healed scars.


dr del

[akaprincesssophia]

im glad to hear ur snake is doing better now u should keep ur himidity at 70% just for the shed though and drop it down to 50, low 50's% when shes not in shed. good luck the rest of the way

[stratus_020202]

My first snake had gotten loose in my car once. Another new snake owner mistake of not securing him enough. He wandered up into my dash and ended up getting a nice burn along his side. That was a year and a half ago, and to this day he still has a small scar. The pink will eventually heal over and be black funny looking scales.

Good luck with him, and don't beat yourself up too much. It happens, all we can do is learn from our mistakes.

[Fallguy]

I am guessing that this is what happend to mine before I got her. She has scars down about 90% of her dorsal. She came to me having an RI, and horrible sheds for the previous owner. The RI has cleared, and she has shed for me many times. When we got her I was worried that she would always shed in pieces. Nope. One piece every time. Sorry for the focus.

[tiny_tiger60978]

my bp has a scar from an unplanned adventure she decided to take in my dresser drawer...i'll try to post pics later, but they're pretty much the same. kinda odd black scales (no matter what color they were origionally) where any grew back at all. some of hers didn't grow back, but it's not a huge open spot though...

hope he/she gets better!!!

[campfirestring]

thanks! those pictures give me a lot of hope!

I live in Madison Heights, Virginia.

[campfirestring]

oh, also

is there any relationship between feeding and skin health?

[dr del]

Intresting question,

If they are getting a good balanced diet (of whole rodents usually ) then their skin should have all it needs.

I can't think of any supplements that would really be that useful.

I did notice a change in my ball pythons when fed the occasional chick ( a slightly more brassy colour to the blushing - I put it down to extra sulphur from the yolk inside the chicks ) but not enough to combat the possible complications of a snake getting picky and wanting a chick only diet.

And of course I could simply have been convincing myself of the change in the first place - it was that subtle.

A malnourished snake might show loss of condition in the skin as well as everywhere else but in terms of improving the skin of a well fed snake I don't think so.


dr del