Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I aquired a Gopher snake from a friend of a friend today, and the snake looks to be past it's shedding period, and was neglected by the previous owner by bieng left in a 4 foot tall cardboard box. Anyway, the snake was not given the proper facilities or husbandry to shed.

The skin is very very dry, and I have noticed a couple of bumps under the skin. When I got it here, it drank a lot of water, and I immediately began soaking it.

I am wondering if there is anything else I can do for it. I don't want infection to set it, and I fear that the bumps under the skin may be just that.

Thanks!!

Continue soaking in shallow water (like 1/2" deep any depth where the snake doesn't have to swim.) each day for 10-15 minutes or so until the skin looks more supple. A great way is to use a plastic container, water and a heat pad under one end to keep the air in the box warm and humid.

I did that with a rescued Cal king that looked like it had 2 layers of unshed skin on it. Soaked each day as described above, and it looked great after about 4 days and was fine after that.

Regarding the bumps - I don't know what causes those, but try some Neosporin on the affected areas, as it can't hurt, and make sure to try and force the ointment under the scale edge if possible. Neosporin has been used many times on snake wounds with success. If the Neo doesn't help and the bumps persist, you may need to seek vet advice. I've only had one snake that had a bump when I got it, and it went away after a few sheds.

Good luck. Glad you got it out of the hands of the numbskull who let it wither away.
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Mark

Personally I would recommend you take it to a VET that deals with Reptiles. The below info is found here -- http://www.klsnet.com/sicksnake.html

Blister Disease
Generally seen only in captive snakes, this is an illness that can most certainly be avoided through proper enclosure maintenance. When kept on dirty, moldy, and/or overly moist substrate, fluid-filled blisters may form on the underside of the snake. These are different than burn blisters, and should be correctly identified before treatment. At first only one or two may appear, but they will grow in number and can become life-threatening if it spreads to the mouth, nose, or cloaca. The best treatment is prevention: keep the substrate clean and dry, spot clean feces and urates as soon as you see them, and do thorough substrate changes regularly. One or two blisters can be treated safely at home. Sterilize a very sharp needle and gently pierce the blister. Using a clean cotton swap or bandage, absorb as much of the fluid from the blister as possible. Then, twice daily you should flush the blister and surrounding skin with hydrogen peroxide or Betadine and apply antibiotic ointment. Keep the snake in a hospital tank until healed. If there are more than a few blisters, or they extended to a delicate part of the body, an experienced herp veterinarian should be consulted for treatment.

>>The skin is very very dry, and I have noticed a couple of bumps under the skin. When I got it here, it drank a lot of water, and I immediately began soaking it.
>>
>>I am wondering if there is anything else I can do for it. I don't want infection to set it, and I fear that the bumps under the skin may be just that.
>>
>>Thanks!!

Personally I would wrap it in soaked towels with a heat source under a tote or tub. House it in there until you hydrate it thoroughly and get all the shed off so you can assess the bumps and damage. Like a week. Don't try to feed it until it is totally hydrated. Don't tax it's organs with food to digest.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

Thanks for the advice guys, I have been soaking it regularly, and its eyes went from barely hazy, to completely opaque. Does that mean it is going to go through the shed peior again??-Or is that a bad sign??

Anyway, it is very energetic, and "alive". It seems to be in otherwise good health....other than the skin problem, so hopefully, it will pull through.

Things turned out great. The snake managed to shed completely on its own with no skin pieces stuck on. The two bumps on her back seem to have gotten smaller from the shed. I don't think they are blisters, but some sort of injury as they look to be healing. Also, some of her tail bones feel to be either broken, or disformed near the vent. I think it is just a deformation, because I once hatched a baby with a similar bony-feeling deformation near the tail.

Anyway, thanks for the help guys. I'll keep ya posted with her next shed.