Skin Split

Question
Hi Andy,  My female ball python is going through a tough shed. I tried to peal a small sport of skin off of her back and she moved quickly and split her skin.  What should I do to heal this.  She is not bleeding, but I can see white "meat" undeneath.  The split is only about an inch front to back. Please help.

Answer
Hi Robert,

the most important thing you can do is to keep the tank as clean as possible. you dont want any bacteria getting in the wound and causing an infection. i would remove substrate and replace it with newspaper as its easier to keep clean.

also it would be a good idea to get ahold of a reptile iodine solution. this could be a product such as Tamodine. Tamodine is an antibacterial iodine based solution which helps to keep wounds sterile. this should be available from any reptile pet shop. to use it simply swab a small amount onto the damaged skin gently. you can use a cotton wool ball or some kitchen paper for this. make sure you cover the wound fully and then rinse it off after 5-10 minutes. if you do this every, or every other day, your snake will heal itself through shedding again next time.

just for future reference, it may be worth increasing tank humidity or bathing your snake when it comes up to shed as this will help it shed more easily.

i hope this helps,

Andy