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Missing Scale

F

filez41

Tom
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I have a 7 month all male ball python. He is roughly 320 grams, and eating f/t.

I just noticed last night that he is missing a scale along his neck on his spine, and a couple of other ones seem to be torn up. It looks like he tried to squeeze into a small space, gave up and backed up and pulled off a scale.

Also, a couple scaled on his belly catch my finger if I rub against the way they lie.

He just got out of a shed, and the humidity was high in his cage for about a week. It's back in acceptable ranges now.

my question is: do I need to take him to a vet, or will he be ok? it doesn't seem infected or red, but he's been a little more irritable than normal and doesn't like that part of his neck to be touched.
thanks for the help!
 
I wouldn't think it's anything to be concerned about. If he's eating f/t, he probably did just what you said he did, backed up and decided to go the other way and caught a couple of scales....and it could be a little tender.

Is there anything you can see in his enclosure that he may have gotten hung up on?
 
He's in a rack system, so he may have tried to squeeze out the top and failed. There's nothing sharp up there, but it's the only thing I can think of...
Other than that he has a log hutch which is rough, a water bowl and a black hide.
 
Sorry, one more question. Will the scale grow back? Is that something that will happen over the next few sheds or is a gone scale gone for good?
 
filez41 said:
do I need to take him to a vet, or will he be ok?
Click to expand...
There's not a whole lot to be done in a situation like this except to wait for healing to occur, and evidence of healing will not be physically visible until he sheds once or twice.
filez41 said:
Will the scale grow back?
Click to expand...
Yes, unless the defect is extremely large.
 
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