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My Reptile Loves its Heating Rock (Thermal Burns)

by
Edward M. Craft

A thermal burn is a traumatic superficial wound that results from direct contact with an improper or unprotected heat source. These wounds are painful and effect the skin, often leaving scars and discolored tissue in its wake. In most cases thermal burns remain superficial, but may become severe if they extend into the middermis layer. Blisters may often accompany a thermal burn and complicate treatment. Applying an antibiotic, such as Silver Sulfadiazine 1% may treat minor burns.

In extreme cases a secondary bacterial infection may become involved, complicating treatment. Most thermal burns are located on the underside (ventral surface) of the reptile. This is usually the result of lying on a hot object, like a heating rock or heating pad. When the burn is on the ventral surface care should be taken to protect the burn from exposure to bacteria and fecal matter within its enclosure. These bandages should be change daily and the Silver Sulfadiazine re-applied each time. The greatest risk involved with a thermal burn is the potential for a secondary infection. Antibiotic therapy should be applied to the treatment if a secondary septicemia is involved. Keeping the environment perfectly clean at all times during treatment will help to reduce the risk of secondary infection.

Scar tissue may involve several layers of skin and result in dysecdysis (problem shed) and may continue for several shedding cycles and last as long as several years until the damaged tissue is completely shed. This will depend entirely on how deep the burn is and how much surface area was effected.

Protecting your reptile from all overhead heat sources and avoiding heat sources that require direct contact may prevent thermal burns. Direct contact heat sources are not only a danger, but are also an ineffective method for heating reptiles. All reptiles have a Preferred Optimum Temperature Zone (POTZ) which is usually about 10 degrees above the ambient temperature. In order for a reptile to achieve their POTZ they must be provided with a heat gradient. By using a direct contact heat source the reptile is not able to reach its POTZ and may only become as warm as the object it is laying on. As a result the animal will continue to lay on the object trying to reach is POTZ to the point that a thermal burn will occur and never achieve the necessary temperature. A thermometer is an essential piece of cage equipment for all reptiles. A good indicator as to whether or not a reptile is reaching its POTZ is whether or not it is spending all of its time on one location within the enclosure. When a direct contact heat source is used most owners will comment on how well their reptile just loves its heat rock or heat pad by saying, "I hate to remove his heat rock, because he loves it so much that he spends all of his time on it".

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All rights reserved by Edward M. Craft. Printed in the United States of America. Original Edition 1997