I don't think it's scale rot...?

[Vat69]

Ok, so I hadn't handled my juvinile male diamond in about 2weeks because he's been shedding, but today, when I got him out to clean I see he hadn't shed properly and the skin on his tail's all brown,lumpy and un-healthy looking. Before I noticed how bad his tail was however, I put him in some water to soak, which seemed to help a little, and some of the skin came off before long, but then it started to bleed a little. His tail's also pretty lifeless, he was letting it just hang there, and not using it to hold on. I took him out of the water, only to then notice I could hear him breathing. I'm not sure whether he was huffing at me, or he was having trouble. But he didn't seemed pissed off, he's always been placid. There are not other signs of an RI. I checked his temps, and they're fine. There's no extra humidity..nothing has changed in his environment. :?
He's booked into the vet tomorrow morning to get checked out.
What do you guys think? Feel free to tell me not to worry. [/i]

 

[Brodie]

Hmmmmmm. Dont know. But I would have done what you did book it into the vet - I think you have done the right think
Cheers

 

[cyber_crimes]

Hi cheap scotch (as Nic would say) lol...
I dont have any suggestions or advice but I hope all goes good for the little guy tomoz.Best of luck with him!

 

[Vat69]

Thanks guys. I'll keep you posted on what the vet says.I'm going to Peter Norsworthy's<sp? clinic, but he's not back there till Monday..here's hoping the vet I'm booked in with knows what they're talking about.

 

[Guest]

Sorry to hear vat :cry:
- amanda

 

[Alexahnder]

good luck

 

[NoOne]

I've had the same thing, when snakes don't shed the skin off the tail it cuts the blood circulation to the tail and within a few days the tail will die and dry out and eventually drop off. This will only happen where theres is old skin on the tail.
One of my murray darlings did this when he was young i didn't notice the skin on his tail tip until it was dried out. I just left him be and a few weeks later it dropped of and was fully healed, he had no ill affects from this he didn't even know it was there.
Once the circulation has been cut theres not much you can do, theres no need to worry the best thing to do is make sure his tail stays dry to avoid infection and let it drop off.

As for the breathing snakes will to that when the get wet to clear the water out of their nose. If it were a R.I he would be blowing bubbles.

How much of the tail was covered buy old skin?

 

[Vat69]

Well I took him to the vet, and she cleaned him up a little. There's a few scales missing on his tail now, but he's alright.
There was about 4cm of old skin on his tail.
I knew that losing the tip of a tail was a pretty common thing to happen, but I'm gunna try to avoid it if I can.

 

[Artie]

Well Vat, that?s kind of good news then.
Hope he keeps on improving and it all works out well.
Cheers

 

[Alexahnder]

thats good news!!

What vet did u take him too??

 

[olivaceus71]

respiratory infections.

As for the breathing snakes will to that when the get wet to clear the water out of their nose. If it were a R.I he would be blowing bubbles.



Nothing personal, but by the time they are blowing bubbles they really are pretty crook. I brought a pair of olives a few years back that were pretty sick, they had respiratory infections and septicaemia (sp?). First sign is that they have their head raised to help them breath and will gape as it progressively gets worse, this is when you should get them to the vet. If it isn't possible 'till the following day, make sure that you raise the temps depeding on the snake (mid 30's ) for my olives and that will give them a bit of a boost.

kind regards
meg

 

[NoOne]

Thats good to know, I've never had any experience with R.I i just know that one sign of it is blowing bubbles.