Short version: Snake's head has been milky for over a week and I'm seeing increasing patches of white on her upper body. Photo:
Detailed :
We have a 7yo female blood red morph corn snake we've had since she was a baby. She generally eats every 2-3 weeks, but declined her offered meal a week ago (not unusual this time of year), and my daughter who was feeding her commented that it looked like she was about to shed. Seemed reasonable, and we let her do her thing for a few days. We're in a dry environment so I've been opening her vivarium daily to mist her or add damp moss, as her last few sheds were in many pieces (but eyes scales came off and I helped her clear her tail). Her head is milky, but eyes have been clear this whole time, which usually indicates she's on the verge of shedding. It's unusual for it to take this long after her eyes clear.
I started noticing patches on her where it looked like the old skin was starting to separate - a few scales looking whitish. The rest of her was red and not noticeably dull. However, the spots are becoming more prominent and some are truly white. Most of this is along her neck - the rear portion of her body does not show issues.
She's never been to the vet, but I got a recommendation and have an appointment Monday (I called around and no one could see her sooner). So I thought I'd ask in case someone her recognizes the symptoms and can give me tips to help her out in the interim.
We haven't had other reptiles of any type in the house for years, so a contagious illness seems unlikely. However, scabies (human skin mites) is going around our area and I found out earlier this week my daughter's had it for a few weeks at least. It seems unlikely to cross species, but stranger things have happened.
Thanks for any leads!
Feel free to correct my mistakes.
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