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I bought a green anaconda recently from the kishwaki reptile show and he looked great! He had no signs of illness other than what looked like one cruched scale. Then a few days after getting him home I noticed a few raised scakes and what looks like tiny (1-2mm) white abcsess! Initially I suspected baby ticks of chiggers, but The more I look at them the less they resemble them. As time goes by, more and more spots are appearing and the appear to be growing, slowely but surely. I tried to include them in the picks but they are kinda hard to see. Please help me! I am familiar with most reptile diseases, but this is something I have bever seen before! I do not have access to a veterinarian, but really want to help the snake! I am very familiar with dosing medication and have the equipment to do so, so that wont be an issue but I am at a loss in determining what this is! I was told that he came from kelly haller, but I have heard so many good things about kelly that I am kinda sceptical about what I was told. If anyone could help me I would be forever greatful! Thank you!
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My computers not working right! If you think you can help me please e-mail me at jaolech@ilstu.edu and I will email them too you! Thanx again!

It is seen fairly commonly in very young green anacondas that soak themselves for extended periods. Even only slightly contaminated water can cause this if they are soaking in it for long periods of time. It is a bacterial infection of the skin beneath the scales and is many times referred to as blister disease. The best remedy is to remove all sources of water except a very small water bowl for drinking. Do not allow the snake to soak in water no matter how clean it is. Keep the cage environment as dry as possible and continue to feed the snake normally. Typically under these drier conditions the abscesses will disappear after one or two sheds and no antibiotic treatment is needed. This will usually solve the problem in 95% of the cases, however stubborn cases may require a topical antibiotic. Some individuals have trouble with the next shed under these drier conditions and it is alright the soak them for a few hours to help remove the shed. The young anacondas we have produced are kept from birth in cages with small water bowls only, no bowls large enough to soak in are used. We do however keep the humidity slightly elevated. Under these conditions I have never had young show these abscesses, and we have raised several young green anacondas to adults and produced young from them with no access to water other than small drinking bowls. Hope this will help you and let me know if you have any other questions on this. Good luck.

Thank you for all your help! I really apprechiate it! Hopefully this will pass over soon! Thanx again!

I'm no vet, but it sounds like a humidity problem. I have had boas that, when they are kept too humid or soak too much get the white bumps you have described. I always bump the heat up and only give them small dishes for drinking water. They seem to go away with a few sheds. I'm not sure what it is called, but it is medication that looks like windex that helps get rid of the bumps and protects against infection. DO NOT POP OR PULL THE BUMPS OFF. I work at a pets store (that is why I know a little about this) and one of the workers thought it was having trouble shedding and that it would be good to help it shed and peeled off the old skin with the bumps and the snake died the next day.
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