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This is a friends ball, there is a discoloration/infection along it's belly scales. I've been told that some of the scales around the area are actually loose to a degree. Does anyone know what this is and what can be done to treat/prevent it? Thank you!

It looks like scale rot or a burn, either way, get it to a vet ASAP. if you don't know of one go to

www. herp vet connection . com
(type it all together herpvetconnection.com)

In the mean time up the humidity and up the temps (say up it to about 94-95 degrees)
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1.1 Ball Python, 0.1 motley amel corn, 1.0 western hognose

I would also add to clean out the cage completely and change the substrate. I also suspect you might have a heatrock in there. If so, GET IT OUT OF THERE!

He responds (and thanks you all for your posts):

Scale rot eh? I'd heared of that but didn't know what it was and there
aren't many sites I've found that actually describe/explain it and also
tell how to cure it once your snake has it. Besides not eating, it doesn't
seem to bother the snake all that much as he still comes out from under
his hide rock to look around, though that may just be my newbie lack of
notice for nuance. I think I know what caused this too - there was a two
week period in which the bedding wasn't changed. I didn't get around to
cleaning the cage before I went on a week's vacation, and I returned home
to find this. The bedding had seemed damp, but the pet store had told me
it was ok because it meant the humidity in the tank was at a good level; I
had used a spritz bottle to moisten the stuff every few days as per their
instructions. My first thought was that the wet bedding had done this, and
it seems I may be right. I've gotten a hygrometer for the tank now so that
should mean I can keep a closer eye on the humidity of the tank, and now,
after spritzing, I mix up the bedding with my hand to distribute the
moisture rather than leaving it on the surface. It's been just over a week
since, and I've kept the cage pristine, checking it daily and cleaning it
frequently. Per ya'lls advice, I'm bumping the ambient temperature up from
about 83 or so to around 87-90, and keeping the humidity at around 80%,
more if possible without getting wet bedding. I have no heat rock; I have
an under-tank heating pad that's adhesive to the underside. I've noticed
my snake sometimes pushes bedding away as he curls up, sometimes
contacting the glass. The glass itself doesn't feel all that hot, but I
dunno. Anyways, with the normal steps in place for a natural recovery, is
there anything else I can do to speed the process? I hate seeing him like
this and I feel really guilty about letting it happen.

I would say, obviously, a vet. Second, to help prevent more trouble. Put him on newspaper and for humidity put in a damp moss hide. (Hide container with soaked and squeezed out spaghnum.....keep the moss misted down, especially when shedding) Don't mist the whole cage. Do provide a big water dish so he doesn't dehydrate when you up the temps. That way he has places to get out of the damp. Change the paper as soon as it is soiled and treat the scale rot with....firstly what the vet recommends. If it were me I would give him a betadine soak (after a normal water bath so he will be hydrated and not drink the betadine) or you can soak papertowels in betadine and let him sit on them for half an hour. If it were me I would put some silvadene or polysporin cream on it.
Left untreated it could go systemic and kill your snake, so it is SERIOUS.
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Sonya

Haven't we warned you about tampering with the structure of a chaotic system?
Mrs. Neutron

I believe a constant humidity of 80% is not good. Per others advice make sure you have a proper sized water bowl, stop wetting the substrate and just create a humid hide. You also need to actually measure (get a good digital thermometer with probe) the surface temps (not air temps). Don't guess. You'd be surprised how cool the glass above the UTH can feel to the touch but yet be very hot. You also need to have something between the glass and the substrate so your BP doesn't come in direct contact with the hot glass.

Oh yeah - get to a vet.

Best of luck!
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Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python
"Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa
"Gimli"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
"Indigo"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa
"Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa
"Arwen"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

Correct temps (these are surface/belly temps):

WARM SIDE = 90-95
COOL SIDE = 80-85

Humidity = 50-60% when not in shed, 70% during shed is great (or just add a humid hide)
-----
Check Out My Albums

1.0 Ball Python
"Aragorn"
1.0 Kenyan Sand Boa
"Gimli"
1.0 Mexican Black Kingsnake
"Indigo"
1.0 Saharan Sand Boa
"Frodo"
0.1 Rough-Scale Sand Boa
"Arwen"

0.1 Australian Cattle Dog/Pointer
"Kira"

I agree.. get it to a vet asap. That poor animal must be in a lot of pain.

...is due to excessive belly heat, and it is vital to prevent secondary infection. I would place this snake on a paper substrate and maintain STRICT sanitation. The snake will go into a shed cycle soon, and this will repair some of the existing damage. Since the snake appears in otherwise good condition, with a presumably good immune system, secondary infection can be avoided. Use of a vitamin E emollient (even straight vit E oil) can help in this situation.

...By now you have corrected the belly-heat situation to prevent further damage (?).

Good luck and keep us informed!
Scott J. Michaels DVM

Hey all, this is the owner of the snake. Unfortunately, things havn't gone so well and my snake's situation continues to worsen. Steps I've taken since last update:

I've put a paper towel over the bottom glass over the heat pad and have subtrate atop that. As of two days ago I've also put newspaper down atop the substrate beneath the hide rock to further insulate him from both belly heat and the relatively coarse wood shaving (Herp safe) substrate which I assumed might be irritating him, especially where the scales have loosened and chips might be able to work their way in. Unfortunately, I was busy with cattle all weekend, which was Easter weekend anyways, and was unable to take him to a vet. The nearest herp vet to my house appears to be an hour and a half away (I live just outside of nowhere), so I need to set aside a big block of time to get him there, then get back home after the visit. This will hopefully occur tommorrow after school; I'm making phone calls and arrangements today. In the meantime, his condition has worsened. He has an outright open sore on his belly now where you can see white underflesh through the scales, and two more spots that seem on their way to opening as well. As mentioned, he is going into a shed cycle, and I hope that'll help, but I'm sure it won't be enough. His belly also stinks slightly, so I'm assuming that there's been an infection despite my efforts to keep him clean. Since there are no dealers of any real medicines I can use on him, would some antibiotic ointment like Neosporin work temporarily, until the vet can give me something tommorrow afternoon?