Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, I just got a new BP (not my first, been through quite a few, current'y have 5) and I put her in her QT setup. Couple hors later I noticed just a LITTLE TINY bit of blood, so I checked her over again and again and at first saw no problems, then I noticed her vent just looked odd, so I took a closer look and one side of her ventral scale is bent INTO her vent. It looks like she could care less, but it bothers me! Expecially with her being a future breeder and possibly something special! So my question is... Is it worth it to grab the tweesers and try to flip it out? I am worried about causing more damage by doing that. OR... Should I wait untill her next shed/poop and hope it corrects itself?

She doesn't seem to be bleeding at all anymore, I am not even sure if that blood was from her vent, or even her at all, I asked my husband (who setup the enclosure) if the papertowel was possibly used and he said it was in the enclosure already, but he had put clean ones in, so there is a possibility that it could have been anything. I changed the paper towel and I don't see any more blood.

Thanks in advance for any replies.
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"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." - Kurt Cobain

"You laugh at me because I am different; I laugh at you because you are all the same."

~~ Krystal ~~

If you just got her, a trip to the vet would be a good idea anyway.

That being said, bent scales are not uncommon, bleeding during or after a shed is not uncommon. But without seeing your animal, it's hard to tell for sure. I would not use the tweezers to "fix" a scale. If it does not appear to bother the animal, then it should not bother you. Just keep a watchful eye.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Thanks for the info, makes me feel better, and I trust you (probably don't remember me, but still)

I think I am going to have my husband take a few of our snakes to a local herp vet in our area that we just learned about, but I heard there is only 1 doc there that is worth anything.It would be worth taking her in anyway, as you said.

I wish I had better contacts, MI is pretty dead herpwise. I want to have 3 BPs and a kingsnake probed, but I really don't want to take them all to the vet and pay them to do it, and I want to learn, so if anyone in MI wants to probe for me and teach me how to probe/pop while there at it...!

Oh, also, just curious... Have you ever been able to sex a BP without poping or a probe? LOL I think I have a male on my hands with one of my other BPs. I had him in the bath soaking when I saw this little "pink crayon" poke out of his vent and shoot out what looks like a sperm plug! It was an experience for sure, I just giggled while I told my husband I think we have a boy!
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"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." - Kurt Cobain

"You laugh at me because I am different; I laugh at you because you are all the same."

~~ Krystal ~~

>>I wish I had better contacts, MI is pretty dead herpwise. I

Didn't you live in CA?

>>Oh, also, just curious... Have you ever been able to sex a BP without poping or a probe? LOL I think I have a male on my hands with one of my other BPs. I had him in the bath soaking when I saw this little "pink crayon" poke out of his vent and shoot out what looks like a sperm plug! It was an experience for sure, I just giggled while I told my husband I think we have a boy!

I know a guy who checks the sex by rubbing/stroking from just under the cloacal opening to the base of the tail. He feels for the "drop-off" and determines the sex. I have tried it but I trust popping and probing more. It was a neat thing to see though.
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Nope, lived in MI all my life. Pretty boring.

Thanks for the info, it was pretty neat to see, a little odd though LOL. Took me a second to put two and two together because I was expecting poo as he always does when he hits the water. LOL
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"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." - Kurt Cobain

"You laugh at me because I am different; I laugh at you because you are all the same."

~~ Krystal ~~

I'm from MI - Warren, grew up in Troy and Kingston. Now, I'm a non-native Floridian. I must admit, I like the fishing weather here better
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

LOL Yeah, My brother and grandparents are in FL, I've never been, I can't handle heat, but I would LOVE the fishing and all the wildlife down there! I lived in the Pontiac area all my life, just moved out by Ypsilanti and got married. I wish there was more to do up here herp wise, it's pretty limited, I have been to the Taylor show to sell a het. albino male I had when I (regretfully) sold all my BPs besides my pretty male because I really didn't have the time and money to do anything with them, but what's the Taylor show, I want to be in Daytona! LOL
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"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." - Kurt Cobain

"You laugh at me because I am different; I laugh at you because you are all the same."

~~ Krystal ~~

Wow, I worked in the tank plant on 12 mile and Van Dyke back in the eighties. Originally from Clarkston. My, my, my..... Small world ain't it?

It sure is!
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Jay A. Martin
Jay Martin Reptiles

Hi Krystal, Sorry I don't probe or pop. Just another Michiganian lookin' for a vet closer than the only one I know of. He's a hundred miles from me. Where in Michigan are you guys at?

Quig

We're near Ypsilanti, but venture over to the Pontiac area alot. Where are you at? Maybe I can help? Always nice to find more people here who have ANY of the same interests as we do, the people around here think we're freaks LOL. What all do you keep? Here's my list.

1.1.3 Ball Pythons (if I had to guess I'd say 3.2)
0.0.1 Kingsnake
0.2.0 Mixed breed dogs
0.2.0 Dwarf Hamsters
20 Fish
Breeder rats making a comeback now that we have more snakes again. Should be getting them any time now. Also looking into a few other things right now.
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"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." - Kurt Cobain

"You laugh at me because I am different; I laugh at you because you are all the same."

~~ Krystal ~~

I'm about 120 miles up I-75 from Pontiac. A small town called Au Gres near Tawas. Bout 2 miles away from Lake Huron. The Vet I was reffering to is in Ortonville.

Quig

My Critters

1.0.0 Burmese
1.0.0 Colombian Red-Tail Boa
1.1.0 Ball Pythons
0.1.0 Saharan Sand Boa
0.1.0 Calabar Ground Python
2.1.0 African Fat-Tailed Geckos
0.1.0 Leopard Gecko
0.0.2 Forest Armadillo Lizards
0.1.0 Black German Shepard
0.1.0. wife
0.1.0 Mom-in-Law
3.0.0 teen agers
sundry and assorted feeder items

an' a partridge in a pear tree

Sounds like you've got quite a collection.

You're way up there by our best friend, not too much up there. Best I can do from here is give you this list. Hope it helps.
Herp Vets in MI

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"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." - Kurt Cobain

"You laugh at me because I am different; I laugh at you because you are all the same."

~~ Krystal ~~

Thanks for the list, but it's already in my favorites . I used to want to study for that profession. Wish I had now LOL.

Quig

LOL Sorry, wish I could have helped more LOL. I hear ya though, I wish there were more herp vets too. Do you have AIM, YIM, or MSNM?
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"Wanting to be someone else is a waste of the person you are." - Kurt Cobain

"You laugh at me because I am different; I laugh at you because you are all the same."

~~ Krystal ~~

I have both yahoo and MSN, but I use MSN mostly. Email addy is quig1_77scout@charter.net if you wanna add me to your list.

Quig