my ball python wont shed (cont.)

Question
QUESTION: I'm back again to continue on what you were asking before. Well, stupidly enough, I had the thermometer too high in the tank, which is a ten gallon glass terrarium by the way, so I wasn't getting a bottom temperature reading. That's why she was climbing, because the top was fluctuating between 84 to 92. The humidity is fine, it hovers around 50 or so.

I did use an adhesive heating pad rated for a ten gallon tank, but the directions said that it should be side mounted because it could discolor my furniture from the heat, and since the package made it out to sound like this pad would get pretty hot and evenly distribute heat throughout the tank, i didn't know any better at the time.

I found out after trying the pad, that it didn't hardly affect the temperature, because my BP would constantly be pressed up against the glass to keep warm, (as opposed to climbing) and I don't know if i should mount it to the bottom, one, because it said removing the pad could damage the wiring which could short out (not sure if i should take stock in that, since Zoomed has successfully sold me several products that have so far proven misleading), and two, because it doesn't seem to make any difference anyways.

Right now I have a few friends, who work at a pet store I've trusted for a while, keeping her in one of their tanks to see if heat is the only problem, and to make sure there isn't something else wrong. I did have someone mention that it could be intestinal parasites or something like that causing the diarrhea and shedding problems. Do you think that's a possibility?

ANSWER: Hello Andrew,

Well, you could use a heating pad for now, if you want to.  She really needs heating from below to help with digestion, etc.
I wouldn't mount the self adhesive undertank heater until you are ready to have her in a permanent tank, then, you can stick it on the underneath side without worrying about it damaging the tank if it is her permanent tank.  
Yes, it is a possibility she could have parasites, or worms.  You could try to get a fecal done on her to see if they are present.  The rats that you get, are they frozen or do you buy locally?  I am asking because if the rats are diseased that will pass down to her.  

How is she doing today?
Let me know how she does with a different temperature, that may make a huge difference.

Tracie


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I buy mice from that pet store I was talking about. They raise their own and are very meticulous about the condition and quality of them, so I doubt they'd be diseased.

As for the temperature, I'm still using the ceramic element because I have to wait until Thursday before the store gets 75 watt heating lights in, but instead of having the ceramic element hanging an inch or so above the container, I have it sitting on the center of the screen top, and the bottom temperature is hovering around 80, so its not great, but better than it was.

I have started noticing that a lot of her scoots are loose and flaking off, and there is a small patch, maybe half an inch long, that has no scales on it, but there is no broken skin or anything. Also on some of her markings, I've noticed little speckles of scaleless skin, so I'm wondering if mite damage is the cause of some of this. From what I can tell, I got rid of the mites when I cleaned and disinfected her tank a week or so ago. There were only 5 or 6 to begin with, from what i saw, but there's been a lot of scoots that were either loose or flaking, so I really don't know why that is.

ANSWER: Hello Andrew,

Ok, so the feeders should be fine then & not diseased.  
The ceramic heat emitter is fine.  You can use a lightbulb if you want, but I think if you could figure out some way to use an undertank heating device that would be better.  A heating pad or something would work pretty well.  The temperatures are a little bit better now.    
You have a screen top?  That is probably one reason why the temperatures are not getting a little higher.  Maybe you could cover part of the top?  
Well, mites can cause extensive damage.  Did you totally take out all of the substrate & replace it with new substrate?  
So she is not shedding very well yet?  I would try increasing the humidity just a little to help her shed.  You could soak her, that might help her out a little bit.  

Let me know how she is doing.

Tracie

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: I took out all the substrate and disinfected her tank, hide, and bowl in scalding water with a little bit of bleach. Right now Im using paper towels to make sure if there's any mites left, that I'll be able to see them.

I'm not sure she's shedding naturally, because like I said before, its a bunch of her scutes that are coming off, and there's no new scutes replacing them from what I can tell, good thing is though that the skin on her belly isn't broken or anything. Her eyes still haven't clouded and her skin doesn't look like she's gonna shed, plus she's still eating fine and all.

She still seems to be having some bouts of diarrhea, but it's not as watery as it was before. It now seems to look the consistency and color of concrete mix.

By the way, I have to thank you for bearing with me on this whole question business. I don't know very much about boids, I'm more familiar with crotalids and elapids.

Answer
Hello Andrew,

I am happy to help!  I just hope that she starts to improve for you soon.  It is very difficult to figure reptiles out.  
Maybe the temperature improvements will help her immensely.  
Good that you did take all of the old substrate out & replaced it with paper towels right now.  You should be able to see them with paper towels in there.  Just be sure to check her scales routinely too.  They like to hide underneath the scales, & around the eye area, too.
That is very odd for her to shed in single scales like that.  It could possibly be a nutritional issue perhaps.  Could you add some calcium powder or vitamin powder to the rats a couple of times per month to give her a boost if she needs it?
It is either going to be a husbandry issue or a nutritional issue.  Let's get her temperatures optimal, & make sure the humidity is good.  Just improving the temperatures may really help her out.  If not, we will go to the supplementation increase & see if that helps her.
It is a constant learning experience, isn't it?

Tracie