Hi I took my boy to a vet that is supposed to be an exotic vet but he had no idea what is going on said it was “weird” I have. 2 year old male ball python that after his shed these weird spots came up in person they’re almost grey? More and more keep coming Any sort of idea on what until we see a different vet Friday
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Looks like damaged scales from an infection of some sort. It’s not a color change that some morphs pick up as they age. There’s an irritated edge on the more angry looking scales there.
Make sure the bedding isn’t getting wet. It should just be ‘damp’. Not dripping. Scale rot is the most common cause for things like this.
With luck the next vet will be of more help.
It doesn’t look too bad at the moment. It seems like it’s mostly clearing up than most of the flare ups I see. But if these areas begin to look more red or irritated you would definitely want to look into a second opinion elsewhere and looking in to treatment options like an antibiotic inj series. This is especially important if the snake starts to drastically drop weight or act oddly.
In the meantime, you can dilute a bit of iodine in lukewarm water and let them soak in it for a bit. I like to add the snake first so they can drink a bit of water if they’re thirsty. Then swirl in some iodine drops until it looks like a weak tea color.
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If this were my BP I would immediately put it on paper towels until it is seen by a Knowledgeable Exotics Vet and properly diagnosed. Even then I would keep it on paper towels unless the spots totally disappear/heal.
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Looks like scale rot to me…which is a pretty common issue in reptiles, so I’d be concerned about an exotics vet who doesn’t know what it is. Definitely see if you have any other exotics vets in your area. It’s possible that reptiles are just not the exotics this vet specializes in.
@armiyana has given good advice on how to help at home. Hopefully a clean, dry (but still with adequate humidity) enclosure and some betadine soaks will clear it up, but if it starts to look worse, definitely seek help from a different vet if possible.
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He is on paper towels since I noticed it and doing a few betadine soaks now!
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I will not be going back to him I found another little over 2 hour drive but will go there if it doesn’t clear up shortly
Thank you for this advice appreciate you!
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You’re welcome!
Hope the noodle is still doing well as far as everything else and that things clear up with the temporary shift to paper towel. 