lumpy ball python--help!

[munky]

I'm very new to bp's--leopard gecko person really. but as I am known for having reptiles in my neighborhood, I became the obvious choice for someone to leave a bp on my doorstep. night temps around 45 and it was there when I woke up the poor thing just seems sick so I have spent the last 3 days trying to learn everything there is to know about these snakes, and I have to admit I am stumped. my vet can't get the snake in until tuesday with the holiday weekend and I am honestly concerned about the snake making it until then. has anyone had experience with a snake being lumpy before? it seems the lumps are fluid filled pockets. I tried reading up on blister disease, but it doesn't look at all like the pics I have seen. it is only on the sides, not the belly, and is not red. I believe the snake also still has eyecaps on. I hate to give up on any creature, so I am turning here for help!

http://img409.imageshack.us/img409/7945/img1442gh6.jpg

I've got him in a 20 long with aspen bedding, plenty of cardboard box hides, two water dishes, and a temp of 82 low 92 high by overhead. humidity is at 57%. no whistling, wheezing, or liquid from the nose

[kc261]

It is hard to tell from one pic, but my first guess is that is a stuck shed.

That would not explain fluid in the pockets. Are you sure it is fluid?

[python.princess]

sounds like you've got the setup right. I don't know what the lumps would be but he definitely looks dehydrated to me. I don't know if maybe the dehydration could cause that? Hopefully somebody more experienced comes along! good luck!

[munky]

If it is just a bad shed, I will be much relieved! I appreciate the help. If there is a specific way or angle of photo that would help more, let me know. I have to say I didn't imagine I would ever be a snake photographer!

http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/1171/img1444mh5.jpg
http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/1143/img1445pl2.jpg
http://img391.imageshack.us/img391/2104/img1446ki4.jpg
http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/1467/img1447il9.jpg
http://img392.imageshack.us/img392/83/img1448lk9.jpg

[munky]

It definitely feels like fluid. if you lightly press it, it relocates and swells more away from where you are touching.

[kc261]

Well, I'm not expert enough to go declaring it "just" a bad shed. But my girl's second shed after we had her got stuck because I hadn't done a good enough job of adjusting her enclosure for the drier winter air. I knew she was in shed and knew her humidity had been a little low so I thought I might need to help with a soak or something. Then one day I looked into her enclosure and I thought she was dying! She looked horrid! I also might have been an overreactive new keeper! But a soak did the trick and it all came off.

With this BP, you know there has been more than just a low humidity. Being on your doorstep (possibly overnight) in cold weather couldn't have been good! But BPs have survived things like that. This link has a story about a snake that was "stiff and ice cold" that survived. http://www.ralphdavisreptiles.com/co...all_python.asp

One thing I'd look for is how is the snake acting? Do you know enough about BPs to know if it is acting normally?

Also the description of fluid filled lumps does not match "just a bad shed", as I said before. At least not the bad shed my snake had. Air trapped between layers of skin MIGHT move around the way you are describing, but it seems to me if there was air under there, then the snake shouldn't be having trouble getting it off.

I really don't know. In most cases if I suspected a bad shed I'd recommend try a soak and see if the snake sheds and fixes the problem. But this poor snake might have much more going on and I'm not qualified to make any recommendations in this situation. I hope some of our more expert people see this thread soon!

[Corrupter]

I think a stuck shed is the least of your worries. A stuck shed would never look lumpy like that. It usually does the exact opposite and makes the snake look wrinkly and dehydrated. I know there are a few different kinds of things that can cause blistering, but I have never seen blisters severe enough to look that way. It almost looks like those are pretty far beneath the skin like maybe in the muscle tissue or right on top of it. I have to try to diagnose alot of stuff at work before we take them to the vet, but this one is tough for me...

[Patrick Long]

I agree with Corrupter here, this def doesnt look like stuck shed. Looks to me like some sort of muscular distrophy or something close to that. Maybe fatty tumors?

[OhBalls]

We had one left on our deck that wriggled itself into a ponytail elastic...looked very much like that....I soaked it and the shed came off, leaving it "crimped" looking....though it didn't have fluid...tough call

[mlededee]

I think this is much more serious than stuck shed. I had a snake that developed a systemic infection (hers was due to an immunodeficiency) and it looked very much like what I see in your photos. The pockets she developed were filled with pinkish fluid that was very high in white blood cell count due to the infection. Note the red area towards the snake's belly in this photo: http://img90.imageshack.us/img90/1467/img1447il9.jpg. My snake had the exact same redness from the infection which spread and became darker and brighter red quite rapidly.

I would recommend that you call your vet first thing in the morning and explain to them that this is an emergency and see if they will see you ASAP. Systemic infections are deadly serious and if that's what this is the snake will likely not make it until Tuesday, and if it does the stress of the vet trip and treatment may be too much for it.