Western hognose scale rot?

I suspect that my 2.5 year old albino hognose may be getting some scale rot, but I’ve never dealt with it personally so I thought I’d ask for advice. First of all, is this scale rot? He has been spending a lot of time in his humid hide lately so I guess that could have been how he got it. Second of all, what should I do for treatment? Is it bad enough to warrant a vet visit or can it be treated at home? Thanks.
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Originally Posted by Bugs_and_Herps

First of all, is this scale rot? ...Image Link- https://imgur.com/a/zKrrpO1https://ball-pythons.net/forums/blob...0-cea11904d839https://ball-pythons.net/forums/blob...2-a5bd479881ac

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I wouldn't think so. Only because the discoloration forms a very straight line down the middle of the belly scales. I wouldn't imagine that an infection would spread that way. Scale rot is most commonly caused by wet substrate. What substrate do you keep him on?

If he has been spending a lot of time in his humid hide, could we know what materials it is made out of and what you put into it? The straightness of it makes me wonder if it might be some kind of dye or rub that is coming off the hide/filler and then onto your snake's belly.

I keep him on aspen substrate, his humid hide is this: https://www.amazon.com/Zilla-Decor-R...57792949&psc=1 which I believe is made of resin, I put sphagnum moss inside it. His main substrate is definitely not wet, I keep the moss damp to provide higher humidity, I just replaced it however and it was pretty dry having needed to be replaced so even that doesn’t seem like it would be wet enough to be the cause. Maybe the moss had some dye added?

I would just keep a close eye on it for now. If gets worse, let us know. In the meantime, you could get some Vetericyn in case you need it. It's a good thing to have on hand regardless.

I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it. Do you have a specific version of Vetericyn you recommend? I see a lot of different versions ie gel vs spray when I look it up. I’ve always kept chlorhexidine on hand as my first aid cleaner, never been familiar with Vetericyn before but I’m happy to get some if it is preferable. I’ve also only ever heard of betadine for use with scale rot, is that one of the ingredients of Vetericyn? I guess I’m more familiar with the chemicals themselves than the branded stuff.

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Originally Posted by Bugs_and_Herps

I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on it. Do you have a specific version of Vetericyn you recommend? I see a lot of different versions ie gel vs spray when I look it up. I’ve always kept chlorhexidine on hand as my first aid cleaner, never been familiar with Vetericyn before but I’m happy to get some if it is preferable. I’ve also only ever heard of betadine for use with scale rot, is that one of the ingredients of Vetericyn? I guess I’m more familiar with the chemicals themselves than the branded stuff.

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Think of betadine, chlorhexidine and vetericyn as arrows in your antimicrobial quiver. This is the vetericyn I was referring to: Vetericyn Plus® Antimicrobial Reptile Wound and Skin Care, Hopefully, you won't need any of them.

Ok update, I got him out again today to look at his belly and it is looking like some sort of scale imperfection that then got discolored rather than an infection. There’s some ripped scale edges in a fairly straight line down his belly that then have dirt or something in them almost like how a fingernail would. I’m not entirely sure how I’d go about cleaning the discoloration since it does seem to be under the edges of the scales, but since it’s not looking like an infection, I’m leaning towards just letting him shed it out.

As long as it doesn't look infected (redness?) it should be safe to let it "shed out". Many times a snake's belly scales ("scutes") get damaged & ragged from sliding over rocks & other rough stuff in their world, & then the jagged edges can easily pick up some dirt & become discolored. If in doubt, you could also dab on (with Q-tip or cotton ball) a little weak solution of Betadine (generic "povidone-iodine") to the affected scales once a day (or Vetericyn) & allow to dry before putting him back. But most likely it's not needed.

And no, Vetericyn is NOT povidone-iodine. It's a totally different chemical- look for the reptile version, either online or in some pet stores. I only use the diluted chlorhexidine on surfaces (disinfecting enclosures).

Yeah no redness so I figure that’s what happened, he just scraped his belly up. Good to know on the Vetericyn I’ll definitely grab some of that. I’ve only used chlorhexidine for surfaces as well but it’s what I have had on hand for wounds but it sounds like Vetericyn is even better for that so thanks to y’all for turning me onto that! I guess it’s not well known in my area since I’ve never heard of it or seen it in my local herp store but I’ll definitely be ordering some online.