Blister Disease.

Miranda · #1 (**permalink**) 13-12-2008, 09:06 PM

Blisters Disease- Definition
To start with I'll explain what vesicular dermatitis (or Blisters Disease) Is, it is blisters on the skin caused mainly by damp and /or unclean conditions, it is more common in snakes as obviously more of the time their belly touches the ground.
Symptoms
It will start out as slight inflation of almost always the 'belly' scales and will continue to inflate whilst spreading along the body, it is most dangerous towards the mouth or cloaca (Vent or anus). In more extreme cases (As this was with Isis) blood spots develop under the scales these can be fevering and also pain spots, this disease is incredibly painful. These blisters will eventually burst, whether due to roughness against them or them growing bigger when these burst the risk of septicemia is very high, septicemia is poisoning of the blood. In larger reptiles it may take a while to kill them, but in smaller reptiles they can be dead in weeks, even days.
Treatment
The treatment is usually An injection or sometimes oral medication, e.g. baytril, combined with cleaning the tank and snake daily. But as soon as you suspect this disease veterinary treatment must be immediately seeked, it can very easily be fatal.
Prevention
Of course the best thing to do is to prevent it. This can be done by always making sure you clean the tank well, and not just with water, Vetcleanse is highly recommended, check your snakes frequently this disease sets in very quickly.
Isis's Progress
Isis my 08 royal python was the one to suffer this disease.
In 3 Days Isis went form normal, to this:

As you can see he pink patches are fevering, and you can see the blisters, I called the vet the next morning and had an appointment the next day, when i got there he said id caught it just in time and survival was uncertain.

10 days after my appointment with the treatment, the blisters had burst naturally but because of the treatment the scales were still intact,and they were healing:

Your can see the brown skin is flat, and the blisters are not forming.

Yesterday she finished shedding, and the skin is thicker at the disease point, but not infected the scales are slightly damaged and pink, but she is almost totally better. Just aesthetics really.(Im sorry the pics not great) By the way that is shed on Isis in the top right ive got it off now.

It took a bit of typing, but im quite proud as all of that came from my knowledge, i hope it helps you all!

Miranda.

royalnking · #2 (**permalink**) 13-12-2008, 09:24 PM

excellent post Miranda and hopefully it will prevent or at least prompt someone to get the quick intervention like you did

James · #3 (**permalink**) 13-12-2008, 09:28 PM

Nice one. Someone sticky this

Fixx · #4 (**permalink**) 13-12-2008, 09:29 PM

Glad to see she has responded well to treatment Miranda, you're a credit to the younger herper, well done

Miranda · #5 (**permalink**) 13-12-2008, 10:01 PM

Thankyou all!
And to royalnking I especially want to encourage people to always seek the vets, self medicating is ridiculous in that kind of situation!

gwinni · #6 (**permalink**) 13-12-2008, 10:07 PM

Very interesting! Sticky please!

royalnking · #7 (**permalink**) 13-12-2008, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Miranda

Thankyou all!
And to royalnking I especially want to encourage people to always seek the vets, self medicating is ridiculous in that kind of situation!

I definitely agree, complications like retained shed or non feeding can be sorted out most of the time over the internet but veterinary treatment for medical conditions can't (unless you have had experience of it and have the medications on hand)

this thread should definitely be stickied

ami_j · #8 (**permalink**) 13-12-2008, 10:14 PM

very concise and well written it would indeed make a good sticky

pied pythons · #9 (**permalink**) 13-12-2008, 10:19 PM

This is exactly the reason why I get SO worked up when people continuously tell other to ''whack the humidity levels in the viv/tub right up''when their snake has an R.I.

Yes...high humidity loosens the mucus in the airway of a snake, and helps to ease the symptoms of an R.I, as snakes cannot cough. But if you ask me it is immensely dangerous giving out advice like this.

By all means nebulise snakes, but whacking the humidity levels right up is really irresponsible in my opinion. Nebulising is one thing...allowing the snake to live/sit in potentially damp conditions is just asking for trouble.

I've had 2 snakes with blister disease. One was a young snake I bought from a reputable shop...and only noticed once I got it home, that it had a few blisters on it. The second was my gorgeous adult burmese. She knocked her water bowl over twice in the space of a week or so, and was left sat on wet paper for a few hours on each occasion, before we noticed (either woke up or got home from being out). She had quite a number of blisters, which I treated appropriately. All cleared up fairly rapidly and the scars shed out mostly.

It's a horrific disease...which people need to understand how easily it can be bought on.

As always, you should never clean the viv out with just water. You wouldn't clean your dirty clothing or dishes with just water...so why clean out a snakes viv where excrement has been, with just water.

Traditionally, blister disease is linked to dirty, unsanitary living conditions...but it is just as easily bought on by high humidity, and wet conditions...even over a matter of hours. It's just not worth the risk.

Good thread

royalnking · #10 (**permalink**) 14-12-2008, 08:52 AM

It never fails to amaze me how an informative and important post is allowed to fall into the archives yet post's by trolls are fed and watered

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