scale rot :-( HELP ASAP, vet havent helped

[Annarose15]

That does look a lot like a burn...

One thing I'm concerned about is that you mention "the smell". If he has actively rotting or necrotic tissue on him this needs to be debrided and removed by the vet or it can cause infection. We use zinc-oxide cream on rashes and minor burns in people, not sure what it's supposed to be doing on a snake. I'm not a vet but based on what I've been trained on burn and wound care management in humans I would suggest the following until you get a clear answer from a vet:

Do keep him dry and clean. I would go ahead with the antibiotic soaks as recommended, but pat him dry afterwards. Any excess moisture will promote infection. If you can see any obviously necrotic tissue and if you feel comfortable doing this take some clean, dry gauze and after his soak gently try to remove it. If he doesn't tolerate it or it doesn't come off easily leave it until you see the vet. I wouldn't slather the cream on heavily either, just a light coat.

Maintain a stable, 85-90'F ambient temperature, even at night. Regardless if it's a burn or not it looks like he's lost a significant chunk of his epidermis/"skin", and while they're not like humans which depend on skin for proper thermal regulation, keeping the temperature stable and constant will help him maintain homeostasis and reduce stress.

Leave him alone as much as possible and let him rest in a dark place. Hopefully the little guy'll pull through!

The only part of this post I disagree with is raising the ambient temps so much. Higher temps (with moisture) promote bacterial growth, and I have personally had to reach into a hot oven with a burn already on my hand (NOT comfortable!).

There shouldn't be any harm in letting the friend's friend take a look, but do the antibiotic soaks and ointment (after soaking and patting dry) in the meantime. Continue any antibiotics you have. Give him a much smaller water bowl so he can't aggravate the wound by soaking himself. TURN OFF YOUR UTH, as this is almost definitely the cause of your problem. Something electronic not giving you trouble for years doesn't mean it isn't causing a problem now. Trash the UTH, get a new one, and get a thermostat to regulate it properly. Also, get a temp gun or digital thermometer with probe so you KNOW what the surface temp over the UTH is, rather than having to estimate.

Finally, get to a qualified vet as soon as you can. If you have to, walk in without an appointment and tell them you'll wait. No decent veterinarian would allow an animal that they know is in that condition to go another day without seeing it.

Edit: DO NOT USE NEOSPORIN. It is petroleum-based (bad for scales), and will only cause more issues with a burn. Use betadine and the antibiotic soaks you already have.

[Poseidon]

That is really bad. Poor little buddy.

I would remove anything that isn't smooth because he has chunks of flesh missing.

Anyone had experience with aloe on a snake's wound? Not from an ointment but straight from the plant?

[ballpythonluvr]

Awwww! That poor baby! I really hope you can get your snake to a better vet soon! Good Luck and please keep us updated!

[hypersomniacjoo]

don't use neosporin. i recommend a very diluted solution of iodine and soak him in it for 3 minutes, 3 times a day, very gently pat dry with paper towels or a clean towel each time. go see snake junkie because he can for sure recommend someone if he doesn't know himself. ASAP or you will have a dead snake in no time.

[mackynz]

I am still waiting to know it OP is using a thermostat...but they seem to have vanished as of now...

[OmNomNom]

The only part of this post I disagree with is raising the ambient temps so much. Higher temps (with moisture) promote bacterial growth, and I have personally had to reach into a hot oven with a burn already on my hand (NOT comfortable!).

True, what's a "happy" temperature for a sick snake? You don't want him too cold and stressed out and his metabolism to drop too low that he can't heal himself, and anything near day-time temp ranges for a BP is going to make a nice incubator for bacteria regardless. All you can do is keep things as clean as possible and use the antibiotics to help stave off infection.

don't use neosporin. i recommend a very diluted solution of iodine and soak him in it for 3 minutes, 3 times a day, very gently pat dry with paper towels or a clean towel each time. go see snake junkie because he can for sure recommend someone if he doesn't know himself. ASAP or you will have a dead snake in no time.

I'm not sure about soaking him with iodine unless that came from an experienced herp. vet....particularly as sensitive as BPs seem to be, I'd worry about inhalation and toxicity to the skin.

[Annarose15]

True, what's a "happy" temperature for a sick snake? You don't want him too cold and stressed out and his metabolism to drop too low that he can't heal himself, and anything near day-time temp ranges for a BP is going to make a nice incubator for bacteria regardless. All you can do is keep things as clean as possible and use the antibiotics to help stave off infection.

The OP stated the the temps in his (?) house are in the high 80s during the day and mid-70s at night. I think this should be substantial until a UTH with proper thermostat regulation can be put in place. Ideally, IMO, you would probably want to keep ambient temps ~80-82deg in a sick-snake situation, but I would rather err on the side of caution than risk aggravating the burn, especially since there doesn't seem to be a thermostat to regulate any supplemental temps.

I'm not sure about soaking him with iodine unless that came from an experienced herp. vet....particularly as sensitive as BPs seem to be, I'd worry about inhalation and toxicity to the skin.

Perhaps he meant betadine? That is widely recommended on this site. I mentioned it earlier, but in hindsight, the soak with the antibiotic from the vet should do the same thing - I would pick one or the other.

[Skittles1101]

I must agree with everyone that that looks like a very severe burn. Just because he's "been fine for 10 years" doesn't mean that's not the cause. Normal UTHs are VERY dangerous normally without a thermostat, and if they short out in any way they cause temps to spike even worse. I didn't read ALL the advice but I'll give my piece.

DON'T use Neosporin.
Get a plug-in lamp dimmer from a hardware store until you get a thermostat, but you NEED a thermostat.
Keep the paper towels for substrate
I honestly think that poor thing needs antibiotics. That burn looks like it's getting infected if it isn't already.
The Silvadene that I saw mentioned would be ideal, and I also think Betadine would help.
I'd also keep handling to a MINIMUM. Added stress won't help him heal.
Keep misting to a minimum

I think the biggest thing right now is getting a thermostat, and getting antibiotics. Those are my two main concerns. Good luck!

[OmNomNom]

The OP stated the the temps in his (?) house are in the high 80s during the day and mid-70s at night. I think this should be substantial until a UTH with proper thermostat regulation can be put in place. Ideally, IMO, you would probably want to keep ambient temps ~80-82deg in a sick-snake situation, but I would rather err on the side of caution than risk aggravating the burn, especially since there doesn't seem to be a thermostat to regulate any supplemental temps.

I would propose back-heat to be more advisable until that heals up a little though. You mention putting burned hand into a warm oven, I can imagine a burned belly being pretty sensitive to sitting on a warm tank bottom! Ow ow ow ow ow....

[mackynz]

I would propose back-heat to be more advisable until that heals up a little though. You mention putting burned hand into a warm oven, I can imagine a burned belly being pretty sensitive to sitting on a warm tank bottom! Ow ow ow ow ow....

Unless the snake likes to go up the sides (mine does) some sort of control for the UTH is still imperative.