Burn/Scale Rot

[Maeve]

I've had my ball python for 1 month now and last sunday she shed for the first time with me. She didn't let me touch her and even though she had all the conditinous she had a bad shed. I bathed her with warm wather and noticed some blood under the old skin (before it was off). I was really scared so I took her to the vet right away (I'm a vet student soo...free apointments!) and the vet told me it could have been a lack of fluid between the two pieces of skin. She also had lost 60 gr. I've been treating the bloody tip since monday with dilutted betadine solution and the scales ended up coming off. Today I was about to apply the betadine solution and I found out she had three pink/orange spots in her body and I freaked out. I thought about a burn even though the heat source is well controlled. If it is scale rot I have no idea of what has caused it. She is kept with paper towels (changed twice a week) and everything is very clean (I always take off all the paper when I find feces).
Another thing that keeps bothering be is that I found 7 small ticks (that were properly removed) the week I bought her . Since this parasites often carry prejuditial bacteria in its saliva is it possible it has caused an infection? I'm afraid that maybe she was not kept in the right conditions in the pet shop, because I have been really carefull since I got her and am doing everything I can to keep her in the best conditions.

She hasn't change her behavior. Is still very active and docile and I even changed her from live prey to f/t a couple days ago, so she is eating very well.

I'm giving her baths in betadine and water solution. Is there anything else I can do till I wait for the new vet appointment on monday?

[llovelace]

Can you post some pics of the affected areas

[sparticus]

pics pics pics pics pics!!

[Maeve]

My cam is broken so I have to use my cell so the quality is reeeeally bad. The orange area has a much brighter color.



Uploaded with ImageShack.us


Uploaded with ImageShack.us

[Maeve]

Well after two betadine+water baths she is way much better. The scales just look a little strange in those places. I re-checked her terrarium and the only explanation I can find was that she was habled to lift the substrate right above the uht and layed directly on the hotter plastic. I'll have to find a way to prevent this from happening. Any ideas?

[nixer]

Well after two betadine+water baths she is way much better. The scales just look a little strange in those places. I re-checked her terrarium and the only explanation I can find was that she was habled to lift the substrate right above the uht and layed directly on the hotter plastic. I'll have to find a way to prevent this from happening. Any ideas?

anything that snake can touch should not be hot enough to burn so if the plastic surface is that hot then your going to have problems no matter if you cover it with a substrate or not!

[angllady2]

The hottest spot your snake can access should be no hotter than 92-93 degrees, period.

That means you MUST measure the temps directly against the plastic or glass right above the heat source. Not above the substrate. All snakes can and will burrow, they must NEVER come into contact with anything hot enough to burn no matter where they get.

Gale