| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| alicewalker24 |
Posted - 30/03/2012 : 21:31:27
My anery corn snake is about 4 years old, probably about a metre long (I think, I have never measured). Sex unknown. His vivarium has a cool temp of about 25 degrees and I am ashamed to say I do not know the warm temp as the thermometer is at the cool end. Nor do I check humidity as I had no idea this was so important until I started reading about scale rot. I thought corn snakes were really low maintenance but I now see how wrong I was. His water dish is a basic cat dish, about 15cm in diameter and about 3cm deep, kept at the cool end. I have been using beech chippings in there for a long time now.
So the problem: I just got him out today after a week away, I don't think anyone got him out in that time but they might not have realised anyway if there was a problem because I am his primary handler. The scales on his belly are really flaky, I can hear them scratching on my clothes when I handle him. He has these small yellow patches that look like the scale has "rotted" away (I don't really like to say that in case it isn't scale rot). He has a rough patch of skin on his nose that I thought was remnants of his last shed, but perhaps not. His shed looked perfectly fine, no small bits missing, no brownish areas, it looked healthy except that it didn't come out whole, it was in 2 pieces (the part that was on his upper jaw and down his back for a few centimetres came off). but it's often like that. He seems to have some discolouration around his vent and maybe on his face and belly scales but I'm not certain about that, he might have always looked that way. The discolouration is a barely-noticable grey/brownish hue. Again though it might be his natural colouring. He has not been acting any differently.
I go to uni away from home and I leave him in the care of my mum who barely cleans him out or handles him, but there is nowhere to keep him at uni if I'm even allowed. I always take care of him when I'm home a few times a semester but I doubt that's enough.
I'm so scared it's scale rot :( I feel so bad, I had never heard of this problem at all until now. Is there anything else it could be? And if it might be, what can I do in the mean time? (we are probably taking him to the vet next week).
Thank you so much in advance for your help, advice/peace of mind would be appreciated. |
| 12 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Spreebok |
Posted - 07/04/2012 : 21:50:18
Yes, do you have a thermostat attached to your heatmat? Heatmats aren't designed for cornsnakes only, they'll happily reach 40c when not regulated, leading to burns and even things such as brain damage. |
| Katie.Dublin |
Posted - 07/04/2012 : 19:51:40
Don't forget its not just a thermometer you need. The thermostat is the device that gonna CONTROL the temperature, you just need the thermometer to monitor them. |
| smart bunny |
Posted - 07/04/2012 : 14:07:14
It is perfectly normal for corns to sit directly on the heat mat - there is no point thinking covering it over will keep him away as he will probably just shove it out of the way again. What is important is that your stat and thermometer probes are sitting right in contact with the mat, same as snakey would be, not on top of the substrate, and that the temps are kept approx 28 degrees. You do have a stat don't you? If you don't it would have been getting far too hot and it would almost certainly be burns. Use your thermometer which you already have right now to go and check the hot temps!! |
| alicewalker24 |
Posted - 07/04/2012 : 13:45:26
Okay I have got a hygrometer and I have ordered a digital thermometer, I'll be able to check the temp at both ends with that, and will also keep the liquid crystal thermometer I already have. I just checked under his hide and he had moved the substrate around so much that he was actually sitting ON the heat mat which was scary. I put some more bedding on top so it's nice and thick now. This made me think that he probably got burned on his heat mat, poor thing.
I do hope I'm right and it's not scale rot! But adding up everything together it seems more likely that he got burnt. We decided not to take him to the vet because they were charging £50 and we're not so well off at the moment, and if we take him and they tell us it's burns when we already thought that could be the problem it'll be a waste of money we don't have. If the problem persists we'll definitely take him. Does anyone know how long burns take to heal?
Thank you everyone! |
| Katie.Dublin |
Posted - 04/04/2012 : 22:25:32
The last pic makes me think they COULD be minor burns but i'm sure somebody more educated will be along to give an opinion! Really would get that hot end sorted out ASAP though. And it isn't just us being hypochondriacs! lol |
| alicewalker24 |
Posted - 04/04/2012 : 22:15:29
Here are three pictures of my snake, I hope the quality is good enough
http://imageshack.us/g/713/dsc0685m.jpg/
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| alicewalker24 |
Posted - 01/04/2012 : 18:04:03
Thank you everyone so much for your interest and advice, I will get photos up asap! |
| tordyjo |
Posted - 31/03/2012 : 13:03:57
as above, and have you thought about moving your thermometer to the hot end, i don't measure the temps in the cool end as i'm unable to control them, but it will be cooler than the hot end for sure, at least that way you'll know if the heat mat is getting too hot. |
| cobweb251 |
Posted - 31/03/2012 : 09:49:50
I would be interested in seeing this aswell so I know what to look for jus in case.
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| lotabob |
Posted - 30/03/2012 : 22:10:24
quote:
Originally posted by Katie.Dublin
Can't stress how important it is to know the hot end temps. Heat mats overheat if they have not got a thermostat and a thermometer attached. Is it possible that what you are seeing on the snake are burns?
Exactly what I thought when I read it.
Can you post some photos of the area, there are a few different possible causes (scale rot, retained shed, burns) and they are easily identified with some good quality photographs, maybe get someone to take the photos while you restrain the snake to take the photos. Have a look in the photos section for instructions on how to post pictures onto the forum using photobucket. |
| Katie.Dublin |
Posted - 30/03/2012 : 21:53:58
Can't stress how important it is to know the hot end temps. Heat mats overheat if they have not got a thermostat and a thermometer attached. Is it possible that what you are seeing on the snake are burns? |
| Georgina |
Posted - 30/03/2012 : 21:36:38
hi , there, can you post some pictures. x |
