[Skin] Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

[MLynch]

So I noticed today that my DH Sunglow has a few spots of discoloration over his body. When he arrived yesterday I noticed a spot on his belly towards his tail. I've been putting Triple Antibiotic Ointment on it since I first noticed it. Well, while I was putting the ointment on this evening I noticed a few brownish spots on him that are obviously not natural coloration. And in some of the spots the scales feel rather scabby.

After that I cleared out this cage, cleaned it with 5% bleach solution, replaced his substrate with paper towels, put only the hide back in, and raised the ambient temp to about 85 degrees (it had been 80). I had cut a paper coffee cup down to about 1/3 it's hight and filed half of it with water, but Eddy kept trying to cram into it, so I had to remove the cup of water. I'll put it back in for a while in the morning, but if he's going to try and cram into it again it's coming back out. I'll keep putting it back in periodically so that he can drink if he needs to.


Here are some pics:







Close up on ventral irritation:




I'm going to see if I can't get him out to a vet tomorrow.

Any thoughts as to if this is scale rot?

[jvarner]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

Wow Mike. I hope all turns out well, sorry you have to deal with this. Get him into the vet ASAP, and keep doing what you are doing with the temps and not letting him soak. Keep us updated on his condition. Maybe some antibiotics is all that is needed.

[MLynch]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

Thanks, Jonny. I'm hoping that I'm catching this early enough that he can recover quickly.

And what makes all of this difficult is that right now I'm supposed to be letting him de-stress and get acclimated to his new home. But instead he's getting more stressed because I have to keep going in after him to do something with his cage, or put ointment on him. He almost tagged me last night as I was doing the ointment. ...And I'm sure the stress level is not helping any of this.

I'm also concerned about this spreading to my other snakes (being that this is bacterial). Eddy is not near my other two, but I'm worried that even after washing up and sanitizing I may pass something on to them.

I'll be contacting the breeder after the vet visit.

[MLynch]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

Every vet in the area that works with reptiles is either in surgery, out of the office, or booked solid today. So I have to wait until 9:15am tomorrow.

Question: would swabbing the affected areas with chlorhexidine help at all?

[jvarner]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

Use diluted antiseptic solution, or Betadine solution, or antibiotic ointment. I know you don't want to do all of this to that poor guy, but it is for the greater good. Just be as gentle as you can.

I had to go through this with a rescue snake that had a horrid case of mites. From the minute I got her home it was straight to the tub for a bath and a PAM treatment. She had to get bathed every day for about 3 weeks until she shed. I felt horrible for doing all of that to her, but she needed that care. Now she has put on some weight and doing just fine. Keep in mind, she was already almost 6 feet long the day we brought her home. LOL.

As far as using chlorhexidine solution, i don't know. That may be to potent for him.

Good luck at the vet. Let me know how it goes.

[Boa Amarali]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

Every vet in the area that works with reptiles is either in surgery, out of the office, or booked solid today. So I have to wait until 9:15am tomorrow.

Question: would swabbing the affected areas with chlorhexidine help at all?

Absolutely chlorhexidine gluconate is very helpful antiseptic and antibactericidal.
I use diacetate for cleaning cages which is also in addition virucidal.

Clean those areas with the chlorhexidine solution and then apply Neosporin.

This really should be enough to heal the affected areas.

To me it looks like that animal may have sat on a wet area or more
likely filthy pile of crap for several days.

I don't know , not certain what else might cause skin ulcer (scale rot)

[bterrill]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

It does look like it to me because I have had to deal with this before. Yours looks very mild and you are going to be able to clear it up without much fuss. The belly scale is the most at risk because of the moistures and stuff.

Like mentioned by Boa_Amarali the only time I've seen it is from sitting on poop/pee for long time.

The areas on top I have no clue about that. I would find it hard for them to get rot on their top halfs because that part isn't in contact with the ground. Either way you should be able to fix this easily.

Bit off topic but the snake itself is very pretty. I just wanted to throw that in there.

[MLynch]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

Thanks, guys.

I use a chlorhexidine solution for spot cleaning my other snakes' cages. I just wasn't sure if it would work in this situation. I'll use some on Eddy this evening. Thanks, Lar.

Unfortunately, even after a 50% hydrogen peroxide/water solution and triple antibiotic ointment the spots are getting more prominent. I realize it's only been 48 hours, but its still unnerving. I'm also concerned about the spots near his mouth leading to a secondary infection of mouth rot.

I've been scrubbing and using hand sanitizer like a surgeon after handling the poor guy because I don't want to transfer the disease to my other snakes. ...Am I being overly paranoid? It is a bacterial infection, but can it be transferred that way?

[bterrill]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

Ok I'm no vet at all so take this for what it is.

I've had much luck, albeit mild and slow paced, with 50/50 water peroxide + neosporin or equate triple antibotic cream (not with pain releif). The problem with the rot [in my case] was that it was extremly slow to heal and was only noticably better [visually] after a shed. So you might not see results until then. I also had success with the 50/50+neo on a mouth rot case from a boa I was given that was too big for its owner. It's just a slow process.

I would still continue to swap the belly scale (the others don't look like they will ulcer right now) with the 50/50 and put on some topical anti botics 2 times a day until the snake sheds.

If the belly scale opens up and starts to discharge fluid besure to work the neosporin in to the wound not just on top of it.

The vet will be able to inject anti botics if needed. That's what mine ended up needing in the end because it was so severe. Mine basically got stuck in a shed (think about 1/3rd of the skin left and bunched up) she then defecated which was in the 1/3rd left shed stuck to her... so the poop concentrated on this strip of her gut and rotted it out very quick.

The area by the snakes head -- the snake that had this happen to her of mine has lots of areas similar , but they are like discolored from this.

Like I said, I'm not vet, but I have dealt with an extremly severe case of this and while the 50/50 and antibotics work sometimes the vet is needed. Just keep close eye on the belly scale because thats how mine looked before they split open. Not trying to scare you, just prepare you for what may or may not come your way.

If you were still planning to the vet, its not a bad idea, but defintily keep up with the current regiment.

Edit: I would also like to add that if you are using only paper for bedding I would advise swapping to something, in the mean time, with much more absorbancy. With this infection it can very easily be reagitated even if you are clearing it up if any bad stuff smears on to these areas. I've found that using some fluffy substrates will soak up the pee much better than paper. Also like mentioned keep the water bowl out. I only put mine in for 2 hours every few days (mine's big enough that the whole snake can lay in it) and thats not what you want

[satyra]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

scale rot is supposedly caused by filthy conditions, or sitting on very wet substrate for a long time. we had one at work that was returned cause it had scale rot, we had to take it to the vet and give it injections every 2-3 days for several weeks, along with putting some type of cream on it, cant remember what it was called.

[MLynch]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

Many thanks bterrill.

Vet, or not, that was some great advise. And I appreciate the heads up on the belly wound splitting. I'm actually anticipating it. I'd rather it didn't happen, but that was something I've considered.

And I've been trying to get the ointment and 50/50 solution in between the ventral scales (albeit very gently) to try and nip the progression in the bud.

...Unfortunately Eddy shed on the 16th... so I'll ave another month or so before he sheds again. Question: If progress won't really be seen until he sheds then how do I know when it's getting better/cleared up? ...I've never dealt with this before. How long should I be continuing treatment?

I find all of this painfully ironic since the reason I've been dealing with breeders is because you never know what health issues you'll get (if any) when you buy from a pet store... and then I get this from a breeder. Three of my past boas were from pet stores and I never had an issue like this.

I've contacted him about this and sent him the photos above. We'll see what he has to say when he gets back to me.

[satyra]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

with our store snake, he got worse before he got better. but you could see the sores and wounds healing, slowly, but surely. its like when you get a big cut on you, and it eventually starts healing, you can see the skin start to harden up and scab and heal.

[chaosboa]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

Man I'm sorry to to hear about your new little guy. This really sucks especially since he's brand new and the breeder didn't say anything. There is no way he didn't see that. Sorry man

[MLynch]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

...And I keep finding spots of discoloration! I found two more tonight while treating him. There's another on his side and one almost at the tip of his tail. They are very (very) small, and if I hadn't been really looking him over hard I would have missed them. I finally gave up on applying chlorhexidine solution and 50/50 peroxide solution to each spot... just took cotton swabs and wiped down his entire body! I was tempted to do the same with the ointment, but I'm not sure that would be good for him.

...poor guy!

[satyra]

Re: Scale Rot? ...Looks Like it...

that really sucks!! ask the guy who sold him to you to take a pic of the cage this boa was in and see what it looks like. better yet tell him you want him to pay for you to take him to the vet