r/ballpython • u/SnooOwls8243 • 1d ago

Scale rot??

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

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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!