Am I hurting my snake? *Long story please help!*

TheoryBehindIt · 02-01-15, 11:59 PM

I have a normal Ball Python, He is about 5-6 years old and is around 3 feet long. My friend has been housing him for me cause of personal problems I am facing. She is an excellent care taker, she even worked with a professional breeder for a period of time.

I have owned Sheldon for about 3-4 years, and about a year ago my friend (I live and still do in a house that does not allow snakes) called me saying that he had a cut on his belly. Being the worry wort I am I rushed to friends and found that he did have a very large cut on his belly. It was about 1/3 of his length. My friend and I worried washed the wound by setting him in lukewarm water for a couple of minutes (he was not happy about that).

After we cleaned him up and set him in a spear cage he looked in his encloser we could not find what could have caused the cut. While cleaning the cage out just in case something had fallen in to. I had an idea, I though it could be the gauge that measured the humility in the tank. So i ran my thumb over it, cutting my self. After I cut my self my friend removed the item and we fixed up Sheldon's home. I took him for a few months (I had to move back in with my mom for this) taking care of him and cleaning him to make sure the cut don't get infected. (I do know I should have gone to the vet but I don't have the money at the time, I am a broke College kid, yes I know it's not excuse)

After about three-four months the wound healed nicely only leaving a slight scar on his belly. (Just a light indent on his belly).

Recently my mother told me that heating pads can burn snakes, saying that she seen a snake with the same cut/burn as Sheldon. I don't think much of his cause his heating pat is under the tank with a thick layer of bedding above it. Still I looked it up and after a bit of researching I find see photos of snakes with cuts/burns that look the same as his.

I still use the heating pad for him (It's the same pad from with he got the cut), and he has not shown any signs that he hurt, nor has he gotten another cut/burn. So could he have gotten the cut/burn from the heating pad (If so i am removing it ASAP) or was it the gauge that was removed after he got the cut?

If you could let me know Please and Thank you!! (Also, please no Flames for not taking him to the Vet, I truly wanted to but I had no means to pay for vet bills and my mother does not believe in vets so she would not have helped me pay the bills either.)

**millertime89** · 02-02-15, 01:25 AM

Welcome!

Love the name Sheldon.

The vet visit isn't a necessity, typically they charge you an exorbitant amount of money for something minor. As long as you clean and disinfect the wound and keep the cage clean (and even if you don't, how do you think they survive in the wild...) snakes are typically remarkable healers.

Burns from heating pads are typically a result of unregulated heating elements. If you have a thermostat controlling it with the probe directly on the heat source you should be fine. Burns are most commonly associated with heat rocks, which are a HUGE no-no.

Any heat source can burn, but it takes an edge of some sort (even a dull one) to make a cut. There is definitely a visible difference even if the burn leaves an open wound. Based on your description I believe you made the correct assessment, especially if you were able to replicate the cut.