I'm a master of observation!

[RPlank]

I couldn't figure out why Zeus wouldn't eat the last two weeks. I finally figured it out when I saw this:
http://www.ball-pythons.net/albums/album13/zeusbite120603.jpg
I guess last time I fed him a "stunned" rat, it wasn't stunned quite hard enough. Poor guy! Now he won't eat until after his next shed. :(

[elevation24]

Ouch! :( Poor guy!

[Dani33]

OMG, thats aweful. Glad my guy takes F/T.

[jfmoore]

Are those bite wounds?? I'm having trouble visualizing exactly how those were produced. Have you also checked inside his mouth?

I hope that heals uneventfully.

-Joan

[mark129er]

Ouch, yet another reason to feed F/T, or at least PK

[sapphire_moon]

no kidding. I hope he is ok. I agree with jfmoore. Also if you feed stunned why didn't you watch him eat to make sure everything went ok?

[mykee]

Sad...

[Dark_Angel_25]

no offense, but if you WERE a master of observation, then you would have seen it actually happen... Now it's been 2 weeks since it happened, and it doesn't look like it's healing at all. You better get it to a vet pronto, and feed frozen thawed if you can't watch it the WHOLE time...

[lilyskip]

oh gosh, that looks awful. i think you need to put some kind of cream on that, no?

[RPlank]

Originally posted by jfmoore
Are those bite wounds?? I'm having trouble visualizing exactly how those were produced. Have you also checked inside his mouth?

I hope that heals uneventfully.

-Joan
I am assuming they are bite wounds. There is no other mechanism I can think of that would cause wounds like that. The inside of his mouth appears fine. I can't see evidence of any trauma at all. For a bite wound, though, the wounds are awfully symmetrical. :confused:
Originally posted by Dark_Angel_25
no offense, but if you WERE a master of observation, then you would have seen it actually happen... Now it's been 2 weeks since it happened, and it doesn't look like it's healing at all. You better get it to a vet pronto, and feed frozen thawed if you can't watch it the WHOLE time...

The title of my original post was meant to be sarcastic. Trust me, I realize I f****d up!

Originally posted by sapphire_moon
no kidding. I hope he is ok. I agree with jfmoore. Also if you feed stunned why didn't you watch him eat to make sure everything went ok?

I DO watch him eat-every time, the entire time. That is why I was so surprised to find that he had been hurt. I also handle him daily, and by the time I saw those marks, they were scabbed over. I am trying to work him into taking P/K, that's why he's taking stunned ones now.

[munchy]

they do look awfully symetrical. thats weird.:confused:

[Corey Woods]

Those don't look like bite marks to me. Rodent teeth are extremely shart. The way a rodents mouth is designed their teeth would have punctured the snakes skin right though.....and not just symetrically damaged the scales. That looks like some type of scale infection.............is their anything on the cage that the snake can rub up against on? You can't rule anything out, and by looking at it it looks more like a bacterial scale infection rather than trauma caused by rubbing on something (but weirder things have happend!). Put polysporin on it a couple times a day until he sheds and he should be fine. Also, keep his cage warm and dry until he clears up (then keep in warm and humid).

Good Luck,
Corey
PS.......I'd like to see everyones vet bill.........since it seems like most peoples advice is, for even the most simplistic things to fix, "Take them too the vet"......................this is a recording!

[asphyxia]

I also do not think that is a rodent Bite. You may want to try apply some Hydrogen peroxyde prior to the polysporin.

I totally agree with Corey pertaining to:

"PS.......I'd like to see everyones vet bill.........since it seems like most peoples advice is, for even the most simplistic things to fix, "Take them too the vet"......................this is a recording!"

Good Luck
Brian

[Invictus]

I agree partially Corey... some people do jump to "take it to the vet!" too quickly when a little triple action polysporin is all that's required... but look at all the people who jump on here saying "Help! I have an emergency! My snake is swelling up like a balloon, and is giving off a green glow, and is shooting fireballs out his arse, and smells like rotten cabbage!!! Help !!! What do I do??????" :D (Some people don't jump over to the vet's fast enough!)

My first instinct was that the injury looks like a burn. But I don't think a burn would take the scales right off. However, a rat's front paws could very easily carve out some symmetrical wounds like that.

I'm also glad our BPs feed like champs on frozen/thawed.

[jason h]

invictus i think i agree but i would think it would be it back paws if it was just stunned,the little buggers will kick like crazy usually both back feet kick at the same time do to the nerves firing at the same time.

[jfmoore]

One other thing - I can't tell for certain, but it looks like there is some debris clinging to/embedded in the wound area. Make sure you keep him on plain paper substrate until he's healed.

[stevesemerko]

Ouch! I have never fed live but those don't look like bite marks to me either. I think it looks more like an infection of some sort or like jason and invictus say, claw marks. I would definetely put some polysporin on that. Good luck, I hope he heals up nice.

Steve

[sapphire_moon]

I've never seen it, but it looks like it could also have been blisters at once....maybe scale rot? I hope he gets better, keep us posted.

[eyespy]

Is this the same snake whose poop you posted in that other thread? If so, you might want to consider a vet trip. All those yellow-orange crystals in the urates are very worrisome for either dehydration from bloodloss/infection fighting or an infection that is affecting kidney function.

[RPlank]

Different snake from the urates picture....but thanks for the info! The snake that passed the urates was a new one I got from a reptile store that had a pretty bad RI, and was very skinny. She has since gotten over the RI, and bulked up, and is passing urates without the crystals. (I was wondering what those were!)

I have always kept Zeus on newspaper, so there is no bedding in his tub that would get into the wounds. I don't know what was on him for the pic, Joan, but it isn't there now.
Thanks for all the great replies. I'll keep you updated!

[Stav.T]

Hi I agree too ...these are not bite wound. They look like a bacterial infection like if kept to moist maybe fungus to ... As others say I would clean it with peroxyde and I would put some polysporin after and repeat the treatment until its healed. If polysporin dosent seem to work it would be a good idea to try some gentamicin in sted. Offcourse it has to be kept clean on newspaper or paper towel and dry.

Stav

[Stockwell]

Yup, I agree, that isn't rodent bites.It's probably bacterial but could be a fungal infection.
I've seen it in the old days with wild caughts..
I used to see it after ticks had been removed. It's the start of scale rot or whatever the term of the day is. That area under the chin has loose folds and scales that don't get as much air exposure, and seems prone to skin trouble, probably because it holds bacteria and moisture.
You should check the rest of the animal as well, because it often spreads to the scutes
It should clear up without any vet visits if kept dry,clean and well ventilated.
Peroxide or alcohol should do the trick.. It should clear up after the next shed
I'd check the inside of the mouth,just to make sure there is no mouth rot.
Those external marks are not the reason for the snake not eating.

[Zoe]

I DO watch him eat-every time, the entire time. Then you must know that that wasn't a bite, if you watching the whole time.

And yeah, doesn't look like a bite. The picture screamed "FLESH EATING VIRUS" to me. I know that isn't what it is, but it certainly isn't a site.

I agree, polysporin and if it doesn't get any better - vet trip.

Corey - yeah, I agree, a lot of people jump to the "take it to the vet" thing too quickly. However, in many cases where the origin of the problem (as in this case) is unknown, the best option IS to go to a vet. No one here can tell him what it is because we don't have the stuff to know. I would say if he doesn't show improvement soon - time for the vet.

Good luck with him

Zoe

[TheRedDragon]

I've seen an ETB with the same exact markings underneath it's chin before, I thought it was just normal grooves in the chin? In any event, it looks like they're infected, and, I would get it into a vet A.S.A.P.