Help! Flaky underbelly scales (picts)

[rukik]

Hi
for about a week i have noticed that My BP's underbelly is getting flakey, and dry, also a slight pink tinge in areas, like when she is about to shed. What should i do?

Kyle

http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...ukik/post1.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...ukik/post2.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...ukik/post3.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...ukik/post4.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...ukik/post5.jpg
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...ukik/post6.jpg

[FatBoy]

What type of substrate are you using?

[JLC]

It looks like he was dragged backwards across some rough surface. I'll echo FatBoys question about the substrate. Also what kind of "furniture" do you have in the enclosure? Anything with a hole that the snake barely fits through? Maybe he tried to back out of a tight fitting opening.

If it were me, I'd make sure he had smooth paper substrate and nothing rough or with small openings in the enclosure. Keep everything clean and dry. Then see if it clears up with the next shed.

[rukik]

i am using exoterra forest bark as substrate, here are some picts of the enclosure.

http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p...k/tankpost.jpg

http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p.../tankpost1.jpg

http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/p.../tankpost3.jpg

[simplechamp]

do you use a UTH along with the lights? any chance of a burned stomach?

[rukik]

yes i use UTH only at night, the day time light i have is ample for the heat. the substrate when i touch it at night with the UTH on is warm to the touch, but not uncomfortabley so. How hot would be to hot?

[frankykeno]

Using your hand to judge substrate temp really isn't a good plan. You need something like a digital temp gun or even an Accurite so you can get a better idea of the temps your snake is dealing with right at substrate level or below if this snake has a tendency to shift it's bedding away.

Doesn't really look like a burn to me though. More like a bit of belly rot starting up. I'm not familar with that type of substrate. Is it hard to see waste products in? Does it tend to get damp and stay damp?

Personally I'd pull out that bedding, replace it with layers of plain white paper towel (I like the Viva brand...it's cloth soft and pure white) and apply a bit of Neosporin without pain killer once daily to that area. I'd also remove any sharp edged or rough surface cage furniture until that belly is right again. If it gets any worse, you'd likely want to have an experienced herp vet take a quick look and do a hands on proper diagnosis.

[rukik]

its easy to see the stools on this substrate and once its wet it dries out pretty fast, ok i will start with the paper base and removing the rough objects, how about giving a warm bath or anything like that?

[frankykeno]

You want that belly to stay dry. Yes maybe right before you put the snake into the revamped enclosure a bit of a soak to get rid of any surface nasties, but after that I wouldn't encourage a lot of that. Anytime I've dealt with a rescue with a bad belly developing either through belly rot or belly burns, I did this routine and so far it's always healed and once the snake shed a time or two, they had perfectly lovely bellies. Granted though, these were not advanced cases. If this gets worse, you need to seek a vet's opinion as no one online can or should diagnose. You also need to figure out what caused this so it doesn't re-occur.

[rukik]

thanks