pulled scale off top of head

[chelzzer]

Well, I finally managed to get a picture of Peaches showing the hole left where she (somehow) ripped a scale clean off the top of her head.. She's had quite the bout of spring fever since mid-february and I think she's finally calming down, thankfully. She's on her second day of blue right now so she should shed by Tuesday at the latest.

My question is, how should I care for the area? I've been applying a bit of polysporin to it and a few places online say scales should grow back in. I'm just more concerned because it's right on the top of her head.

I'm sorry for the terrible cell phone photos. I've tried many times to take pictures of it with my Rebel but she's really been squirmy when I take her out lately. She was sitting in the sun today so I snapped a few pics with my phone through the glass

http://img.tapatalk.com/d/14/04/06/ujy2udut.jpg

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[chelzzer]

Also, if needed I will find a way, but I'm hoping to avoid a Vet visit if at all possible. My only local reptile vet MOVED AWAY and the next nearest one is (drumroll please) 7 hours away..

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[daddio207]

It appears to be skinned/scabbed over at the moment and doesn't look infected. I wouldn't touch or treat it until after the shed. If it's an open wound after the shed then apply the polysporin sparingly until it scabs over again. If bedding is getting stuck to the wound then you might want to change the bedding to paper.
It should in time grow back and be fine. If you see any signs of infection then at least call the Vet to get advice.
Good luck.

[oooDAXooo]

I'd add to check the the skin and her head when she does shed that there's nothing left stuck to the scab


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[chelzzer]

It appears to be skinned/scabbed over at the moment and doesn't look infected. I wouldn't touch or treat it until after the shed. If it's an open wound after the shed then apply the polysporin sparingly until it scabs over again. If bedding is getting stuck to the wound then you might want to change the bedding to paper.
It should in time grow back and be fine. If you see any signs of infection then at least call the Vet to get advice.
Good luck.

Thanks! I have only been putting a very small amount of Polysporin on.
Bedding hasn't been sticking to it thus far but I'll keep an eye out.




I'd add to check the the skin and her head when she does shed that there's nothing left stuck to the scab


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When she sheds I'm going to be checking her over anyways (she also bent a couple of scales back along her body) so I'll check around the scab as well. Thanks!

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[vetusvates]

What daddio said.

I'm thinking not removing anything from that spot on the top of the head itself, post shed, would be best.
The site has clearly started healing, and it will by the way, but leave...whatever protection may remain behind after the shed...in place. Don't want to deepen the lesion or prolong its existence.
Apply neosporin lightly prn.
That's part of the natural adaptation "pro's" of reptiles' shedding : the healing of superficial wounds from the dermis outward.

[chelzzer]

What daddio said.

I'm thinking not removing anything from that spot on the top of the head itself, post shed, would be best.
The site has clearly started healing, and it will by the way, but leave...whatever protection may remain behind after the shed...in place. Don't want to deepen the lesion or prolong its existence.
Apply neosporin lightly prn.
That's part of the natural adaptation "pro's" of reptiles' shedding : the healing of superficial wounds from the dermis outward.

Okay. If there's any small bits of shed skin attached to the scab I'll leave them there. If there's more than a small bit I'll post some pictures on this thread to get a couple opinions before I do anything.

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[chelzzer]

Now, I'm curious. Do you think the scab will make it difficult for her to shed that area of skin? She tends to shed in the middle of the day when it's busy in my home. I think she's figured out that when it's quiet I keep an ear out to listen for any extra or weird noises coming from her tank, and if she's out and about I always go over and check on her (so I'm a little obsessive, no big deal lol) and she's subject to a through-the-glass photoshoot on occasion. So she sheds in the middle of the day during the bustle so I don't notice. However, I'll likely be gone up to the college when she sheds this time, so I'm wondering if I should reschedule until after she's done so I can stay and keep an eye on her in case anything starts to go amuck. The only other members in my household are two adrenaline-junkie men who are scared pantsless of Peaches lol, so there wouldn't be any chance of them keeping an eye on her for me with a list of things to watch for and alert me to.

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[kc261]

Aww. The poor thing.

I think the shed is more likely to stick right around that spot than it would usually, but I don't think it is likely to cause anything like her entire shed to get stuck, so she shouldn't need any help in that sense. And I totally agree with leaving it alone and not trying to remove any shed in that vicinity that might get stuck.

I think the more likely issue (or at least more likely to be big enough to require action on your part), is that in the process of shedding, she'll reopen the wound. Even so, it isn't that big nor deep from what I can see in the pics, so it isn't likely to bleed heavily nor to get a bad infection. So I wouldn't worry too much if you need to be away when she'll shed.

[chelzzer]

Aww. The poor thing.

I think the shed is more likely to stick right around that spot than it would usually, but I don't think it is likely to cause anything like her entire shed to get stuck, so she shouldn't need any help in that sense. And I totally agree with leaving it alone and not trying to remove any shed in that vicinity that might get stuck.

I think the more likely issue (or at least more likely to be big enough to require action on your part), is that in the process of shedding, she'll reopen the wound. Even so, it isn't that big nor deep from what I can see in the pics, so it isn't likely to bleed heavily nor to get a bad infection. So I wouldn't worry too much if you need to be away when she'll shed.

It's not deep at all, thankfully. Only as deep as the scale was thick.

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[Kate]

You said she also has bent few scales?
Have you figured out what caused the bent scales and/or this scale being ripped off?
It might be worth investigating, so this episode isn't repeated. Run your fingers all over any surface she could contact in the tank, even ones you don't suspect.

Post post-shed pics! :)

[chelzzer]

I'm 99% sure I know how she bent the scales back along her body. During her spring fever madness, she was insanely active, and thus discovered a way to do this sort of monorail type thing around the top of her tank. She somehow manages to wedge her body between the top of the tank and the lip of the screen lid, and goes around and around and around the top of the tank. For hours. And occasionally, she would lose her grip and fall down to the bottom of the tank. It's only a 30gal so it's not very far, but that's besides the point. Scares the crap outta me when she falls too. So I think that when she starts falling, she tries to catch herself, and the scales get caught in the screen of the lid. And when she can't catch herself, she falls and the scales get damaged. I'll attach a cell phone picture of her monorail thing. Don't mind all the crap on top of the lid haha, it has no clips so I have it weighed down.
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But I'm still completely baffled as to how she pulled the scale off the top of her head! It's completely flush, there's no edge that raises like the rest of the scales along the body do.. I really can't figure it out.

She did shed on Tuesday during the day. It came off fine and by the time I got home the wound was scabbed, pretty much. I put a very small dab of Polysporin on it anyways. There was no skin stuck to it.

She also took an adult mouse tonight, hallelujah! :bowdown:
The fast has ended.. It was her first full meal since early February. She had one rat pup at the beginning of March, but nothing else. So I wanted a smaller feeder size, and I went to the pet store in town that supposedly has the most experience in reptiles, and their feeder sizes are ridiculous. The mice they have as 'pinkies' are actually hopper size... All sorts of stuff like that. Their adult mice were miniscule, so I wanted to get a rat pup instead because they're roughly the same size. THEIR RAT PUPS WERE THE SIZE OF HOPPERS. It was horrid. I can't wait till she's ready for the ASF's I have in the freezer here from a local breeder. Perfect size. Anyways, now that I'm way off track, ahaha.

I did take some pictures tonight before I fed her and then as she was eating. I just need to load them onto my laptop, sort and resize them, and then I'll upload a couple. I planned on updating Tuesday night but I was swamped with a huge assignment for school hahah.

[Kate]

OOOh, that is an impressive monorail system she has going!
My girl is just 2 weeks into her Spring madness, & it's my first time with it, so I'm not handling it well, she's NEVER refused food before. :'(
I'm watching her make a ridiculous mess of her enclosure, as I type.
She's actually been nose rubbing in her frenzy & I am checking it every day praying it won't get down to the dermis. I know, I know, I'm a psycho.

I have heard horror stories of snakes somehow shifting the weight & getting out, so keep that in mind, I DON'T want to hear that from you.

YAY for a meal!!! :cheers: I can't wait to get the same results!

I'm having a fun time with feeders, too. Petco has STUPID sizes, pretty much like what you said, NO rat pups, the Small Rat is the lowest rat size, Adult mice are what I'd consider hopper size, it's ridiculous.
The non-chain pet stores at ALL in my area only sell live feeders, not f/t, & frankly, I don't trust either store to produce a feeder animal in conditions I would deem appropriate for something going into my snake.
Online stores shipping make me want to cry, especially cuz I have a single snake.

[chelzzer]

Yeah, this is the first spring I've had her as I got her in fall last year. I didn't take it well either hahah, the thought of it slipped my mind so when she got into it I was freaking for a bit. But then the lightbulb switched on lol. Peaches rubbed all over the place too, her nose got a little dry but nothing major.

My mother in law lectured me for a good hour about making sure that lid had no chance of coming off after her other son moved in with my boyfriend and I. It was actually kind of funny. I took a couple pictures of Peaches nosing at the lid and captioned them as her trying to get out. Their mom called me lol.

I was so happy that she ate today, holy. I actually did a fist pump hahaha.

Yeah, my feeder situation is basically the same. There are two PetValu's here, a PetSmart being built, two Foremost Pet Foods, and a couple private stores. The open ones all claim to have reptile experts but I can walk in and point out a few things that need to be done better. I could go on for days, haha. Recently one of the PetValu's had 3 juvie corns in the exo terra size that's commonly used for Cresties. I can't remember the exact measurements. One hide in the middle, no water dish, and a heat lamp. I shook my head and walked out.

I luckily found a lady through Kijiji that lives 5 minutes out of town and has a breeding colony of ASF rats and mice. I get 10 adult ASF frozen mice for $24. And they're already packaged up and frozen all nicely for me, not just thrown into a bag all jumbled.

I'll upload the pictures in the morning. Just got sorted through them all and resized half of them lol

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[Kate]

OOh, lucky find with the breeder, I need to poke my head around for one, or stock up next time I go to a reptile show.

[chelzzer]

Alright alright alright!
So after procrastinating an immense amount here are the photos hahah.
I am SOO SORRY for the fact that some were taken on my hand. The house I live in is very old, so there are no ceiling light fixtures. I have to go into my bathroom to get proper lighting for photos, and since one of my housemates haven't done their chores this week, I wasn't able to put her down on the counter to take proper photos because it was dirty and gross and toothpaste-y. The first few were in her tank, before I took her out - she was a little grumpy. Then a few on my arm in the bathroom, and finishing with a few during feeding.

I may have to add them in more than one post. I'm not completely familiar with uploading more than one or two pictures into a post at once haha.
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[chelzzer]

And the last few.
I took more, but most didn't turn out, the lighting is horrible as I said :angry01:
And also cause I didn't wanna post a kajillion photos in a thread under health/feeding problems, ahah.
When it's nice out one day I'll bring her into my front room by the big windows and get some really good photos of her.
These at least get the point across of her true colors, so they're good enough for now.
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[chelzzer]

OH AND.
I apologize that the two feeding photos are darker/ colors are off.
I didn't want to chance spooking her with the flash, and my photoshop trial has ended (go figure, just when I need it haha).

[kc261]

She's a really pretty girl. Glad the shed didn't cause any issues with the scale on her head.

Love the monorail pic!

[zazoo31]

Our Alberto is doing the same thing. He is going around and he manages to pull himself along the edge where the door is on his viv. He falls from there and also from tree branches. Today I spotted three scales that the edges are scraped, including the very same one that your girl is missing. I know it is from the ledge but I don't have any ideas on how to keep him off there, it is so thin, I am amazed he can hang on.

How long do corns keep up with this behavior?

[chelzzer]

Our Alberto is doing the same thing. He is going around and he manages to pull himself along the edge where the door is on his viv. He falls from there and also from tree branches. Today I spotted three scales that the edges are scraped, including the very same one that your girl is missing. I know it is from the ledge but I don't have any ideas on how to keep him off there, it is so thin, I am amazed he can hang on.

How long do corns keep up with this behavior?

Peaches was wacko from mid-february until just recently. It felt like a lot longer though lol

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[zazoo31]

He's been doing it for a while. I wish he would calm down. He is barely slowing down after he eats. Usually we don't see him for 2-3 days after a feed, the last time he fed he was cruising the next day. He feeds tonight--I hope he gets back to normal soon, before he actually loses a scale :(

[chelzzer]

Just a little update.
Peaches shed again a couple of days ago and the scab is just about ready to fall off. She rubbed her head against me while I had her out and you can see that the scab actually came loose and turned a bit. I can't see much underneath it just yet but the little that I can see appears to be healed nicely, though a bit off color.

Sorry that they're feeding photos but it's not often I have her keep still enough to take a photo of her head lol.

Thanks to all for the quick advice!
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[kc261]

Glad to hear things are looking good! I'm not a big fan of feeding photos (don't mind them, just think others are more attractive), but it was a great idea for getting her to hold still enough for a head shot!

[hypnoctopus]

I bet it will completely clear up within a few sheds.

[ceduke]

That looks like it's healing very nicely!

[vetusvates]

Excellent.