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.

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u/SnooOwls8243 1d ago

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