Guys...I'm really worried...Scale rot?? Infected burn?? Please help!!

[Albert Clark]

Kudos to you for getting to the vet and having the bp receive professional and definitive care. Who knows what someone else in the same situation would have done. All is well that ends well. Now it's the treatment and rehabilitation that is important. I hope that it all goes smoothly and she recovers and returns to the quality of life she is used to. Stay in peace and not pieces. Good luck.

[RaeDee]

It was not 'stubbornness' that kept me from removing her from the UTH. I was told by PROFESSIONALS AKA VETERINARIANS that she would be fine as long as I kept the UTH temp at 90 degrees, kept her environment clean, and treated with neosporin, all of which I did. The vet I saw yesterday said that her wound got so bad because of an infection secondary to the burn. As a fourth year vet student myself (small animal; don't even try me on the exotics field.) I tend to follow the advice of a veterinarian a bit more closely than that of others. I'm not trying to be rude but if I were stubborn, I would not have gone straight to the vet in the first place, ordered a regulator for the pad and paid out the you-know-what for it to be expedited, nor would I have even come here asking for advice. Perhaps invest in a dictionary to define the word 'stubborn' in future....I highly doubt a 'stubborn' snake owner would be willing to shell out almost 400$ in vet bills and other equipment within two weeks for one snake. Don't try me on my level of care and attention for my precious animals.. This thread is closed. ::drops mic::

[Foxton]

I'm not trying to be rude but if I were stubborn, I would not have gone straight to the vet in the first place, ordered a regulator for the pad and paid out the you-know-what for it to be expedited, nor would I have even come here asking for advice.

Just for giggles I went on amazon and looked up how much 1 day shipping would be for a Hydrofarm thermostat. It's 4$. You ordered a simple rheostat on 4-29. What kind of expedited shipping did you get that takes a week to be delivered? Now that maybe less because I have prime but did what you order cost much more than 40$?

Your snake was burned by an unregulated UTH, you allowed it to remain unregulated, the burn got worse and has gotten infected. Now you're stubbornly trying to justify your lack of action on the cause of the problem in the past week by pointing out your futile attempts at treating it.

I feel bad for your snake having to recover from something avoidable but certainly not for you being insulted. As a fourth year vet student no appeal to authority makes your opinion/actions beyond reproach. Especially when you're making major mistakes (like no thermostat) that should have been covered in any moderately decent care sheet.

[bcr229]

I was told by PROFESSIONALS AKA VETERINARIANS that she would be fine as long as I kept the UTH temp at 90 degrees...

So after the first vet visit did you unplug the UTH or did it continue to run unregulated?

BTW a lamp dimmer does the same job as a rheostat, this one is from Lowes but Home Depot should also carry them, so you could have had a fix for your UTH a week ago for $15. They are a short-term solution until you get a thermostat. http://www.lowes.com/pd_70717-539-TT...ductId=3189447

[PitOnTheProwl]

Vets specialize.
My vet WONT touch reptiles because that is not her primary care and she admits to not knowing enough about them.
Not saying I know everything about anything but its funny when I get calls from her.

[RaeDee]

First of all, I never said I didn't make a mistake as I quite obviously did. Secondly, I saw an exotics vet. A SPECIALIST. I clearly misunderstood his instructions and I take full responsibility for that. However, I've been on a lot of forum sites related to many different subjects and I have never ever seen such condescending responses to someone who was reaching out for help. A few of you have been kind but the vast majority of responses and messages I've gotten since joining have been unbelievably insulting/condescending to the point of feeling bullied. So maybe next time a newbie who made a mistake comes round, try to be a little gentler. Yes I got defensive earlier and I apologize for that but I do try to do everything I can for my animals and I do hours and hours of research before I invest in a new one. I made a mistake. Now I'm doing everything in my power to correct that mistake. So can we please leave it at that? I feel bad enough as it is without a hoard of strangers shaming me for something I did wrong.

[PitOnTheProwl]

You have to remember you are posting in a public forum.
Many of us have dealt with the same questions over and over.
Many members are also sensitive.
Some of us (myself included) come off as rude and cruel when infact I just dont beat around the bush and blow smoke. I am straight foward and brutally honest.
Its not just you.

[Asherah]

You have to remember you are posting in a public forum.
Many of us have dealt with the same questions over and over.
Many members are also sensitive.
Some of us (myself included) come off as rude and cruel when infact I just dont beat around the bush and blow smoke. I am straight foward and brutally honest.
Its not just you.

I can vouch for this - *has vet that pit says is not good vet - I politely disagree* lol

- - - Updated - - -

Look forward to seeing them!

[RaeDee]

Matilda went into shed and I was so worried it was going to go horribly. I didn't think the burn had healed enough for her to have a nice easy (and blood-free) shed.

HOWEVER- my girl pulled it off!!! She shed PERFECTLY!!! There's no scar, no blemish, not even a single mark where the burn was from what I could see. (I still need to look her over more closely in full light. She wasn't really in the mood for much handling this morning) but OMG snakes are truly amazing snakes and I am so beyond thankful for the help I found here and that my snake is now clear and free from that awful UTH and the burn I caused her. So excited!! I was like a little kid on Christmas this morning when I saw her belly

I'll post some pics later so keep an eye out for those too. You guys won't believe it!!

again thank all of you so much. The help I found here was indispensable.