• Hello!

    Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.

    Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....

    Please be certain that the location field is correctly filled out when you register. All registrations that appear to be bogus will be rejected. Which means that if your location field does NOT match the actual location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected.

    Sorry about the strictness of this requirement, but it is necessary to block spammers and scammers at the door as much as possible.

Moulting

Amun

Amun

New member
Unusual to moult 2 times in a month for an adult? Anubis moulted not be 3 weeks ago, had eaten 3 mice and has now decided to moult again (later stages)...

I've always thought moulting was purely for growth, but could it have another use? In Dec. he contracted some kind of bacterial infection that attacked the enamel on his scales.
 
There's several reasons for a snake to shed. It's possible he may have some kind of parasite. Try and check for tiny black specks (hard on a black snake, I know!) around his face or in his water dish. Does he spend a lot of time soaking? It could also be because he's getting fed enough that he's outgrown his skin. How old is he?
 
In Dec. he contracted some kind of bacterial infection that attacked the enamel on his scales.
Click to expand...
Yes, something like that would cause increased shedding. Did you manage to treat it successfully?

When one of mine got scale rot, it took several months of treatment and rapid shedding before it cleared properly.
 
Thanks guys.

He spent a couple of days soaking before his eyes clouded over. He sometimes does this so not a huge deal. He has no mites. No parasites. I always check for that, for anything in his water. He's clean.

When he got sick, I cleaned his terrarium about every 3 days. Lined it with paper towels and removed all the ornaments. I replaced his hide with a cereal box, which I also replaced weekly.

I don't know what he had. The enamel from his scales peeled off. I searched online and only found one other report of this. The guy said his vet didn't know what it was and pumped him full of antibiotics. I didn't want to do that. To this day, I don't know if he had scale rot or something else.

I applied triple action poly to the bad areas and kept a close eye. He ate fine. He shed three weeks later and that went fine.

He ate again, but I noticed he defecated rather quickly, twice in one day. I've never seen that before. The last movement he had looked awful watery, like it was covered in slime... really mucousy. The uric acid was also really yellow.

I don't know if he's still sick as I never really played close attention to his crap before. I also probably wouldn't notice these subtleties as he was on shavings before, and no paper towels. So I don't know if he's sick or not. I go by his activity and his hunger. He's curious, moves around fine, and feeds like normal.

Anyway, he's almost 3 years old so I don't know if 3 weeks and 3 mice are enough to make him grow THAT much so I don't feel this shed is indicative of growth. I keep a close eye and will keep him in his "hospital" habitat for a while longer...

At least one good thing came from all this. I really bonded with him during all this :)
 
I think you're doing all the right things. Hospital setup will let you keep an eye on his "output" and will minimise the nooks and crannies that any remaining bacteria can hide in. The mystery scale condition could take weeks or months to fully clear, so I'd expect another two or three sheds in quick succession.

The fact that he's still eating reliably is a good sign. My one with scale rot went off her food for months while I sorted her out.
 
Thank bitsy. I've done a lot of reading and am going to pick up iodine today as I read a journal article that found HP, while it doesn't deter healing, can also have no effect on bacteria: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/456300_3

The more I read on scale rot, the more I think he didn't have that. None of his scale are discoloured or chewed up. Just the enamel.... in any case, thanks for the info. I continue to keep a close eye and will keep you guys updated (also for future reference for anyone that may come across this, although I hope none do) :)
 
Just an update. So good shed. Helped him through it this morning (again). The enamel on his scales is all but completely normal now. I've cleaned his cage with isopropyl a. this time as I read that h. peroxide doesn't have much effect on clostridia. I've got p. iodine on order (should be here on Monday) and will apply it as a final stage.

He's lookin' really good. But I'll be happy when I get a mouse in him and then see his fecal matter. I've seen what look like minute traces of blood (a tiny pin head) that looked like they came from his anus, and that's my biggest worry. He had two (what looked like scabs) on his shed, each side of anus, but inspecting him revealed no problems. He always goes right after a shed and this time was no different. No blood anywhere to be found, so I'm hoping it's healed now, but will apply the iodine just to make sure.

I'm still not sure what he had, but I'll treat for clostridium strains and hope for the best. Now I just gotta find quality mice... sigh. I hate being so nervous about his health :(
 
Two small blood spots at the cloaca on a shed isn't unusual - I see it on my males' sheds every so often. Don't think that'll be related to the scale issue.
 
bitsy said:
Two small blood spots at the cloaca on a shed isn't unusual - I see it on my males' sheds every so often. Don't think that'll be related to the scale issue.
Click to expand...

Oh bitsy you just made my day! What a sigh of relief... THANK YOU!!! I won't worry so much. I was glad to see no spot anywhere near his fecal matter so I'm hoping anything he had is totally cleared up.

Can you recommend a good way of cleaning out his ornaments? I have a couple of logs and some fake plants. Would a mild bleach solution work and not ruin the wood? I don't want to take a chance at bringing any contamination back into his environment.
 
A strange thing I've noticed. He seems to spasm. All his muscles tense up. I hear him periodically wacking the inside of his cereal box, but he does it when he's soaking in the water too... I don't ever remember him doing that... Gaahh, maybe I am worrying about everything now...
 
My largest corn also has the pin head size blood spots on the sheds on the sides of the vent/anus as well. As for looking for Quality mice, I order online from Canadian MouseMan, Tyrone is great to deal with and his prices are far cheaper than any pet store, even with shipping.

The first order I spent $172.28 with packaging and shipping included for 40 pinkies, 20 hoppers, 35 sub adults and 100 adults and saved $632.44.

I just ordered again and it is costing me 151.72 with packaging and shipping for 100 fuzzies, 100 hoppers and 40 jumbos and it saved me over 615.20, provided the pet store has not raised it's prices again, then I may have saved even more.

If you wish to get a decent amount of mice ahead of time and save lots of money, just use a vaccuum sealer and put 4 or 5 mice in vaccuum sealed bags and keep them in the freezer they are then good up to 3 years that way.

My daycare helper has only one snake and did the same thing, she just used my vaccuum sealer and paid for a roll of vaccuum sealer bags and bought enough mice that should take her snake to adulthood. When she bought it, it had just started on fuzzies. She bought 20 fuzzies, 20 hoppers, 35 sub adults and 50 adults. It cost her (with shipping, packaging and the one roll of bags) $106.98 and she still saved $430.93 as apposed to if she would have bought at the pet store.

Here is the link to Canadian Mouseman if you are interested.
http://www.canadianmouseman.com/eng/products.htm

If you do call him let him know that Tisha(pronounced Teesha) said to give him a call.

Just a thought.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top