hi .. question about my boa's scales

[Jager.rain.boa]

I just bought my first rainbow boa Tuesday I hadn't noticed the spots in the store when i got home i set him up and fed him and I left him alone the next day. was looking him over and noticed two spots on him .. I was thinking it could be left over shed ? But he spends a lot of time in his humidity hide.tank set up: 10 gallon glass tank humidity hide with peat moss (80% humidity) reptibark and a large water dish. Heat pad under the hide temp 90 in hide .. the tank is small but i've read juveniles can be stressed in a large enclosures ... my main concerns would be is the set up ok and will the patches come off with the next shed

[BIGT FROM F.B.]

He could have gotten burned from a heat lamp also. I had a snake that happened to one time. I would put Neosporin on it anyway. It helps with many things.

[Jager.rain.boa]

No at the store lights were away from the snakes.. thought might be crushed scales from when they were sexed... other snske was roughed a bit probably was about to shead anyway... I don't know ?... thanks about neosporin would I leave it on or would wash it off before I put him back also read aloe is ok but wasn't shur if I should leave it on or wash it off so I hadn't yet..

[Concept9]

Look like a piece of stuck shed, or the start of a shed . . . .

[Jager.rain.boa]

These are better pics I thought it might be stick on shead but he is kept very moist I've even soaked him in some luke warm water briefly (which he does not like) and tried to gently removed shead if it would be stuck on ... the pic look a bit different than when you are looking at him ... if it would be stuck shead since there something else I could/should try .....

[Tsubaki]

Looks like the start of water rot (water blisters) to me, either being kept way too wet or dirty water can cause water rot. I've treated snakes with severe water rot, the small area's where no blister had formed yet looked like this. like the scales its self started to wrinkle up and dry out.

[Jager.rain.boa]

[QUOTsubaki;932019]Looks like the start of water rot (water blisfi youters) to me, eiher being kept way too wet or dirty water can cause water rot. I've treated snakes with severe water rot, small area's where no blister had formed yet looked like this. like the scales its self started to wrinkle up and dry out.[/QUOTE]

Yes after he's out for a bit it gets rough like a scab .... how would you treat that? No the cage isn't dirty? Planned on thorough cleaning once a week with spot clean in between. Tank is pretty humid. The guy at the reptile store told me the snake would die if not kept quite wet. What do you recommend for humidity levels?

[Tsubaki]

I never said that the cage was dirty, i was talking about the water. It Can be caused by dirty cages that get wet, but its the water that's the real bad guy when it comes to blister disease. Example what the issue could be: Spraying with water-bottles that are not cleaned daily, or wetting the cage/substrate and it staying wet for prolonged periods of time. Or having a waterbowl that overflows or tips over when the animal soaks in it, causing everything to become wet.. And also, pee underneath their preferred hide, that you happen to miss. Exposure to those sorts of thing is what can cause this, it could be one thing it could be more things. One fact is certain, somewhere the animal keeps getting wet with dirty water.

Humidity isn't the same as wet, an animal can have a high humidity and a dry cage.. And this is what you need to provide. I suggest you clean up the cage, and put the animal on clean (dry!) bedding, i suggest paper towels or newspaper until it's all healed up. Get a big waterbowl the snake can not tip over, and that does not overflow when the animal takes a bath. Clean the water every single day, and each time you've seen the snake use it. If you have to spray to get the humidity up, do not wet the bedding. Also don't mist where the snakes prefers to lay down, you want the animal to stay dry unless it decided to soak its self. (try to use clean water for misting, use bottled water if you have to)

If big blisters start to form, or if the infection breaks through the skin go to a vet immediately. This can happen overnight so keep a close eye on the animal! A blister that broke through the skin will look like red and infected flesh in stead of just irritated wrinkly scales.

An already popped blister (they might rub it so it pops) will look like a weird mushy spot on the back of the animal, and is basically an open wound so don't touch it. If you treat it properly, and keep it clean. The problems it has now should still clear up with some shedding, the body can still handle small blisters if the snake is healthy besides it. Don't be surprised if some of the scales lose a bit of color with shedding, usually that clears up as well.

[Jager.rain.boa]

Ok I hadn't thought of any of that .. just thought wet and warm to up humidity levels. . I will give it a try ... maybe I should pop in to a vet anyway so if there ever is a problem I know a good vet just hope a good reptile vet is easier to find than a good avian one . .. anything I should look for in a good reptile vet?

[SnoopySnake]

I don't have anything to add to what Tsubaki said other than your temps are too high.. Rainbow boas prefer it much cooler and should have a hotspot of about 84. My hot spot is 84-85 and they don't ever use it unless they're digesting.

[Jager.rain.boa]

Thanks for the heads up on temp ...

[SnoopySnake]

Originally Posted by Jager.rain.boa

Thanks for the heads up on temp ...

No problem