Post hibernation spots

[kimber_lee_314]

Four of my Russians came up today and they all have pink spots under their skin (mostly on the back legs and tail.) One of them (that has severe shell rot damage (he was brought to me that way) has some on his plasstron - in some of the softer spots that are healing. I have never seen this before. The one I just mentioned seems rather weak, but I've watched his weight carefully and he lost less than 5% of his prehibernation weight. Any ideas? (I tried to take pics, but the spots wouldn't show up.)

 

[Maggie Cummings]

I would gently scrub each spot with Betadine, then later before you put them to bed clean the spots again with Chlorhexidine and keep up with the Chlorhexidine washes for a couple of weeks, but don't use the Betadine again. I'd wash with Chlorhexadine 3 or 4 times a day for a couple of weeks by then the spots would have healed and should be gone. The spots will still be visible...anyhow that's what I would do. Can you get some pictures to us? Can't you change the setting on your camera?

 

[dreadyA]

What causes them?

 

[Yvonne G]

There's really no way to know, but I suspect either rats or mice, that is if they are not just pink, but raw and pink.

 

[Tom]

I've seen something like that on the bellies of snakes kept in damp, dirty conditions. Vet said it was bacterial. I can't remember, but I think it was psuedomonas. Do you hibernate them on damp substrate? Either way Maggies treatment ought to clear it up. I'd try to keep them dry, on a dry substrate, for a while. Until it clears up. But with daily soaks to re-hydrate them post hibernation.

 

[kimber_lee_314]

Thank you everyone. They were in boxes for hibernation with substrate that did get moister than I would have liked it, but it was definitely clean. They definitely aren't bites of any kind - it's under the skin. I followed Maggie's advice and they are all looking good except one. He is a little swollen and lethargic still. He has an appointment with the vet Thursday, sooner if I can get him in. The rest are eating and basking in the sun.