Shed problems

[Travic]

Ok timeline. A last week my Ball, Chester shed. It was a perfect shed when I checked it. Later that day I checked him and his back third was pale. Not bad looking just...pale.

I checked the forums and the general consensus was a pigment change since the shed was perfect so I cleaned his cage and left him alone.

Today that back third is VERY wrinkly and is starting to peel and crack. I wetted him down and tried to start a peel but I was met with oozing and stopped immediately.

He is now soaking in lukewarm water again while I await your wisdom.

Pictures forthcoming.

[Travic]

Got pics. My camera is terrible.

[img=http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/448/fullpt1.th.jpg]

This is a mostly full-body pic so you can see the gray coloration.

[img=http://img221.imageshack.us/img221/1206/closebl1.th.jpg]

This is a close-up of the area. You can see the redness.

[starmom]

I do not understand what that is and if you do not know what this is then I strongly suggest you go to the herp vet

[Pandora]

I'm not too experienced with this but the second picture does NOT look healthy. Take it to the vet, be on the safe side.

[Travic]

No herp vets in the area.

Called the nearest vet off this list:http://www.anapsid.org/vets/northcarolina.html and they said they don't do snakes and don't know anyone else that does.

[lillyorchid]

Vet trip is in order I'd say.

Where are you located in NC?

Also how do you have your snake set up?
Looks a bit like the beginning of scale rot.

[Travic]

I'm near Charlotte.

My set up when he started looking bad was aspen bedding. I have a heating pad in the tub covered by the aspen. There is a large bowl for humidity/soaking. There is also a hide which he never uses.

I switched back to newspaper because I've been very unhappy with aspen so far.

Got if touch with a friend of a friend who is a retired Vet. He said it sounds like a burn and advised me to soak the area in a diluted Iodine solution.

[RoyalGuardian]

Owwie!!!That looks really really painful!!! I second the vet and say it looks like a burn. One of the ball pythons at school looked like that.... Unfortunatly it died before anyone really cared to take her to a vet... i hated my old school... Its just like petsmart...

[Travic]

This brings up something I've been struggling with and no one has ever explained well to me.

If the heating pad is in the cage(bad) it will heat the cage but the snake can and will burn itself. e.g. To get 80 degree air temps the pad has to be even hotter.

But if the pad is on the outside the pad has to been even hotter than that since it's not directly heating the cage air. Sandwiching a heating pad between the floor and the cage=fire.

Am I missing something?

Also: Just did a soak. More of the area is cracking and coming loose.

[lillyorchid]

TSandwiching a heating pad between the floor and the cage=fire.

A heating pad that is controlled by a thermostat should not be able to get hot enough to cause a fire.