Help with Kingsnake!!!

[GarterGeek]

My Appalachicola Kingsnake, Dorian, is preparing to shed again, this time I noticed deformities on some of his scales. I did a lot of internet browsing but still don't know what this is! Does anybody have any ideas about what this is and how I should treat it?









Here is some background information that may help:

Dorian sheds nearly every two weeks, I have attributed this to his rapid growth as he has grown from 1.5ft to 3ft in a single year. Dorian generally has trouble shedding on his own and I place him in a bucket with a moist rag daily when he is preparing to shed. (I don't know whether I should put him in the bucket this time, because I'm worried that it may hurt him if he has an infection; however, I do not think he'll have a succesful shed without it. What should I do?)

When summer started I switched his heat-lamp off. I also cleaned and rearranged his aquarium. - Both were probably bad ideas. When I noticed the strange scales, I immediately turned his heat-lamp back on. - He curled up under it right away.

Dorian's behavior has been normal. He does not seem sensitive in the areas with the deformities, and has been active as usual. Of course since he's preparing to shed, he's been less active and has done a lot of soaking.

I'm very upset about this and I would appreciate any ideas and advice. Thank you!

[drache]

it looks like some kind of surface injury
since he's grown this much, is it possible that he's scraping against something in the enclosure?

[guidofatherof5]

It does look like a possible injury. It doesn't look swollen and doesn't appear to have any discharge.
I don't think using a shed box would cause any problems.
After the shed I'd be interested in seeing a photo.
Do you have any Silver Sulfadiazine(Silver sulfadiazine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) or Neosporin(Neosporin - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) that you could apply after the shed?
Please keep us informed about this situation.
Best of luck.

[mustang]

O wow neosporan works on snakes too?????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[GarterGeek]

Thank you so much! I'm so relieved. I had been imagining all sorts of fatal infections.

I have a good supply of Neosporin. I actually used it on one of my garters years ago when he had blisters because I was novice enough to try and grow mint in his aquarium.

[MasSalvaje]

O wow neosporan works on snakes too?????????????????????????!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is always an antibiotic, you could lather some on an apple and it would "work".

-Thomas

[mustang]

It is always an antibiotic, you could lather some on an apple and it would "work".

-Thomas

ha itll look waxy....so ill have a fake fake apple hahaha thats awesome

[mustang]

Thank you so much! I'm so relieved. I had been imagining all sorts of fatal infections.

I have a good supply of Neosporin. I actually used it on one of my garters years ago when he had blisters because I was novice enough to try and grow mint in his aquarium.

while you grew it did the snake poop smell "minty fresh"?

[GarterGeek]

Actually no, the moisture from watering the plant made it worse because it didn't get the chance to dry-out. It was a terrible, terrible idea. I'm still embarrassed when I think about it.

[Snakeknot]

Live and learn. At least you didn't lose him from it! And from reading your post, I now know not to do that.

Devon