Lawn mower vs. Snake help!

[Akuma223]

I found a garter snake a short while ago and need instructions on how to help him. Should I remove the dead skin that hangs off of him? I assume water is fine for gently cleaning the wounds? What medication can I buy to help ward of infection? It appears there are fly eggs on him, should I let them hatch and let the maggots clean the dead flesh? Any advice will help please!

[desipooh.12]

Horrid

[Akuma223]

Yeah, I really really want to do something now but don't want to do it wrong. I know a few people here have done similar things in the past and want their advice.

[wrecker45]

Call a reptile vet. They will tell you how to treat it. We have one in Parry Sound that takes wild injured reptiles and treats them.

[formica]

I think the best thing you can do is put him out of his pain to be honest, thats a pretty serious trauma wound he has, I can see large area of muscle tissue has been destroyed, he is only going to go down hill from this point, the kindest thing you can do for him is euthanasia - in the freezer perhaps, his metabolism will slow and send him into hibernation, nature will do the rest as his body cools

[Akuma223]

Originally Posted by formica

I think the best thing you can do is put him out of his pain to be honest, thats a pretty serious trauma wound he has, I can see large area of muscle tissue has been destroyed, he is only going to go down hill from this point, the kindest thing you can do for him is euthanasia - in the freezer perhaps, his metabolism will slow and send him into hibernation, nature will do the rest as his body cools

I'll consider euthanasia once I get more input.

[smy_749]

Smash him on the head with a rock. Lights out, painless, and he won't have to live a miserable life with those injuries. THey look pretty horrendous.

[formica]

Originally Posted by smy_749

Smash him on the head with a rock. Lights out, painless, and he won't have to live a miserable life with those injuries. THey look pretty horrendous.

yes this would be the quickest way - be aware that his body will probably writhe/wriggle/twitch after doing this, this is just nerves firing along his spinal chord, it is not a reaction to pain, the snake will have no awareness once the brain is destroyed

[Mikoh4792]

I would take it out of it's misery. smash it's head against something for a quick painless death...

[Akuma223]

The person who ran him over didn't even care that she did. I hate people so much. I'm not sure I can crush him with a rock he is just a baby

[Starbuck]

If no vet will treat him, they may euthanize him for you. If you want to.try, I would use tepid water (dilute betadine solution would be best) to flush the wounds. I would not recommend leaving the fly eggs- maggot therapy only works like that in a 'clean' wound where necrotic tissue is only due to the wound itself, not bacteria. Tbh, the fact that there are fly eggs is a poor indicator. Otherwise, minimal contact and disturbance, and follow other garter snake threads advice for feeding. I'm on my phone so can't see the pictures very well, can't tw ll how bad it is.

[StudentoReptile]

As others said, do NOT put in the freezer. This is actually inhumane for a reptile because of their physiology. As crude as it sounds, total brain destruction is really the humane way [unless you take him to a vet to for lethal injection = $$].

My suggestion is to lay him out on concrete and drop a cinder block on the head. Walk away and come back later to clean up once you have composed yourself and your nerves.

[Akuma223]

Cinder blocks a good idea, I just wish I could do more. This is heart breaking.

[Mikoh4792]

Originally Posted by Akuma223

Cinder blocks a good idea, I just wish I could do more. This is heart breaking.

It happens, the sooner you end him the less he suffers. You need to put emotions aside for now.

[wrecker45]

Hold him on the cinder block. Hit him on the head with a hammer. I had to do that to a water snake that got run over by a car.