Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok well here is a question....i have a bunch of E. hogs and westerns and about 2 months ago i accidently introduced mites into one of the tanks. Well i have since gotten rid of them but the scars are still there. One of my small easterns died already from infected bite marks, they turned into hard crusty bumps on the snake but i thought it would just shed off next time the snake shed but upon autopsy the ribs and muscle under the skin was red in the areas of the scars. Well i have one more little one that has the same thing only not as bad as the last one. It still eats great and is actually getting ready to shed any day now. What can i do for the infection??? How do i treat it?? The mites are all gone..... thanks

mike

Wow, that must have been one bad mite problem! It sounds to me like it may be time for you to find a good herp vet in your area and have him check out your animals.

Merry Christmas to all!

~ Mike RussO

Time for a vet visit. That is the best thing you can do for your animals at this point.
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Jenea
Guardian Reptiles

"When your memories are bigger than your dreams, you're headed for the grave" Author unknown

unfortunatly there are no good herp vets in this area. The only half decent one turned out to be crazy. Unless you have a dog or cat there isn't much one can do around here.

A diluted betadine solution dabbed onto the affected areas would help, and increase the temp a little to help the animal boost its own immune system. Good luck.
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Jenea
Guardian Reptiles

"When your memories are bigger than your dreams, you're headed for the grave" Author unknown

A healthy animal should be able to live through a mite infestation. I am concerned that there is some parameter of husbandry that is not ideal, and that has compromised the hog's immune system. Hogs in the wild like temps up to 100F, so make sure your sick one has access to temps at least in the mid 90s. 1 to the Betadine recommendation. You can also try putting some powdered reptile supplement into the mouth of the next mouse you give it. It could really use the vitamin boost while fighting off infection.
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Virginia Herping
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VaHS
Virginia Herpetological Society online store
http://www.cafepress.com/vaherpsociety

"The irrational fear of snakes is the only excuse a grown man has... to act like a complete sissy" - Colchicine

Consider moving the snake into a container when it is JUST about to shed. Then bleach everything in its old tank, including any tools that go into it. HOPEFULLY you can catch the snake while it is shedding and return it to it's cleaned tank. Simple things like this help to keep the animal from reinfecting itself. Snakes have it great, shed it all off and move away from the dirty skin. Unfortunately they can't do this in captivity unless you are a little more proactive.
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Virginia Herping
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/VaHS
Virginia Herpetological Society online store
http://www.cafepress.com/vaherpsociety

"The irrational fear of snakes is the only excuse a grown man has... to act like a complete sissy" - Colchicine