Injury

[Number3Pencils]

Hello,

I'm relocated from the defunct CarpetPythons.net forums, where I would occasionally ask questions. Well, now I've got a big question. The other day I opened up my JCP's cage to feed him (after a long week basically packed tight with paper-writing, in which I didn't look in on him as much as I should have - and when I did, he was usually hiding). I was shocked to see that he'd somehow gotten injured on his tail, and I had no idea how. (Pictures below.) He was still moving, and still is now. He ate that day. He wasn't as enthusiastic as he's been before, but not the least interested he's ever been. His eyes also appear to be clouded over. I think his last shed was about a month ago, maybe more, but I never found the skin, so I could be wrong.

I'm freaked out, because I don't know what to think about this injury. As near as I can figure out, it seems to be a burn. Could the exposed heating pad seen in the last picture be to blame? He tends to brush off the bedding while moving around. I don't remember the brand of the pad, but it said it operated at a constant 100°, so I didn't think I needed to worry - is that too hot?

The other possibility is that he touched his heating lamp (it's a big cage, two heat sources). It's one of those ceramic heat emitters, and I've got it fenced off behind ½-inch wire mesh. He could have dropped his tail through that, but I've never known a snake to enter anything tail-first.

But, what I most want to know is, can you tell from these pictures if this will heal on its own?
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/fg53yRbVLsGiFJ7uUPwgAA?feat=directlink
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/LvtX1-iTqpNVc2i2ztPMvQ?feat=directlink
His tail below the injury has gone somewhat limp. He can move it, but it's nowhere near as clingy or lively as it was before this happened. (This picture and next)
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/qVoRUyM-rwexjfR96T4tOg?feat=directlink
This is the clearest picture:
http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/photo/xNA0__oIQPPHFFNMGjS1nw?feat=directlink
Here's a link to my web album with full-size pictures: Picasa Web Albums - Nathanael - Snake (http://picasaweb.google.com/ndb000/Snake#)
I'd take him to a vet right off, but I'm in a small town, and I feel like the vet here would probably just charge me a lot of money to say he has no idea what to do about this. So I'm hoping you all can give me some advice on this.

[Will0W783]

I don't know what to tell you, other than that it would be a good idea to at least get him checked out by a vet. It looked like there was some bleeding/scale scraping in the picture, and that alone is reason enough to get him checked out to prevent infection. If he has suffered a spinal fracture in that area, I doubt he will regain motility of the region, but he might still have some muscle control and movement of it. Really, with any injury, you should get it checked out by a good herp vet.

[Number3Pencils]

Thanks. I'm heading to a bigger city for the winter at the end of the week, so if things haven't significantly improved by then - and if my dad, who studied zoology and has kept lots of snakes and had some tips for me, can't make an improvement either - I'll look for a vet. The good news is he still seems to be lively, just with a motionless tail. I watched him climb some sticks pretty well yesterday. He did pretty well for having to drag around a tail with little agility. He also shed, but the skin didn't come off from the wound downward. I tried pulling it off, but there seems to be open wound underneath, so I didn't know if I should. Do you think I should? Also, my dad recommends I use boric acid to clean the wound in case there's an infection - does that sound reasonable?

Thanks so much.

[Will0W783]

I think you should leave the skin alone until you get him to a vet. But with an open wound I think you need to get him to a vet NOW, not in a week.

[shaunyboy]

from the pictures it looks like it could be a burn.if it has appeared suddenly imo its the most likely answer.i had a carpet that used to go over its water bowl and get its underside wet,it would then upset the substrate until the heat mat was bare then sit on it.the vet said the water on it was heating up and causing the burns.its burns were on its underside as that was lying on the mat.yours might have had its body under the mat which would explain the position of the wound.you said the mat runs at a constant 100 degrees that would in my opinion be enough to burn it (put your mat through a thermostat set at 85f).i run my jungles at 82f to 86f at the hot end.most of my carpets tend to sit in the middle or more so the cool end of the viv.they only ever sit directly under the ceramic just before a shed i have a jungle that only does it for 3 days after its shed.a ceramic bulb would also burn a snake on contact in the uk we tend to use metal cages with 5mm square holes in them that allow the snake no direct contact with the ceramic bulbs.the burns ive seen tend to look raw to begin with and oouze a little clear liquid.then they tend to dry out and scab over.after a couple of sheds the burn scars are barely noticable.i dab the burns with a little disenfectant while they are still raw looking to keep any infection at bay.the snake can sometimes knock the scab off creating another raw bit which i treat again until it starts drying out and scabing.i would also take him to the vet as soon as possible to be on the safe side.i hope this has been of some help to you and i wish your carpet a speedy recovery.
all the best shaun

[Number3Pencils]

Hi! Thanks for your reply.

I'm thinking the burn diagnosis is probably right. It scabbed over like you said burns do, and then the scabs fell off, and there's now an area of light-colored and pink skin where the wound is healing. He can move his tail now, although the part of him underneath the wound is still stiff.

By 100°, I mean the mat is at about that temperature; I have it on a thermostat that keeps the cage air around 86°. I've also got his ceramic bulb in a wire cage like the one you mentioned, although the mesh is ½ inch, so that might have let him hang his tail down into the area. I'll probably cover it with screen at some point to make sure that can't happen. I'm also making sure to keep some substrate on top of the mat when he knocks it aside.

Thanks!

[shaunyboy]

i only use a ceramic bulb to heat the viv.i mount them on inside of the top of the viv tight to the right hand side of the viv and run it at 85f.thats my hot end..that leaves my left side of the viv as the cool end.causing a temperature gradient inbetween the two ends of the viv.your snake can then choose the temperature that suits it most.i drill a hole dead centre through the back of the viv and put the thermostat probe through it.i put elastic bands on the base of the probe round the wire to stop it falling out the back of the viv.i also stick a temp guage directly above the probe.using a ceramic this way i find there is no need for having a mat as well.from how you've said its healing im pretty certain that its been a burn.i'm glad all is well again.
cheers shaun

[Number3Pencils]

Right, I've got a gradient going too. I use a mat and a heat bulb both because I've made my snake a rather large cage, 2×3×4 feet. Things are going pretty smoothly now, thanks.