Sitemaps

I have a baby ball python and it has not shed Whats wrong with it2007-11-24 2:00:11

My python also seemed to have a case of blister disease and I punctured them myself and put on some antibiotic ointment over it. however, by puncturing them i also removed some outer skin.

Answers:

Generally seen only in captive snakes, this is an illness that can most certainly be avoided through proper enclosure maintenance. When kept on dirty, moldy, and/or overly moist substrate, fluid-filled blisters may form on the underside of the snake. These are different than burn blisters, and should be correctly identified before treatment. At first only one or two may appear, but they will grow in number and can become life-threatening if it spreads to the mouth, nose, or cloaca. The best treatment is prevention: keep the substrate clean and dry, spot clean feces and urates as soon as you see them, and do thorough substrate changes regularly. One or two blisters can be treated safely at home. Sterilize a very sharp needle and gently pierce the blister. Using a clean cotton swap or bandage, absorb as much of the fluid from the blister as possible. Then, twice daily you should flush the blister and surrounding skin with hydrogen peroxide or Betadine and apply antibiotic ointment. Keep the snake in a hospital tank until healed. If there are more than a few blisters, or they extended to a delicate part of the body, an experienced herp veterinarian should be consulted for treatment.

As far as the shedding,well how old is the snake and how many times has it fed? It does not sound like it is healthy, and shedding is what a healthy GROWING snake does.

---

You do not say how old your baby is or what and how much you are feeding it. This is important to know as that will determine how often he will shed. Just give him time and he will shed, it is natural. My baby corns shed a week to two weeks after they are born. As for the blisters I personally have not have any snakes that had blisters but I would not open them unless you use newspaper for bedding. Anything else used as bedding could cause an infection after the blisters are opened.

---

I personally don't recommend opening up the blisters no matter what substrate it is on.

Vet check

Also, check the temp and humidity levels in the cage. I keep my bp around 60-65% humidity to help aid in shedding.

If you havent already, get a digital thermometer with probe and place the probe on the warm side substrate to monitor the temps. a hygrometer is very usefull too. Large water bowl kept on the warm side will help raise humidity levels.

---

give it time

---

ummmm i really dont know . but wooo hooo free points

---

I have many snakes, if it has blisters like you say, you sould be taking it to a vet.