• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

scale rot.

J

joedr

New member
I am probably worrying about nothing (as normal) but my snake has not eaten for about 4 weeks and had a bad shed last time. when he bends the skin shrivels up a bit around the neck and there are some scales whick are creased. also and some look grey/brownish.
a few scales have come off (only the top layer, not the whole scale)

i dont know if it is skin rot. could the snake be dehydrated ( i still see the snake drinking) or could it just because he has lost weight from not eating.
 
Unless your enclosure is continuously wet, it isn't rot

A snake not eating for 3-4 weeks isn't necessarily a big problem. You do need to try and figure out why he isn't eating.

The bad shed needs to be addressed quickly. Moisten a paper towel and rub down your snake. This will help remove the old scales.

If you think that your snake is dehydrated then give him a soak in warm water. (This will also soften up any remaining skin from the shed.)
 
Thanks.

I have already done the thing with the towel and the old skin looks like it all come off. i also have moist cloth in one of his hides.

i think the snake is not eating because it is this time of the year. but i read something about them being hydrated and the symptom of mine is similar.:rolleyes:
 
It sounds to me as if you do still have some retained skin from his "bad" shed. I would place a moist hide in his enclosure.

Also, from previous pictures of your snake, he looked a bit overweight. This can cause some "crease" marks on them as well.

And, it IS possible for a snake to get a bacterial skin infection even if the tank is not constantly wet. (Sorry CAV...I don't mean to contradict you...but I have treated several cases at work). Do you have access to any 2% Chlorhexidine Solution (Nolvasan)? It is REALLY good for treating mild skin infections. You would mix 1 part nolvasan with 20 parts water and let the snake soak in it. You just want enough in the bowl for the snake's "infected" area to be soaking. You do not have to soak his whole body. If he ingests a little of it, it will not hurt him, however. Chlorhexidine is used in many dental products. I actually use it to periodically treat the mouth of one of my snakes. She has a minor developmental problem with her mouth that makes her more prone to getting infections.
 
QUOTE]Sorry CAV...I don't mean to contradict you...but I have treated several cases at work[/QUOTE]

Your right Terri. I should have used the words "probably isn't" or "more than likely isn't" it that sentence. I didn't intend to infer that scale rot wasn't possible.
 
Thanks for that advise. i will do this is if possible, the only problem is. over here in the uk there is no product called nolvasan. i dont want to go to my petshop as i dont trust them .

do you know of any other substances that could be used (or the name of the one your talking about that can be purchased over here.)


cheers

Joe
 
I don't know what else it might be called. The active ingredient is 2% Chlorhexidine. You may have to call around to see if you can find it. Lots of farmer's use it here in the states. I'd say if it is available in the UK, you may be able to find it at a farm supply store. Here is a link to a generic version of it: http://commerce.omahavaccine.com/single_product_display.cfm?id=13366

I am not sure if they would be willing to ship overseas, or not. You could always check with them.

As for something else you could use...a surgical iodine or betedine solution would also work. You would mix it up a little weaker than the nolvason, though.

CAV,
Thanks for understanding that I wasn't trying to be difficult!:) I would say that it is probably not a full-blown case of scale rot, but a bacterial infection is still something to consider.
 
Thanks for the help.

i soaked the snake in warm water last night and the scales have losened up even more.

still worried about the non eating issue though. i am going to try feeding again today

cheers
Joe
 
sumguy said:
Thanks for the link Terri. Was just about to order some from another online seller for $30/gal.
Click to expand...

Glad to be of some help. I actually use the chlorhexidine for cleaning/disinfecting my cages and accessories, as well as for cleaning minor wounds and skin irritations. It is awesome stuff! I like that it doesn't have to be rinsed out of the cages. It's much faster than using bleach, and does a great job!

Good luck Joe! I hope he eats for you!
 
You used to be able to get chlorhexidine everywhere until they decided it wasn't good for you. There used to be a wash called Phisohex that had it in there, but they changed the formula back in the early 80's I think. I should try to find some to clean my tank.
 
where?

...would i find chlorohexidine. i did a search and noticed that it's present in alot of products,from dental oral wash to antiseptic solutions for dogs and cats. Question is, which would be safe to use? or is there a way that i could get chlorohexidine on its own( which i doubt)

cheers,
Jin
 
Dreyy...there is a link for buying chlorhexidine earlier in this thread.

And yes, it is safe to use with snakes. I've been using it for two years.
 
I always use Nolvasan too. Up to now I have purchased it from herpsupplies , but I see they aren't the cheapest place to get it, reading through this thread. Having said that, a gallon lasts a very long time, since it dilutes down so much, and so I don't have to buy any more for a while now.

Corncrazy - how long do you leave it as a disinfectant for it to be effective. I have always given it 15 minutes, and so I haven't considered it to be quicker than bleach, since I give things that long too in bleach.
Also, I have always rinsed after using it. Is it really safe to not have to do this, it would surely cut my workload down?
Finally, what concentrations do you use for what tasks?

Thanks, Skye
 
Corncrazy - how long do you leave it as a disinfectant for it to be effective. I have always given it 15 minutes, and so I haven't considered it to be quicker than bleach, since I give things that long too in bleach.
Also, I have always rinsed after using it. Is it really safe to not have to do this, it would surely cut my workload down?
Finally, what concentrations do you use for what tasks?
Click to expand...
Skye...It is very safe to leave it on without rinsing. I spray the enclosure, wipe it down really well to remove all of the debris, then I spray a little more on, smear it out, and let it dry. If I am in a hurry, then I don't even worry about letting it dry completely because I use paper towel substrate. If I were going to rinse, then I would leave it on at least 15 minutes before rinsing.

As for diluting, I typically use the 1-2 oz/gallon of water method for cleaning. If I am going to treat a snake, I use 1 part nolvasan to 20 parts water.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top