My ball python has yellow stains. Can I use baking soda to clean her?

I am sorry for the loss of your snakes. Ideally, Ivory should be physically examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet, especially in light of your recent losses. The spots could indicate infection (bacterial, fungal or even a viral condition). It is difficult to make a detrmination by looking at an image. In the meantime, clean and sanitize all the enclosures, bowls, hides and tank furniture. Discard anything that cannot be sanitized. Wash your hands thoroughly between handling each snake. Confirm, again if necessary, proper environmental parameters. Low temps can lead to stress which may predispose a snake to infection or illness. High humidity can foster bacterial or fungal overgrowth. Consider using paper towels as substrate until the issue is resolved. Change them daily to maintain clean conditions.

Soak her in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 0-30 minutes. This, along with a gentle abdominal massage, may help her pass the blockage. If it is dries stool, the warm bath may soften it enough so you can wipe her clean. If it persists, have Noodle examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet.

Thanks for reaching out about Natas and including photos. This could be something as simple as dry skin, so application of an olive oil once every few days might help return the skin integrity to normal. Remove any substrate that could adhere the lesion. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. A fungal or bacterial dermatitis, nutritional deficiencies, and other problems are still possible. Good luck.

She is stunning. The best way to confirm good health is to have her examined by an experienced herp veterinarian. Submit a stool sample to diagnose intestinal parasites. In the meantime, make sure she is active and alert. Look for missing scales or injury along the length of her body. Check in and around her mouth for discharge, redness or swelling. Offer appropriately sized prey. At her age, she is probably eating hopper or weanling mice depending on her weight. When feeding any reptile, it is important that the temperature is species appropriate. A cold snake will not eat. If you feed pre killed, be sure to completely thaw it and allow it to warm to at least room temp. Some owners choose to feed in a container other than the enclosure. A snake should not be handled after feeding to prevent regurgitation. Follow the link below for more information regarding care. http://www.anapsid.org/ball.html

If there is discharge, this may mean infection. Have Butters examined by an experienced herp veterinarian for diagnosis and treatment. It may indeed be advanced scale rot or a burn. You can request a consultation to share images. It may also be a bad shed if Butters has shed recently. Until he sees the vet, keep him on paper towels or other substrate that is easily cleaned and won't contaminate or stick to his abdomen. If you have a heat rock or UTH, check the rheostat to make sure it is still functioning.

If the mouth rot is minor, you can use a dilute chlorhexadine or dilute Listerine and a cotton swab to gently wipe the affected area twice daily. Increasing temperature by about 5-10 F may also help. If you are seeing "cheesy" discharge, Peter should be seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.

Those could be burns, abrasions or infection. Check for proper temperature in the enclosure. Remove any furniture that may be causing abrasions. Confirm proper humidity which can promote bacterial or fungal overgrowth. Lucy should be examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet to definitively diagnose the condition. She may need to have the area cleaned and dressed or she may need antibiotics.