Adult Corn Won't Shead or Eat

[ManaBanana]

I have had my female corn for almost a year now, and she was probably a few years old already when we got her. She has always been great at eating every week and shedding regularly with no problems. However, recently she won't eat or shed! I read somewhere that its the end of breeding season for them so I though that could be it, but I thought that would explain her not eating. I am not that concerned about her not eating because she is still a good weight. I am more concerned about her not shedding. She has been quite ready for one for a few weeks now. I have been keeping her tank humid, giving her baths a few times a week, and using this stuff called shed-ease that worked well for our baby python. She has also been having some bad dry spots where her scales look shrunken and brownish. Should I take her to the vet? What do I do? Please help!!!

[AggielandReptiles]

Have you recently changed anything in her environment? What is the temperature in her cage? Have you changed the food source?

I agree that feeding isn't the immediate concern at the moment. As long as she isn't dropping substantial weight, snakes can go much longer than we feel comfortable in between meals.

Problems with shedding can indicate many health problems that might need to be addressed by a veterinarian. Can you take some pictures to post on here?

[ManaBanana]

The only thing we have changed recently is given her fresh bedding, but it was not a new type or anything. Also I don't think it could be the bedding because whenever we get a new bag we freeze it for a week or so before we thaw it and put it in the cage to make sure there are not parasites in it. I don't know what the tep is but she is in a 20L with a 75W bulb. same thing she has had since we got her and no problems. We have always fed her live because that's what the store we got her at did, but she will eat frozen too she is the least picky eater! I will try to get some picks up here if I can figure my camera out.

[bitsy]

It could be that your lady is actually male - a hunger strike at this time of the year, for weeks or even a couple of months, would be normal. The lack of shedding would go along with that. If she isn't eating, then she isn't growing, which means that she's less likely to shed.

A Corn is very unlikely to stay in the pre-shed "blue" phase for a few weeks, especially with all the help you've been giving yours. Could you explain how her appearance makes you think she's been trying to shed for that long?

She has also been having some bad dry spots where her scales look shrunken and brownish
This sounds more like scale rot - a bacterial problem caused by conditions which are too humid. The high tank humidity and soaking could actually be causing the problem. It's a bit of a fiddle to sort out, but shouldn't be dangerous if treated promptly and properly. However it would mean that you need to do pretty much the opposite of what you've been doing so far, so you need to be sure.

As Aggie has asked, would you be able to post a photo for us? It would be really helpful.

If you're seriously worried then I'd go to a vet just for your own peace of mind. Sometimes it's more about making you feel better than the snake actually needing help!

[AggielandReptiles]

This sounds more like scale rot - a bacterial problem caused by conditions which are too humid. The high tank humidity and soaking could actually be causing the problem.

Absolutely. Very likely differential based on the description.

Mana, try to get a humidity gauge. I know your part of Colorado tends to be relatively dry, so it might not be a bad idea to "dry her off" for a few days. You can put a margarine tub (or something similar) with a hole cut in the top and filled with moist spaghnum moss in it to act as a moist hide if she wants it, and then stop misting and other treatments for a few days to a week to see if symptoms resolve.

Try to get a pic for us though - would be much more helpful if we could see it as well!

[ManaBanana]

I hate to say it and I could be wrong but I don't think its scale rot. I have been keeping her humidity up, but thats not saying much because it is so dry here that its really hard to do. My other snake is a cape york spotted python and needs TONS of humidity and I need to mist him at least 2-3 times a day to keep him from getting dry spots on his scales. My corn's spots look a lot like my pythons dry spots, but they just wont go away. I am also careful to not give her too much humidity because she is very prone to URIs. So I only mist her once to twice a week. Still working on the pics!

[ManaBanana]

Actually I just looked up some picks of scale rot and thats kind of what it looks like, but I though it had to be super wet for that to happen? Also its been 2 months since she has shed, and she usually sheds every month, to month and a half.

[bitsy]

Although you're only misting her tank once or twice a week, if you're giving her baths a few times a week as well then this could be a contributory factor. It's not just tank humidity alone which can be a problem.

I've experienced scale rot in one of mine (unfortunately) and "shrunken and brownish" does exactly describe the way the affected scales looked. On mine it was her belly scales, where the edges took on a ragged, wrinkly, brown appearance.

If it was a stuck shed which had been there for some weeks, by now the snake would be wrinkly and discoloured all over, rather than just having small patches of strange-looking scales. Is there anything other than the small patches of odd scales, which makes you think that she's been about to shed for all that time?

I don't know what the tep is but she is in a 20L with a 75W bulb
Ideally you do need to know what the maximum temp is. Over their safe max of 90 for any length of time, could interfere with digestion and put them off eating. If it's starting to get hot where you are, then the problem could get worse.

Plus using a bulb as heating causes the tank air to dry out more than an undertank heater (UTH) and so again, might be contributing to an environmental problem.

[ManaBanana]

A few weeks ago her eyes got "blue" or I call it just cloudy. And she is also shedding single scales here and there and is just very dry. Just the typical things she does before shedding, and she usually doesn't eat when she needs to shed. What do I do if it is scale rot? Does she need to go to the vet for this?

[bitsy]

Oops - we posted at the same time!

Actually I just looked up some picks of scale rot and thats kind of what it looks like, but I though it had to be super wet for that to happen?
It doesn't have to be super-wet for scale rot, no. Just damp enough for the bacteria to take hold and reproduce. If the snake is regularly getting bathed and there are nooks and crannies in the tank or fittings which don't dry out, then that would do it.

Also its been 2 months since she has shed, and she usually sheds every month, to month and a half.
That's unusual for an adult - mine shed 3-5 times per year. They shed every 4-6 weeks as hatchlings and this slows down as they grow. Frequent shedding in adults can indicate a health problem.

[bitsy]

You can deal with scale rot at home - it's a bit of a faff to be honest, but worth it. I can tell you what worked for mine and hopefully others can chip in with more ideas.

- Swap the tank to an easily-cleaned setup. Newspaper substrate, hides which can be completely cleaned or are disposable. Try not to use anything with a textured surface where bacteria can hide out, like cork bark or water bowls shaped like rocks.
- Cleaning is vital to clear the bacteria and stop them creeping back. To start with, deep clean the tank and all the fittings that you're going to use. Use a reptile-safe disinfectant rather than plain water.
- The bacteria are also present on the snake, so it needs to be disinfected as well (I used Betadine). Dilute the disinfectant as per the instructions and make an old facecloth damp with it. Whenever you clean the tank and fittings, clean the snake as by letting it slide through the facecloth. You can wipe it down if it'll let you, but I found that mine objected!
- Change the newspaper every day. Change the water and disinfect the water bowl every day.
- Disinfect the tank and fittings 2-3 times a week, making sure that you dry them thoroughly before putting the setup back together. Wipe the snake down before putting it back in.
- If you use a feeding tank, make sure you give that the same level of cleaning as the main tank.

The trick with scale rot is to keep killing the bacteria with the disinfectant, then keep the tank clean and dry so that they don't take hold again. The lack of humidity in your location could actually work in your favour. You need conditions in the tank as dry as possible for a while.

Beware that as a bacterial problem, it can be spread to your other snake. Make sure that you don't use any kit like feeding tanks or cleaning cloths/brushes in both tanks and wash your hands before and after handling each of them.

You might find that the snake sheds more often as it recovers, clearing off the old damaged scales.

If it *is* scale rot (and bear in mind that we're still just guessing!) then I think it must be irritating or uncomfortable for the snake, which is why they can go off their food. Mine didn't eat for three months. It took her several weeks to start again once I'd realised the problem and started treating it, so it can be a slow process.

[ManaBanana]

Ok so we cleaned her tank and have been keeping her super dry. We have been wiping her down with a very diluted peroxide treatment once a day and then putting antibiotic ointment on her. It seems to be getting a lot better! I finally got a picture, but its not that great, but this was the best i could get.

[bitsy]

That does look a lot like scale rot. Nowhere near as bad as on mine though - all of the edges on the belly scales had gone brown and ragged. Looks like you've caught it in time.

Good spot!