Scale rot is also known as Ulcerative/Necrotic Dermatitis. Scale rot is a term used by reptile enthusiasts that describes many conditions including blister disease, vesicular dermatitis, bacterial infections, bacterial abscesses, burns, skin abrasions and other forms of dermatitis recorded in reptiles. In laymens terms – a type of blister infection in a reptile which assists bacteria and fungus to grow on the snake’s skin. Although scale rot is one of the more common reptile ailments is not a condition to be taken lightly. It is a skin disease that may become fatal if left untreated. Scale rot is also contagious. Whilst an untreated condition of scale rot can kill, if picked up in its early stages it is a condition that can be easily treated and prevented. Scale rot does occur in other reptiles, although snakes are more commonly afflicted. Brownish coloured areas/scale discoloration is usually the first symptom.
Scale rot is a common skin infection that affects many pet snakes, including the popular ball python. This bacterial infection leads to inflamed, discolored, and dying scales that can spread and become serious if left untreated. While scale rot may sound scary, it is very treatable if caught early and proper treatment is administered. This guide will provide a comprehensive overview of identifying, treating, and preventing scale rot in ball pythons.
What is Scale Rot?
Scale rot, also known as ulcerative dermatitis, refers to a bacterial infection of the skin and scales of snakes. The medical term for this condition is bacterial dermatosepticemia. It is one of the most common skin diseases found in captive reptiles.
The bacteria associated with scale rot are usually opportunistic organisms that only cause infection if the snake’s immune system is compromised or its skin is damaged Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Aeromonas hydrophilia are two of the most common bacteria involved
Scale rot often starts as swollen, inflamed areas on the belly scales These regions will become necrotic and the tissue will start to die. Without treatment, it can spread to other scales and become a more serious systemic infection
Early symptoms include:
- Discolored scales – often reddish, brown, black or yellow
- Swollen or raised scales
- Small blisters filled with fluid
What Causes Scale Rot?
There are several factors that can lead to a scale rot infection in ball pythons:
- Unsanitary enclosure – Accumulation of waste, moisture and high humidity promote bacterial growth.
- Injury – Breaks in the skin from sharp cage decor, prey items or handling allow bacteria access.
- Poor shed – Retained eyecaps, skin or stuck shed can harbor bacteria and cause infection.
- Stress – A stressed immune system is more vulnerable to opportunistic infections.
- Poor nutrition – Malnourishment leads to vitamin deficiencies that impair immune function.
- Underlying illness – Diseases like inclusion body disease may predispose a snake to scale rot.
Preventing these predisposing factors through proper husbandry and care reduces the chances of scale rot occurring.
Diagnosing Scale Rot
If you notice any abnormal changes in your ball python’s scales, especially blistering, swelling, reddening or ulceration, a veterinary visit is recommended. Your exotics vet will do a physical exam, assess your husbandry, and take a skin scraping or culture to identify pathogenic bacteria.
Under the microscope, they will look for bacteria as well as mites – another common skin parasite. Your vet may also recommend bloodwork to check for underlying illness. X-rays can help rule out bone infection.
Treating Scale Rot at Home
For mild cases of scale rot caught early, treatment may be attempted at home under the direction of a reptile veterinarian. However, severe or rapidly worsening cases will require hospitalization and injectable antibiotics.
At-home treatment includes:
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Quarantine – House the snake separately on paper towels to prevent spread of infection. Disinfect the original enclosure.
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Topical antiseptics – Gently apply chlorhexidine, iodine or silver sulfadiazine to disinfect the lesions.
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Antibiotic ointment – Apply a thin layer of antibiotic ointment like silver sulfadiazine or triple antibiotic to the scales after cleaning.
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Hygiene – Gently wash affected area and allow to fully dry before applying medications.
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Supportive care – Ensure proper temperatures, hydration and nutrition during treatment.
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Repeat shed cycles – Aid the snake in completing a full, clean shed to help scales regrow.
Improvement should be seen within 1-2 weeks. If not, veterinary assistance is advised.
Medical Treatment for Scale Rot
If the infection is rapidly progressing, systemic antibiotics are necessary. Bacterial culture helps guide appropriate antibiotic choice. Treatment may include:
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Injectable antibiotics – Enrofloxacin, amikacin and ceftazidime are common antibiotics used.
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Antibiotic baths – Baths in dilute gentamicin, triple sulfa or chlorhexidine provide full body coverage.
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Debridement – Removal of dead tissue helps expose infection to treatment. This may require sedation or anesthesia.
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Hospitalization – Severe cases often warrant 1-3 weeks of intensive in-hospital medical treatment and wound care.
With aggressive treatment, most snakes make a full recovery. However, scale rot can become fatal if it spreads to internal organs.
Preventing Scale Rot
While not always avoidable, the following measures can help prevent scale rot in ball pythons:
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Spot clean waste promptly and fully disinfect the enclosure monthly.
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Maintain proper ambient temperatures from 78-82°F and a basking spot of 88-92°F.
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Use a hygrometer to ensure humidity stays in the 60-70% range.
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House the snake on a substrate like reptile carpet that won’t harbor bacteria. Avoid sand or gravel.
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Ensure proper, full sheds by providing a humid hide box.
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Handle gently to prevent skin injury. House with compatible enclosure mates.
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Feed an appropriate sized prey item and monitor feeding closely.
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Have new snakes examined by a reptile vet and quarantine for 90 days.
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Watch for early signs of illness and seek prompt veterinary care when needed.
With diligent husbandry and hygiene practices, scale rot can often be avoided in captive ball pythons. But when it does occur, the earlier treatment is started, the better the outcome. Monitor your snake closely and don’t hesitate to enlist your exotics vet if you suspect this common skin infection. With aggressive treatment guided by your veterinarian, your beloved ball python can make a full recovery.
Causes of Scale rot:
Part of curing and preventing scale rot will rely on identifying the cause. The main causes are somewhat intertwined. Usually it is a combination of these factors:
- Unsanitary living conditions – Good hygiene is one of the most important factors to a healthy life for your reptiles. Weekly enclosure cleans are a great way of keeping on top of this, but removing uneaten food, faeces and sloughed skin should be done as soon as it is noticed. If your reptiles live in dirty enclosures (eg faecal matter uncleaned, sloughs lying around, spilt water) it can lead to health complications like infections. Reptiles are able to pick up bacteria from waste, which in turn has the ability to make the rot even more severe. This can cause the wounds to become infected.
- Damaged/raised scales – Bacteria can penetrate areas of damaged skin on your reptiles. If this happens, scale rot can arise. Scale rot will cause the blood to pool. Any of scales where blood has pooled will become raised. Ensure all your cage furnishings are not sharp or broken. Something as simple as a scratch or small wound can lead to scale rot. Mites can also be another reason for raised scales.
- Increased humidity levels – Incorrect humidity levels in a reptile enclosure is one of the most common reasons for scale rot. If a reptile doesn’t have enough humidity, it can face difficulties shedding its skin properly. (Among other potential health issues.) An inadequate slough can cause scale rot, as the residual skin can become infected. Too much humidity can keep the substrate from drying out. This also can lead to scale rot as your reptile will always be in damp substrate. This is especially problematic with animals that like to take a swim in water bowls – it gets splashed all over the substrate. Always monitor the substrate -if it gets soaked, replace it. Dont wait for it to dry out.
- Incorrect temperatures for your animals – If the temperature in your snake’s enclosure isn’t warm enough, the substrate never dries out. Permanently moist substrate (toiletries, spilt water) can lead to scale rot. Apart from wet substrate, reptiles are ectothermic so you should always make sure that your reptiles have enough heat to perform their bodily functions and stay in peak condition. A cold reptile can suffer assorted health problems.
- Vitamin deficiencies – In the wild reptiles dont eat the one thing over and over. They get the vitamins and minerals they need to be healthy from a variety of healthy prey. Healthy prey items have healthy internal organs that are full of nutrients. Cutting costs and getting unhealthy/refrozen animals to feed you pets may not have as much nutrition as they need to stay in peak condition.
- Wet bedding – Often, when the temperatures in their enclosure arent right, the substrate wont dry (toiletries, spilt water). This will create the perfect breeding ground for the bacteria and fungi that can lead to scale rot.
- Air exchange/ Inadequate ventilation – Good ventilation in all enclosures is a must. Recycling the same unsanitary air with no flow will not help a reptile any.
Warning signs of scale rot include:
- Skin or scales that are cracked or crusty or loss of scales – Shedding issues and illness can leave scales in less than desirable conditions. Scales in poor condition is often an early warning sign to scale rot and an abundance of other issues.
- Raised Scales – Snakes shouldn’t have raised scales. Scale rot causes blood to pool, which in turn leads to raised scales. If you are unsure if your animal has raised scales, the easiest way to identify raised scales is to gently run your hand over the animals body (obviously a venomous snake and particularly aggressive animal needs to be tubed for this). Keep in mind when checking your animals, scale rot is painful for them. Handling may lead to a bite from a normally placid animal. If you do discover raised scales, a closer examination may reveal blisters and discoloration.
- Abnormal scale colouration – Ventral scales are usually the first scales to present with scale rot. This is because these scales that have the most contact with the substrate. If scale rot is present scales will usually have a distinct discoloration. Scale rot can turn the scales red, yellow, brown, or greenish black. To not confuse the red with the colouration change that shedding can cause – the appearance is almost as though the scales have been burned.
- Blisters – Blisters initially develop without infection usually. As scale rot worsens, the blisters then become infected. Infected blisters are usually pink to red in colour. It is at this time you will probably notice swelling and pus. Pus-filled blisters are not a good sign. Pus-filled blisters on scales may be either yellow or transparent. Blisters may or may not burst. If these blisters are not treated, bacteria is able to infiltrate them. Another outcome here could be fungal infections – its not as common, but it can happened. In some specimens the scales have fallen off where the blisters are located. If infected blisters are not properly treated, the infection can enter into your snake’s bloodstream and cause septicaemia. Septicaemia can be fatal in just a few days. You will see sores and ulcers in the area of infected blisters after the animal sheds. Clusters of blisters can produce blots of skin. Mites can also transmit bacteria into the blisters.
- Foul odour coming from the affected area – Pus can smell bad. Pus is a viscous fluid which contains dead tissue, cells, and bacteria. It is often produced when a body is fighting off an infection, especially infections caused by bacteria.
- Open lesions – An open wound on a ground dwelling animal will easily become infected. Any open lesion should be treated like it will become infected and special care should be taken.
- Loss of appetite – Loss of appetite is something to be cautious of. It may signal an impending normal or positive event such as a shed, male more interested in copulation or even a gravid female. It can also be an early sign of stress. Stress combined with loss of appetite doesnt help an immune system trying to fight off an infection.
Beginners Guide To Treating Scale Rot In Ball Pythons – Benjamin’s Exotics
FAQ
How do you treat scale rot in ball pythons?
You can clean the affected areas at home twice daily by gently cleansing with gauze soaked in a diluted antiseptic, such as povidone-iodine solution (Betadine), diluted with water to the color of weak tea, or chlorhexidine solution, diluted with water to the color of a light sky blue.
How to know if ball python has scale rot?
Identifying scale rot early in your ball python is crucial for timely treatment. The first sign to watch for is discoloration on the scales. This can appear as darker patches on the snake’s belly or sides. Keep an eye out for blisters, which are a clear indication of underlying issues.
What is scale rot caused by?
Scale rot can result from poor husbandry or an environment that produces too much moisture.Apr 27, 2021
Does scale rot go away with shedding?
I have only dealt with scale rot on 3 rescue ball pythons I took in, but every other day soaks in betadine + water plus vetricin cleared up their issue (scale rot was completely gone as soon as they shed. So, if you don’t see at least some type of improvement by now, it’s a good idea to get him to the vet.