Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok, we'll try this again, I think I had better luck with the camera this time...

The skin problem is only on his spine, almost the entire length of the snake, and a couple spots look like blisters... It almost looks like he was rubbing against the cage wall trying to get out...

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~Maggie~

"Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious."
1.1 Cal Kings (Spot and Fry)
1.0 Brooksi
1.0 Ball Python
0.1 Red Belly Piranha (Fluffy)
1.0 Australian Shepherd (Spooky)
1.0 Springer Spaniel/Beagle mix (Snoopy)
0.1 German Shep mix (Shadow)
0.1 Cat (Echo)

I am no expert but to me that looks like very bad scars. If itis scabby still then it will heal some after each shed,but it will always have black scars. To me it looks like he squeezed his body through something. I would soak him and put neosporine with no pain reliever in it on the back. When he is going to shed make sure humidity is up there. Best of luck and keep us updated.

there's only the one little spot on his back that still looks really sore and it seems to be scabbed over, so I think I'll let him alone for a couple days till he settles in here...

He's got a fairly large water dish so if he wants to soak I won't interfere with him...

If he doesn't look to be getting better by then, I'll track down a herp vet to get an opinion on him... If I have time between classes tomorrow, I'll try calling a vet to see if they'll help me out over the phone...
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~Maggie~

"Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious."
1.1 Cal Kings (Spot and Fry)
1.0 Brooksi
1.0 Ball Python
0.1 Red Belly Piranha (Fluffy)
1.0 Australian Shepherd (Spooky)
1.0 Springer Spaniel/Beagle mix (Snoopy)
0.1 German Shep mix (Shadow)
0.1 Cat (Echo)

It may have been a bacterial infection, especially if it looks like there was blistering. Your snake needs good nourishment and will probably shed more often than typical because of the new cell growth to repair. If he'll let you, put neosporin on it. It helps to keep him on a substrate that won't stick to the neosporin (like paper towels). Keep the humidity high for shedding. Rats are more nourishing than mice if you can get him to take those. Just my 2 cents.

Good luck. He's a nice looking BP otherwise

Thanks for the help and the encouragement... My priority t the moment is to get him a good UTH since I didn't put his heat rock back in with him... I've got a little heater under him right now, but its not big enough for his enclosure...

When I run to the petshop to get that, I'll look into pickin up some rats for him... If I'd have known last week when I ordered my mouse shipment for my kings that I was gettin a ball, I'd have gotten some rats for him...
-----
~Maggie~

"Not one shred of evidence supports the notion that life is serious."
1.1 Cal Kings (Spot and Fry)
1.0 Brooksi
1.0 Ball Python
0.1 Red Belly Piranha (Fluffy)
1.0 Australian Shepherd (Spooky)
1.0 Springer Spaniel/Beagle mix (Snoopy)
0.1 German Shep mix (Shadow)
0.1 Cat (Echo)

I rescued an adult male ball python from someone that has the same thing. He is a little over 4 feet long, thin as can be (only weighing 1700 grams when he should weigh nearly 4000g by how skinny he is). The owner told me that he had gotten to his heat lamp a few years back and burned the entire length of his back. She had never taken him to a vet for treatment...it was very sad but the scars do not seem to bother him at all now.

Hope your guy turns out okay, I am still working on getting my rescue's weight up, but he eats great!

I had the same thing on mine last year I just increased his humidity and soaked him every week a couple of sheds later alittle scarring but no big deal.