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Major Ball Python problems

S

scalesnstuff

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Last night I got a call and was told that this ball python got bit by a mouse 2 weeks ago and has "lost" its color and has not been eating.

When we finally saw it was obvious it was not bit by a rat. There was shed all over it and burns. We started removing the shed and found out that there was more than one. We found what looks like gangrene on the tip of the tail and these white marks on the back. I need to find a vet in Jacksonville FL, it is the closest major city to us.
 

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Bottom picture is after we got most of the shed off, it took thirty minutes to get that far and decided to give her a break, she was stressing really bad. I have never had to remove 2 sheds before so this has proven to be more difficult. Second picture is of these burn marks that we found after removing the shed in this area and the first is of the tail. The tip is miscolored and you can see red specles under the tan coloration from the tail to about 3 inches past the cloaca. Any help would be appreciated, my number here is 912-265-3612 or emil me yours and I'll call you and our email is [email protected]
 
WOW! She looks bad. Try wrapping her in a wet towel and setting her on the warm side of her enclosure. Within about 30 minutes most of that shed will become really loose, just repeat as needed. Plus wrapped up in the towel makes them feel secure while loosening up the shed. Good thing she found a good home!! :)
 
If you are planning to take to a herp vet, I would let them do that for you. Sometime if you really soak the eyecaps and keep them moist they will come off inside the towel, otherwise let the vet do it.
 
vet

I am looking right now for one in Jacksonville, I told the people that it was staying here until it left for the vet (as nice as I could).
 
vet

Okay, the snake stay here for now, the vet says that if they want to take it there is nothing I can do legally. Hopefully they will take it to the vet. I just talked to the owner and told them it can stay here until time to go to the vet, hopefully that is what will happen. If anyone has any other suggestions I am all ears.
Thanks for the help
Bert
 
Is this an animal that you sold, or one that was brought to you for fixing? No big surprise that it wasn't eating with two retained sheds (and eyecaps). It's hard to really say without seeing the animal first hand before you started pulling skin, but the tail could have been mouse-bitten...or it could just be necrosis from lack of blood flow due to the retained shed. The belly is sort of a "scale rot", most likely due to moisture trapped beneath the sheds (this type of injury is frequently associated with dirty conditions...but with a retained shed, it could be as simple as some urine getting between the layers. Honestly, there could be any number of things going on there...is there more reddening on the belly, or is it oozing at all (signs of major infection). The white spots/burn marks could be damaged areas caused by pulling off shed that had dried/adhered to the outer layer of skin (again, this happens fairly easily with sepsis). It looks like that might have happened (see bottom picture around the black spot and extending to the right, past the band). With so many open areas, I am torn between urging you to use a clean, dry towel on the bottom of the enclosure vs a slightly damp one. Actually, go with slightly damp. Leave the rest of the shed alone for at least a few days, that is not a huge priority. Once things start to heal up a bit, put the snake in a sterilite box with about an inch of water and let it soak. If you can keep it at the right temperature, let it soak overnight. With 2 retained/adhered sheds, it probably isn't going to just slide right off, but it will make your job easier. A trip to the vet is probably a good idea.
 
Snake

This was one of mine that Stacey accidentally sold in either April or May of last year (I have to get the records for the exact date, they have been filed away after we did our taxes and reinspection for our agriculture lisence). I was hoping that they would decide not to want it so I could get it back, but not like this. I have talked to the owner and I honestly do not think that they can afford the bill and was hoping if I offer to pay it I could have it back, she was my pet and I was pissed that Stacey sold it. I had bought her as an LTC in December of 2004 and paid 150.00 Stacey sold it for 50.00. I had planned to try and breed her because of the color. We gave them a care sheet and told them not to light it but they did anyway. They have a zoo med top on the terrarium and it is melted in one spot which means there was a lot of heat in there. There is no belly rot, it is all on the back and tail which makes me think that it is a burn. This is the first time that we had seen them since they bought it so we have no idea of a feed schedule. I know that they have been taking it to another store here in town that gives the worst advise ever for caring for snakes. I am more mad because this is something that could have been prevented by a simple phone call when the snake first started going down hill instead of waiting till it was this bad.

Their whole story is they went to the other pet store and bought a mouse that had a couple of dead ones in the same tank. They said that it never ate the mouse so they threw it out and 2 weeks later this is what happened. I guess they think that I could not tell that this was caused by something else. I waited 2 hours after we closed for them to bring it to me and as soon as I discovered what looks like gangrene they were quick to leave. I am still trying to find a way to keep the snake, the vet says that there is no law that she knows of so only thing I can do is hope.
 
A few tips

In response to your question about Eyes caps, soaking the animal in lukewarm water for a few hours is usually the best method.
I'm not sure if you snake can be put in water in her condition, though.

The pictures don't really show enough to see what may or may not be burns on her back.

The could be sores from abrasions or indeed, mouse bites as well.

Are the sores pustulent or are they dried up??

Can you see tissue underneath the sores??

IF you can see underneath the sores, (This is REALLY GROSS) can the skin be pulled away so you can look UNDERNEATH it at the muscle tissue??

Does any of the flesh look like it's rotting and decaying?
(IF you touch it, will it fall off?? You've obviously spent a great deal of time pulling the last of her shed skin off so I'm assuming this answer is "NO".)

If the sores are oozing pus, it's a clear sign of infection and it must be treadted immediately before it goes systemic.
Once an open sore gets infected, it requires specialty medicince and a vet's attention, although I'm not certain from the photos any of the sores on your animal have gotten that bad.

Mostly you'll find the ventral scales will rot off first.

The sores on the back of your snake are commonly caused by either mouse bites where the teeth have gotten completely under the scales or by heat lamps that are too hot and/ or too close to the animal.

In simple cases of dermal tears and abrasions, simply spraying the wound with clorhexidine to clean it and then applying a topical anitibiotic such as Neosporin are all the therapy that is necessary.

If the sores are infected and oozing then more complex medicine is needed and a Vet's assitance is required.

I'm not sure where you are located, but I'm in ALachua, FL AND I'm a vet tech AND I breed snakes. IF you wanted me to, I could take a look at the snake beforehand and tell you wether or not to take the snake to the vet or if you could provide treatment and thereapy yourself, maybe saving yourself some $$$.
You can email me at [email protected]


Also, if you DO need a vet, depending on where your driving from, Gainseville is just 75 miles away from Jacksonville and The Univeritsy of Florida's small animal clinic is completely capable and the best equipped in the area to care for your snake and it is also slightly cheaper (depending) than a normal vet.

The Cheif of Staff of Exotic Animal Medicine (and I think even the whole hospital) is Dr. Elliot Jacobsen and he is not only huge in the field of exotic animal medicine, but he is SUPER huge in the field of reptile medicine.
(Research it for yourself)

The UF Animal hospital is ACES when it comes treating reptiles and would be my first choice if I had to make a long-distance drive anyways.
 
burns

We have removed most of the shed on the back now, the spots that look like burns are weird. They are white spots, the scales are still there. They are not peanuts or anything just no color on the scales any more. It's weird. I have not heard back from the people that own the snake since I gave them the vet number. The guys mom said that she could take it today when we spoke Tuesday night but I have not hear back. It looks like you are about 3 hours from us so we might be able to do that. It would have to be next week though around Tuesday or Wednesday, I still work another job besides this. I am still trying to find laws on this. I have the snake treated and pay out of my pocket can I at least keep the snake till I am reimbursed?
 
people

I have never seen anything like the pics show of that poor snake.Maybe they will never come back and you can give her the proper care she deserves.The way some people treat reptiles makes me sick :hot: .Please keep us posted p
 
Ball Python

Alright they came and got it yesterday. We managed to get the shed off from head to about midway down the back. From midway down was the major problem spot. The white spots we still have no idea what it is. We originally thought that it was burns but once we got the shed off found out it was white lines. The scales were still there and intact just turned white. The tail and back look like crap, soaking helped some but there was so much there it was rough too get off, we did not pry it off just rubbed and took the loose skin off. You could see blood around the scales through the shed ( I am guessing from the shed being there so long). The loose parts that we could get off the scales underneath looked healthy but where the last of the shed was looked foul. I also showed them what to do if the snake does this again

I did however get the whole story out of them. It started to shed in December and retained from midway down the back to the tail (that makes it about 3-4 months with shed on it). They took it to another pet store that brushed it off as not being a problem and it would come off. They also had light on it and judging from the screen lid it was hot, it melted the plastic frame in one spot. I told them that was not good and they need to keep humidity around 40% and keep those lights off it. They were also housing it in a 30 something (maybe 38). It was an odd size aquarium. I suggested moving it down to a smaller one. I have requested that they have the vet call me since they are not taking it to the one that I recommended to explain what we have seen so far.

But get this, they want another ball python. I don't know how the law works in this case but until I see theres again all mine are sold or are my personal pets.

Thanks for the help and sorry I did not post back sooner, forgot to subscribe to this.
 
Oh and another thing.

She was alot more active before they came and got her. She made an escape from the terrarium while I was helping a customer and cruised around the store. That was the most active I had seen her so hopefully she is feeling better.
 
Aw jeez......I wish they would get it right with ONE before wanting to get another!!!

Well, you did what you could, hopefully she will recover and they will have learned something.....
 
new ball

Am not selling them one till I see the condition of the one they own. For other pet stores I can't speak for them.
 
Eye caps

To get the eye caps off, you can take a piece of scotch tape and place it over the eye, then take it off slowly. But if it is really bad the scotch tape wont work. You can use tweezers to get the eye cap off, if you use the tweezers I suggest soaking or misting her eyes first. I hope this works! Email me the results at [email protected]
 
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