Injured Ball Python

[Strutter769]

Not the best picture. I'll try to get more later. We have both Toffees in an 80 gal (I think) that we divided with some linoleum tile. (I know, bad idea. Financially, we had to make do with what we had.)

I'll have to get to the vet asap, but any advice in the meantime? Ointment? Antibacterial?

[Strutter769]

Sorry, I snapped this one in B/W.

[Lankyrob]

HArd to tell - is it a scrape? Or scale rot? - Do you know what caused it? It may help others to offer advice if you give as much detail as possible.

[Strutter769]

Yeah, sorry the picture isn't very descriptive I guess. It's definitely a laceration. Not scale rot, but the other (I'm really not sure which is which *embarrassed*) is also much drier than expected. Coconut husk bedding (damp, not wet), very large water dish. They've been with me for only a few days and have seemingly both taken a turn for the worse. I've got an appt in the mornin' with the best herp vet around, so I'll let ya know. He said to butterfly it with some Neosporin to keep it dry. I don't have butterfly bandages, so I attempted only the gauze portion of a Band-Aid, with some medical type tape. Needless to say, since I was on my own, and the snake is, well, very snake-like, it'll go uncovered until our appointment tomorrow.

Stay tuned... More details coming up right after the vet visit!

[alessia55]

Goodness that looks awful! Poor thing :( I hope the vet can figure out how to heal it fast. Keep us posted about the vet appt. I'm still confused though, how'd it happen??

[Strutter769]

Goodness that looks awful! Poor thing :( I hope the vet can figure out how to heal it fast. Keep us posted about the vet appt. I'm still confused though, how'd it happen??

I can really only guess, honestly. We attempted to divide a large tank into two smaller, separate enclosures, except it appears the divider didn't quite reach the top and the result was an edge that as it turns out was sharp enough to cause some damage. Entirely our fault, no question. I just really hope it's not a critical or fatal injury. :hmm:

[alessia55]

Me too! Let us know how it goes. I'll keep my fingers crossed for the little guy

[Strutter769]

Me too! Let us know how it goes.

I promise you I will.

[spots]

I would advise to take the bedding out of the tank that that snake is in so that none of it gets into the wound causing irritation.

[Strutter769]

I would advise to take the bedding out of the tank that that snake is in so that none of it gets into the wound causing irritation.

Yes! Done. Only newspaper in there now.

[mykee]

That's not a Toffee.

[Strutter769]

That's not a Toffee.

Sorry, I miss-spoke(sp.). 50% Het Toffee. I was just thinking positively. (-:

[EasternGirl]

Oh...poor thing! I don't know a lot about big snakes but I have used hibiclens diluted in water to clean/treat wounds and infections on garters....I just put a few drops in a cup of water and dab with a Q-tip.....maybe someone else can tell you if this would be okay to do with your snake.

[alessia55]

Sorry, I miss-spoke(sp.). 50% Het Toffee. I was just thinking positively. (-:

Did you go to the vet already?

[Strutter769]

Oh...poor thing! I don't know a lot about big snakes but I have used hibiclens diluted in water to clean/treat wounds and infections on garters....I just put a few drops in a cup of water and dab with a Q-tip.....maybe someone else can tell you if this would be okay to do with your snake.

Thanks for the tips, Marni!

Alessia, not until tomorrow do we see the vet. In fact, as I type this, my wife and I were talking about that very thing. That is... "Worst case scenario.... Dr. Yates (very good, btw!) says he has to stitch it. That'll must likely be the value of the snake, quintupled.

Please, please don't misunderstand me. It's not about the value of the snake, moreso the timing of it all. I just received some Rainbows I KNOW will retain their rather high value for quite some time.

But, I the family member from whom I adopted them is really going to try to help out with the vet bills.

All fingers crossed!

[alessia55]

Good luck! I hope the vet can cut you some slack too. :hmm:

[lady_bug87]

That's not a Toffee.


and by that I'm SUURE you mean "Oh no! I hope he feels better!" right?

hahaha



I really do hope the snake feels better and the vet helps you out I just found the comment amusing

[EasternGirl]

Totally understandable about the money...vet visits are outrageous. I had to pay $800 the other day to save my dog from ingesting a pill...of course my dog is worth it...but that is ridiculous! If I didn't have credit...I don't know what I would have done...

[Strutter769]

I have exactly 0 credit cards, and my debit card is only good a few days a month.(lol) This animal hospital isn't among the least expensive in the area, but Dr. Yates is worth it. (Dundee Animal Hospital Elgin, IL) Hope I didn't just break a rule posting that.

I'm not trying to start a "pity party" by any means. More trying to convey even when we don't have the means all the time, our animals are always taken care of. Sometime moreso than their humans! Lol

I think someone's sig. on this board says somethin' about giving our dogs our spare time, spare time, etc., they give us their all. Love it!

[lady_bug87]

^^ Snakefood.

[snake man12]

Get well soon : ]. I would suggest a Q tip with some neo

[Strutter769]

Get well soon : ]. I would suggest a Q tip with some neo

Thanks Snakeman. We've done a couple treatments so far, with more to come.

[EasternGirl]

I don't know if this is of any interest to you or if you can get credit...but the credit that I was speaking of is Carecredit...it's a specific credit line you can apply for for vet bills (you can also use it for other medical things). It has really helped me out of vet bill jams.

[Strutter769]

I don't know if this is of any interest to you or if you can get credit...but the credit that I was speaking of is Carecredit...it's a specific credit line you can apply for for vet bills (you can also use it for other medical things). It has really helped me out of vet bill jams.

More awesome advice from the EasternGirl! We'd heard of pet insurance, (which is probably very helpful if you have very few pets, but never pet credit. I'm looking into this right away.

Thank you!

[alessia55]

Good luck tomorrow!! I hope the vet can stitch him up nice and quick and he'll be off to a speedy recovery :)

[Strutter769]

[QUOTE=strutter769;658412]I have exactly 0 credit cards, and my debit card is only good a few days a month.(lol) This animal hospital isn't among the least expensive in the area, but Dr. Yates is worth it. (Dundee Animal Hospital Elgin, IL) Hope I didn't just break a rule posting that.

I'm not trying to start a "pity party" by any means. More trying to convey even when we don't have the means all the time, our animals are always taken care of. Sometime moreso than their humans! Lol

I think someone's sig. on this board says somethin' about giving our dogs our spare time, spare time, etc., they give us their all. Love it![/QUOTE/]

Well, after much discussion, (some was rather "passionate"), we've decided Dr. Yates definitely won't stitch a wound that has been open for any amour of time due to the high likelihood of infection. So, the only advice he could possibly give would be to keep the wound as clean as possible, treat with Neosporin and watch for any sign of infection. I think he'd also only give any possible injection if there were redness or signs of infection, of which there currently are none.

Is there anything I missed here? Please let me know. I'm interested in all feedback, as usual.

Thankfully,

[shaunyboy]

I don't have butterfly bandages, so I attempted only the gauze portion of a Band-Aid, with some medical type tape.

be carefull using tape on a snake,especially when taking it off,keep an eye on its scales as you take the tape off.

tape can pull off part and whole scales,if not done with great care

its hard to tell from the pictures,its a pity the black and white close up,wasn't taken in colour.it makes it hard to tell whats belly scales and whats raw flesh

it looks to me like it require stitches,but i'm unsure if after a certain period of time has passed,a wound cannot be stitched (does anyone know if this is correct please ? )

i would keep the wound clean and a close eye on it until you see the vet.i personally would use white paper towels as substrate,this would give me peace of mind,regards dye from the newspaper entering the wound

i'm sure he's going to make a full recovery and he's in good hands

please let us know how it goes at the vets mate

all the best shaun

[Strutter769]

be carefull using tape on a snake,especially when taking it off,keep an eye on its scales as you take the tape off.

tape can pull off part and whole scales,if not done with great care

its hard to tell from the pictures,its a pity the black and white close up,wasn't taken in colour.it makes it hard to tell whats belly scales and whats raw flesh

it looks to me like it require stitches,but i'm unsure if after a certain period of time has passed,a wound cannot be stitched (does anyone know if this is correct please ? )

i would keep the wound clean and a close eye on it until you see the vet.i personally would use white paper towels as substrate,this would give me peace of mind,regards dye from the newspaper entering the wound

i'm sure he's going to make a full recovery and he's in good hands

please let us know how it goes at the vets mate

all the best shaun

Thanks Shaun! Good catch with the paper towels in place of newspaper!

On a good note, he/she did eat this evening, which officially cancels all handling for tomorrow. Complete blank moment as I fed them, completely forgetting about transporting tomorrow.

The other half of the pair (I really need to learn how to sex snakes!) had not eaten at last check. I'll of course leave dinnet in overnight, and am fairly confident it won't be there on the morn. Fingers crossed, ad this is their first feeding under our watch

[ZARADOZIA]

All I have to offer is make sure the neosporin with without pain relief. Investing in some Betadine would be good and you can apply with this a cotton ball. If you don't know what Betadine is, its what the hospitals use to prep for and after surgery, you can buy it at any drug store. It's great to have on hand for all (pets with feet- no feet and people).

Feed him on schedule and maybe consider smaller prey if you can, as not to stretch the wound and reopen it. (Not real sure what he is eating right now so this advice may be unnecessary.)

[SnakeyJay]

Is feeding wise with an open wound on the neck like that? Just got to ask, your still going to the vets right? Good luck.

[Lankyrob]

In humans once a wound has been open for 24 hours they wont stitch it due to the risk of infection, it is better to let it heal from the inside out and seal itself (stitching heals outside in).

My personal non-vetinary opinion is to keep it clean as possible and let nature take its course - keep an eye on humidity as he may shed a couple of times in quick succession to aid the healing process.

[ZARADOZIA]

Is feeding wise with an open wound on the neck like that? Just got to ask, your still going to the vets right? Good luck.


He will need all the nutrients he can get to heal, without the proper fuel (food) the injury will not heal properly. Not much different than when someone has stomach surgery or colon surgery, you must eat so your body has the required nutrients to heal itself. It will be uncomfortable, but a necessary evil, which is why I suggested smaller prey, to minimize the uncomfortablness of it.

[Strutter769]

Zaradozia- Without pain relief - Got it! Yesterday was the normal feeding day. We thought the same, in that a smaller prey item would be best. He took it just fine, with apparently no ill effects.

Jay, if things change or worsen in any way, we will be off to the vet.

[SnakeyJay]

Thanks for clearing that up for me, was interested in whether to feed or not to feed lol... I'm happy he took it ok for you.

[Strutter769]

Well, the uninjured BP did not eat last night. No vet visit this morning.

On a much brighter note, I am not sure it is a laceration. I think it is more of a tug, or a stretch of the skin. Remember, there was no blood at all.

Ok, someone who shall remain nameless (but who is mentioned in my sig.), was not aware that when you heat a self-adhesive linoleum tile, the adhesive melts and the tiles slide apart, exposing very sticky surfaces. Those are not good to have near reptiles, especially of the legless variety.

So, skipping the gory details in my imagination of this happening, I think this could be good news.

We'll see.

I promise more pics in the next 48hrs. I don't want to muck with her tonight since she did eat.

I know this looks terrible and irresponsible for someone doing this as long as I, someone who is totally stricken with the idea of breeding in the near future. I know better than this, WE know better than this. All is fixed now with a piece of foam, designed to be a background in an enclosure now separating the two.

More details to come .... Stay tuned!

[shaunyboy]

Not the best picture. I'll try to get more later. We have both Toffees in an 80 gal (I think) that we divided with some linoleum tile. (I know, bad idea. Financially, we had to make do with what we had.)

I'll have to get to the vet asap, but any advice in the meantime? Ointment? Antibacterial?

is that a loose flap of skin i see in the picture,dangling down from his/her neck ?

if it is then that and keeping the wound clean would be my main concern.

if its a flap of skin that can't be stitched back into place,then i'm sure the vet would advise on,trimming it off or leaving it to die and drop off

my worry would its getting a blood supply,so would not drop off but continue to trail from his/her neck

cheers shaun

[Strutter769]

is that a loose flap of skin i see in the picture,dangling down from his/her neck ?

if it is then that and keeping the wound clean would be my main concern.

if its a flap of skin that can't be stitched back into place,then i'm sure the vet would advise on,trimming it off or leaving it to die and drop off

my worry would its getting a blood supply,so would not drop off but continue to trail from his/her neck

cheers shaun

My feeling is yes, it's a flap of skin, not an actual cut. Good point about the blood flow. Tomorrow afternoon I'll give him/her a good soak, new paper towel and some better pictures.

Cheers,

[Strutter769]

Update: Sorry for the delay.... last few days have been crraaaaazzy! Anyway, if really appears to by skin only. No actual "intrusion" of the skin, if you will. Soaked him/here for a good 30-40 minutes on a damp rag, cotton swab etc...etc...

I have a question..... is the snake's perception of pain fully "understood?" In other words, is it a good thing it doesn't "seem" to hurt the snake when we cleaned and investigated the injury. Is that a good sign?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!

Strutter family

[ZARADOZIA]

Update: Sorry for the delay.... last few days have been crraaaaazzy! Anyway, if really appears to by skin only. No actual "intrusion" of the skin, if you will. Soaked him/here for a good 30-40 minutes on a damp rag, cotton swab etc...etc...

I have a question..... is the snake's perception of pain fully "understood?" In other words, is it a good thing it doesn't "seem" to hurt the snake when we cleaned and investigated the injury. Is that a good sign?

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays, everyone!

Strutter family


I'm not sure. Animals react to pain differently than humans. He may not feel any pain at all or he may trust you enough that he knows you are trying to help him. Animals do have a sixth sense when it comes to us trying to help them. I have dealt with many wild animals that I KNEW were in great pain because of lacerations but they remained calm and allowed me to minister to them. They knew I was trying to help them. Same for my cats, Fritz was always getting into trouble when he was younger and one day he came home with the side of his leg skinned. There was no skin on a 5 inch stretch. It hurt me just looking at it. But he laid there calmly while I doctored it and remained calm during the entire vet visit. He groowled a couple of times, but that was it.

Maybe invest in some pinkies or fuzzies while he heals? I'm jsut guessing at this point but he may feel more discomfort on the inside from bruising.

[Strutter769]

Update: After three (3) feedings and a shed (albiet not a great shed), this injury is nothing more than a couple of misplaced scales. I'll try to remember to get pics soon.

[ZARADOZIA]

Update: After three (3) feedings and a shed (albiet not a great shed), this injury is nothing more than a couple of misplaced scales. I'll try to remember to get pics soon.


Hip Hip Hooray!!!

[spots]

Pics Strutter Pics!!!!!!!

[shaunyboy]

Update: After three (3) feedings and a shed (albiet not a great shed), this injury is nothing more than a couple of misplaced scales. I'll try to remember to get pics soon.

thats great news mate

look forward to the pictures,as it will be interesting to see the difference after a shed

cheers shaun

[Snakefood]

In humans once a wound has been open for 24 hours they wont stitch it due to the risk of infection, it is better to let it heal from the inside out and seal itself (stitching heals outside in).

My personal non-vetinary opinion is to keep it clean as possible and let nature take its course - keep an eye on humidity as he may shed a couple of times in quick succession to aid the healing process.

In dogs, the general rule is 24 hrs, no stitches (as Rob said for humans, but also there is the rate od death of the tissue that has been cut. After even 3-4 hrs, most time the edges of the gash have to be "debrided" or cut back to living tissue in order for the 2 sides to heal together

[Strutter769]

Pics Strutter Pics!!!!!!!

You've got it, Jimi! Click here: http://www.ssnakess.com/forums/python-regius/89955-heath-heather.html

[shaunyboy]

In humans once a wound has been open for 24 hours they wont stitch it due to the risk of infection,

^^^^^
up until a few years i ago i believed that to be true rob

so when i headed to hospital 36 hours after putting my teeth through my bottom lip,i thought " well at least they won't stitch it,it been over 24 hours "

all the doctor did rob,was open a pack with a sterile scrubbing brush/nail brush and scrub my wound,until it was fresh and raw,he explained it was to clean it and roughen the surface,so it would knit together better

6 stiches later " MYTH BUSTED " :D

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

Fair enough :) been a few years since i have needed a wound stitched so not surprised if my info is out of date :)

[Gungirl]

When I was 15 I was camping and split open my knee bad. We wrapped it up and left it alone, we still had 3 days of camping left and I was not about to cut that short. When we got back to town they did just what Shaun said. They ripped it back open cut off some dead skin and scrubbed it out to get all new flesh exposed. Hurt like heck! Then they put in 4 staples and let it heal up.

[Snakefood]

ugh!! I hate staples!! I have had 2 surgeries and before both, I told the surgeons, "no staples, stitch me up like a human being, I am not a document!!"

I was traumatized as a child when they took my mamma's thyriod out, they stapled her up and left a "drain" and did not bandage it, THEN let her 10 yr old daughter walk in!! I pretty much freaked out cuz the slit across mamma's neck was reminicent of Frankenstien and it scared the hell out of me!!

[lady_bug87]

when my grandmother had breast cancer surgery they stapled her which I asked them not to I also asked them not to put the regular adhesive tape on her and to use the one for sensitive skin which is less sticky because she has Lupus so her skin is really thin from hermeds

so they stapled her which really tore her skin and then they put the regular super sticky tape on her which ripped her skin off.. I snapped

[Strutter769]

Don't forget about the pythons!

[KORBIN5895]

Um Roy? What do the pythons have to do with this thread?

[Strutter769]

I thought the way it started was pretty focussed around one python.

[KORBIN5895]

Nope. Pretty sure it's about staples. Speaking of which I need copier paper.

[Strutter769]

That's a pretty funny name I came up with for the string then I'd say. Wouldn't you agree?

[KORBIN5895]

Yes I would. You must be on something. It could be possible that the thread got slightly derailed, but I doubt it.

[Strutter769]

I direct your attention to the first post of the thread, which I have included here, free of charge.

Not the best picture. I'll try to get more later. We have both Toffees in an 80 gal (I think) that we divided with some linoleum tile. (I know, bad idea. Financially, we had to make do with what we had.)

I'll have to get to the vet asap, but any advice in the meantime? Ointment? Antibacterial? __________________

[KORBIN5895]

That's one big bowl of toffee!

[Strutter769]

One big AVAILABLE bowl of Toffees.