If your… Hi, I'm Lou. Scale rot is the term used to describe all bacterial, dermatitis or skin infections among captive reptiles. An extremely moist habitat and a contaminated substrate increase the risk of scale rot in reptiles.Increase in bacteria. It can also be used to describe bacterial abscesses and secondary infections that occur following skin abrasions or burns.Having overly moist living conditions or not replacing a substrate that is too wet is one of the most common reasons why snakes get scale rot. The distinct banding and vivid colors make milk snakes stand out. However, if left unattended, bacteria from the environment can pollute the blisters and causes the scales to rot. If the abdominal region has spots in the form of brown, red or blackish scales which look crusty, your snake might have scale rot. Ensure that the bathwater is neither cold nor hot. Scale rot is a bacterial infection that is common among captive reptiles, including snakes. However, once the infection is treated, the snake may shed normally or shed a few times before its skin completely heals.Severe cases of scale rot cannot be treated at home. Then, the infection may transfer into the snake’s bloodstream and internal organs, causing In most cases, it is caused by one or more of the following issues:Scale rot is a bacterial infection that is contagious to other snakes. They can die from the septicemia in days while it may take weeks for the disease to kill larger healthier snakes. You have to check that the other snakes are not infected. Raised scales also occur where there are pools of blood under the scales. Unlike substrate, getting the right humidity and moisture content is quite tedious. To identify mouth rot, open your snake’s mouth with a tong or with your hands while wearing latex gloves.
While you can just have blister disease, you can’t have scale rot without Blister disease in snakes. Snakes require higher humidity levels when shedding.Not treating scale rot can cause the bacteria from the blisters to spread to the snake’s bloodstream, eventually resulting in septicemia.Higher risk factors are environmental or psychological stresses, previous illnesses, malnutrition, and other types of infections. It can stop your pet from feeding properly and destroy the luscious skin of your snake especially if it is on the belly which is the softest part of the snake.
It is not the wetness of the cage that causes scale rot, but the bacteria which grow in this condition. If a snake is not at the right temperature, its immune system suffers and it cannot fight off a belligerent intruder. Immerse your snake in a betadine solution bath, twice a day for 20 minutes until the condition clears. Here is some ball python scale rot early signs to look out for.A sign of the infection may manifest itself on the visceral area of the reptile.
If there is any discoloration of the scales, the chances are that your snake has scale rot.Raised scales occur in areas where blood may have pooled underneath.Blisters are minuscule vesicles that may be less than half an inch in diameter. It could also be a result of the snake lying in its filth. You don’t want any humidity around your snake at this time so you might want to take out the drinking bowl and put it in every few hours. Ball pythons are not the easiest pet snakes to care for owing to their high sensitivity to temperature and filth. This will leave the snake’s body more prone to bacterial and fungal invasion, along with thermal burns.
There are a couple of ways to treat scale rot yourself when it is just beginning. Wash the drinking bowl with warm soapy water and disinfect any rocks or hides in the snake’s enclosure. You also need a Ball pythons are one of the best snake pets as they are not venomous, do not get too big and are low in maintenance.