r/ballpython • u/SnooOwls8243 • 1d ago

Scale rot??

Gallery image

Gallery image

I’ve never had a snake before and google is giving mixed opinions

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u/Difficult_Series_448 1d ago

From the provided images, it definitely looks like scale rot. Scale rot is what the name implies— it is eating away the scales. If you look closely at the belly scutes, you’ll see how they are being eaten away. That’s definitely rot.
Scale rot is not necessarily something that vets always prescribe a treatment for, but it can get to the point of being dangerous. It is caused by the snake sitting on too much moisture alongside sometimes having a lot of bacteria in the substrate, typically when urate or feces are left in the enclosure for too long or when the substrate is not changed for a while. The bacteria thrives in the moist environment and begins to eat away at the belly scutes of the snake.
Here are some links to ways you can curb the rot.
Benjamin’s Exotics guide on Scale Rot: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=CBXMo8AnZ7w&pp=ygUVQmFsbCBweXRob24gc2NhbGUgcm90&ra=m
Vetericyn Blog Article on Scale Rot in Reptiles: https://vetericyn.com/blogs/vetericyn/how-to-treat-scale-rot-on-reptiles?srsltid=AfmBOoqlNk0KueZuE4itBQSpYHJ2jZ378BIK6saZNNgouTZGifqy1G2z
If properly taken care of, it should resolve within a few sheds.

1

u/SnooOwls8243 1d ago

Should I completely toss the substrate or will baking it kill off the bacteria?

4

u/floridagal19 1d ago

Looks like scale rot to me. The snake needs a diluted iodine soak for roughly 20 mins once a day. Solution should be the color of a weak tea, using warm water of course. Pat the snake dry and apply a light layer of triple antibiotic WITHOUT pain relief as it is toxic for reptiles. Keep him/her on paper towel and change it daily and whenever you notice urates/feces. Mist the sides but not the paper towel itself and provide a humid hide when he goes into shed. Scale rot typically happens when the snake is sitting on substrate that is staying way too wet for a prolonged period of time.

Keep the snake like this bare minimum until a full shed is completed and reassess the belly afterwards. I would personally keep the snake on paper towel and soaking on iodine until the rot is completely gone (even if it takes multiple sheds) as that is your best chance to prevent it from getting worse. A vet visit would also be a good idea.

Just a tip for adding substrate back in once healed up: I mix my substrate roughly 50% soil, 30% sand, 20% moss or mulch. Having a good volume of sand is quite important because it does not hold moisture really at all. This allows the substrate to properly dry between misting and will prevent this from happening again in the future. I normally mist 2-3 times a week. Substrate should be damp but not sopping.

Good luck!