Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello all,
I have said this before, this is the best forum here at Kingsnake, so I am bringing this question to you and not the other forum.

I have a hatchling Ball Python, approximately 3 months old. He escaped from his cage about two weeks ago. I just found him this morning.
He has lost weight, was cold and stiff, and had ticks on him. His belly is also covered in little pustules. He obviously crawled through something caustic or that he was allergic to. Either is possible; he was found outside near my garage.

I washed him gently in Ivory soap to remove any residue, pulled the ticks, and placed him in a warm quarantine cage. I will attempt to feed him tomorrow after he has had a chance to warm up.

Being a Ball I know there is a very real threat of a URI. I will monitor him closely.

Any suggestions for treating the skin? Should I try and put something on them, a cream of some sort?

Thanks
Shari

Shari,

Sorry to hear of the misfortune your little guy got into while AWOL.
One of the best treatments I have found for dermal injuries has been to clean the injured area with 2% Chlorhexidine solution and apply Silvadine (silver sulfadiazine). Some places require a prescription for Silvadine, so be prepared to have a vet call this in for you.
If Silvadine is not an option, just use a triple antibacterial ointment, such as Neosporin.
This should clear up any dermal problems incurred and after a few rounds of ecdysis, everything should be back to normal.
As for URI, I would not advise you to initiate treatment for such, unless your little guy becomes symptomatic. Keeping him within a warm environment should do the trick.

Best of luck to you,

Jeff

Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.526.4856