HELP Blisters filled with fluid on belly

[Aphrodite]

I just switched my ball to a bigger tank about a month or so ago, and very recently started using a UTH and cage carpet and aspen bedding. She refused food for a few weeks, which I didn't think much of considering ball pythons are notorious for randomly deciding not to eat, and she finally ate again this week. But I noticed she's been soaking in her water bowl way more frequently. She had a discolored spot on her belly a few weeks ago, but then started shedding so I thought it might just be that, but I took her out of her tank today to make sure everything was okay only to find that everything is definitely not okay. Also, her shed was incomplete, which you can see in the pictures. The pictures aren't great so I'll try to get better ones.

http://imgur.com/DLlu3S9,ZrAfSFI

http://imgur.com/DLlu3S9,ZrAfSFI#1

[Spoons]

It looks like a thermal injury... Are you using a thermostat with your UTH? They can get WAY too hot without any kind of regulation. RE treatment - I'm still a newbie so I can't help much there, still learning myself, but I've seen betadine soaks suggested for thermal burns and scale rot.

[ballpythonluvr]

I am by no means an expert but this does sound like a burn. You will need to get some silver sulfadiazine to put on the burn. You also need to make sure you keep the snake on paper towels or unprinted newspaper because of the burn. That enclosure you are keeping the snake in needs to disinfected and kept as clean as possible to avoid infection. Please get a thermostat ASAP for the uth. That should ALWAYS be one of the first things you purchase before you even get the snake.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Given the extent you will need a vet.

Go to lowes or Home Depot and get a dimmer switch until you get a reliable t-stat

Remove the reptile carpet and aspen and replace it by some clean paper towel

Make an appointment with an HERP vet

[ladywhipple02]

I'm going to agree and say it's a burn - just like when a person gets a burn and our skin blisters - your snake has blisters under her scales. And, just like in a person, when it blisters, it's indicative of a pretty nasty burn.

I've treated this before in a rescue: twice a day you will need to clean the area gently with soap and water, and then apply bacitracin to the afflicted area afterwards. Gently rub the bacitracin in to the scales. You can also use neoproxin, though I wouldn't recommend using anything that has a numbing agent. Eventually she will slough the blisters during a shed, but you need to treat up until this happens.

First things first - remove the cause of the burn! Either get a thermostat or remove the UTH - move it to the side of the tank if necessary. She will not learn from getting burnt once, and will continue to hurt herself in an attempt to get warm!

Hope this helps.

[Viol8r]

Yep, it's a burn. Get it to a vet that is knowledgeable with snake care. With a burn that bad you should get a topical solution and possibly some oral antibiotics. Unplug the UTH until you can control the heat. Everything else has been pretty much covered...