Porterfield Exotics

Herp Health

Skin Problems

Shedding problems: The key to eliminating shedding problems is a clean healthy enclosure kept at the proper heat and humidity level for your particular species.  Many species like a pre-shed soak.  Others may need to be misted frequently when going into a shed.  If your animal does not shed properly the first thing to do is evaluate your enclosure for possible improvements.  Most shedding problems can be remedied by allowing the animal to soak and removing the unshed skin by hand.  I usually prefer to gently rub the skin off with my thumbs rather than scratching it off with finger nails.  Retained eye caps are sometimes a problem with animals that do not shed properly.  To remove a shed eye cap from your animal you should first allow it to soak in water that is at a proper temperature for your species.  After the animal has been allowed to soak gently rub the eye area of the retained eye cap to expose the edge of the eye cap.  Using a round tip tweezers or forceps gently remove the eye cap.  Note: If the eye cap is not softened by presoaking or the procedure is not done properly you may risk permanent damage to the eye.

Skin Blister Disease: The cause of skin blister disease is a poorly maintained enclosure.  It is usually caused by damp and/or dirty substrate.  This is a disease caused by a number of different bacteria.  Symptoms are raised scales and white or brown bumps.  If caught early it can be treated with good success rate by cleaning out the enclosure with a mild disinfectant solution (be sure to rinse the enclosure well) & replacing the substrate with a clean paper such as butcher paper.  Remove the water dish from the enclosure and offer water every day for drinking and remove it again until the animal sheds away all sign of the blister disease. In mild to moderate cases you should wipe the animal down with a mild iodine and water solution daily.  In severe cases an injection of anti-biotic may need to be given.