» Site Navigation
1 members and 1,884 guests
Most users ever online was 47,180, 07-16-2025 at 05:30 PM.
» Today's Birthdays
» Stats
Members: 75,917
Threads: 249,118
Posts: 2,572,206
Top Poster: JLC (31,651)
Welcome to our newest member, Necbov
|
-
Registered User
Scale Rot
Went on holiday for about a week and left my pewter bee boy with a friend. Came back and he had a mysterious hole / scab on top of his head. I'm semi-new to snakes and I'm trying to figure out what this is. Is it scale rot? A burn? Not sure if I should seek immediate vet h elp or treat with betaine and keep it clean for a bit to see if it will heal. 
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
-
The Following User Says Thank You to cadet.bailey For This Useful Post:
-
Do you feed live? Could be an infected rodent bite...
-
-
Left with a friend in its cage or something different?
New surroundings could have made it wander and search which resulted in a rub on its nose.
That's my first thought.
KMG 
0.1 BP 1.1 Blood Python 1.0 Brazilian Rainbow Boa 1.0 Aru Green Tree Python
0.1 Emerald Tree Boa 0.1 Dumeril Boa 0.1 Carpet Python 0.1 Central American Boa
0.1 Brooks Kingsnake 0.1 Speckled Kingsnake 1.0 Western Hognose
0.1 Blonde Madagascar Hognose 1.0 Columbian Boa
1.1 Olde English Bulldogge 1.0 Pit Bull

-
-
Such clear round margins...weird.
Almost looks like a cigarette burn. Sure this friend didn't have friends over and perhaps a party going on ...etc etc ?
I don't know, but this looks to perfectly round and deep to be an infected bite or rub on enclosure. Also looks "cauterized" for lack of better term. Like a deep round burn.
But I could be wrong.
Zina
0.1 Super Emperor Pinstripe Ball Python "Sunny" 0.1 Pastel Orange Dream Desert Ghost Ball Python "Luna" 0.1 Pastel Desert Ghost Ball Python "Arjanam" 0.1 Lemonblast Enchi Desert Ghost Ball Python "Aurora" 0.1 Pastel Enchi Desert Ghost Ball Python "Venus" 1.0 Pastel Butter Enchi Desert Ghost Ball Python "Sirius" 1.0 Crested Gecko ( Rhacodactylus ciliatus) "Smeagol"
"It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye." - Antoine de Saint-ExupÈry
-
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to zina10 For This Useful Post:
Albert Clark (12-26-2016),Reinz (12-26-2016)
-
Cigarette burn was my first thought as well. I'm thinking it was an accident of some sort.
The one thing I found that you can count on about Balls is that they are consistent about their inconsistentcy.
1.2 Coastal Carpet Pythons
Mack The Knife, 2013
Lizzy, 2010
Etta, 2013
1.1 Jungle Carpet Pythons
Esmarelda , 2014
Sundance, 2012
2.0 Common BI Boas, Punch, 2005; Butch, age?
0.1 Normal Ball Python, Elvira, 2001
0.1 Olive (Aussie) Python, Olivia, 2017
Please excuse the spelling in my posts. Auto-Correct is my worst enema.
-
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Reinz For This Useful Post:
Albert Clark (12-26-2016),zina10 (12-26-2016)
-
Registered User
Re: Scale Rot
His heat lamp sits directly on top of its enclosure, so I was thinking a lamp burn or from hot surrounding mesh/plastic. I do feed live, but he has not been fed since I last had him, at which point I did not NOTICE any bites, but may have overlooked a scratch. During holiday he was in a spare bedroom with no activity and no other animals.
Thoughts/suggestions for treatment? I've been told betaine is ok for wound cleaning, but i'm not sure how to treat it afterward. I'm concerned abt an open wound, but don't want to cover it with neosporin if it's infected, because I'm worried the softened scales may help it spread.
Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk
-
-
Re: Scale Rot
Definitely not scale rot bc that happens directly to the ventral scales and not the mental (frontal) scales. Cigarette burn or something suspicious..
Last edited by Albert Clark; 12-26-2016 at 01:24 PM.
 Stay in peace and not pieces.
-
The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Albert Clark For This Useful Post:
Reinz (12-26-2016),zina10 (12-26-2016)
-
If you can 100% rule out a burn from the external environment then you need to closely investigate you snake's enclosure and heating system. The heat source must be dangerously heating something, probably made of metal, like a screw.
Last edited by Reinz; 12-26-2016 at 01:24 PM.
Reason: Add
The one thing I found that you can count on about Balls is that they are consistent about their inconsistentcy.
1.2 Coastal Carpet Pythons
Mack The Knife, 2013
Lizzy, 2010
Etta, 2013
1.1 Jungle Carpet Pythons
Esmarelda , 2014
Sundance, 2012
2.0 Common BI Boas, Punch, 2005; Butch, age?
0.1 Normal Ball Python, Elvira, 2001
0.1 Olive (Aussie) Python, Olivia, 2017
Please excuse the spelling in my posts. Auto-Correct is my worst enema.
-
-
Re: Scale Rot
Keep him on paper towels until it resolves. I would consider a exotic vet mainly bc the depth of the wound and possibility of secondary infection.
 Stay in peace and not pieces.
-
-
Not saying this is the case, but the thought of someone burning a snake with a cigarette is pretty sickening.
-
Posting Permissions
- You may not post new threads
- You may not post replies
- You may not post attachments
- You may not edit your posts
-
Forum Rules
|