There are nno vets where i live
2007-01-29 06:48:43 · 10 answers · asked by maceo w 1 in Pets ➔ Reptiles
Well, telling you you should have used pre-killed food won't be of much use to you at this point, so as for the problem at hand, it really depends on how bad the injuries are. Where is it injured? Can the animal function now? If so, you'll just want to use a general antibiotic ointment to keep out infection. When the snake sheds the wounds will begin to cover up and heal. If the animal has a broken jaw or has had its respiratory or digestive tract ruptured, then you are probably out of luck.
I'm sympathetic because I like to feed live as well. My general rule of thumb is when feeding live, use prey items that are smaller than what is recommended. Example: for my 4 foot ball pythons, I use medium rats although the snakes are easily capable of swallowing full grown rats. The teeth and claws have a lot more trouble penetrating the snake's hide that way. I like that method because it's a pain to thaw out a larger animal, and I usually don't have the stomach to kill them myself. But I generally don't have any problems with rodent bites, as my snakes are easily able to overpower anything I give them. And any bites and scratches I do deal with are very minor.
But as for your animal, just make sure you do what you can to prevent infection. Keep the wounds clean and try to clean/disinfect the cage more often until the wounds begin to cover up. That's all a vet would do and say even if you could get to one. Good luck.
2007-01-29 07:23:45 · answer #1 · answered by stickboy_127 3 · 4⤊ 0⤋
First off, don't feed him live prey again. Some snakes aren't aggressive feeders and can be terribly mutilated or even chewed to death by live prey. Use frozen-thawed, prekilled, or stunned prey if at all possible. Even with a snake that is an accomplished live strike feeder it is courting disaster to allow prey to remain with them if they do not kill it immediately. As you have no doubt learned, live prey animals are quite capable of injuring snakes. Although it seems more "natural" to feed live strike and many snakes do not have any problem with it, it's also natural for some snakes to be killed by their prey. Nature sucks at times.
We should not strive for what is "natural" in our pets, who have never had to go it alone in the wild, but for what is best for them. We don't expect Fido to go out and pull down a potentially dangerous animal for his dinner, nor should we expect our pet snakes to automatically be effective at killing prey in an unnaturally confined area, an arena of sorts, where they have no means of retreat. They aren't domesticated animals, but they aren't exactly wild either. It is best to avoid live strike feeding if you can, but if you cannot get the snake to feed otherwise the next best thing is to supervise it closely and intervene if the prey is getting the upper hand.
If your snake's injuries haven't removed an eye or gone beyond skin deep and you truely cannot find a vet, clean them with warm water or saline and put a very scant amount of neosporin on them. Change the snake's substrate to newspaper so that the snake won't be crawling around with gobs of aspen or whatever stuck to him, and keep his cage immaculately clean. Snakes can recover from some pretty bad bites if provided a scrupulously clean warm cage. Be sure to change the water a couple of times a day too and scrub the bowl each time. Bacteria breed quickly in water, and healing snakes tend to soak.
If your snake is terribly bitten, and I've seen some so chewed that their intestines were exposed, you need to find a vet ASAP, any vet. Even if a vet is not experienced with treating reptiles and not able to save your snake's life he can humanely euthanize it and end it's suffering.
What happened with your snake is 100% avoidable with knowledge and good husbandry. Please learn from this experience and do not allow it to happen again.
2007-01-29 07:42:45 · answer #2 · answered by Redneck Crow 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
This is why prekilled or stunned rodents are best to feed a snake. Turn your back for a minute and the rat gets hungry.
A triple antibiotic ointment wouldn't hurt, I would say, but depending on how badly injured your snake is, it may need stitches or staples. Take it somewhere where there is a vet that deals with reptiles, and from now on, thunk your rats on the head with something.
2007-01-29 07:24:09 · answer #3 · answered by gimmenamenow 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
well I get my snake's rats at a pet store and they sell reptile wound stuff that you can put on it. Depending on how bad the wound is, you could either try that or take it to the nearest vet. I would say your best bet is the vet since they are professionals and they might have something better for it.
2007-01-29 12:41:14 · answer #4 · answered by allllison. (: 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know that a vet would even be able to help you, not many of them deal with snakes or rabbits or any of the such anymore. Maybe try calling the pet store and asking them. What did you feed it that it was fighting? Did you ever think about getting packaged, dead, frozen mice to feed to it?
2007-01-29 06:58:06 · answer #5 · answered by Jen G 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If there are no vets in the area I would rush to the nearest city and find one. Likely you will hurt it more trying to put band-aids all over it. Also don't try too because it may bite you and you'll need to go to the hospital too.
2007-01-29 06:56:44 · answer #6 · answered by pooridiot007 1 · 0⤊ 3⤋
Find a vet fast,no more live food...
2007-01-29 08:12:50 · answer #7 · answered by Jesse E 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I'd keep it away from chineese pug puppies or any other animal that might attack it in its vulnerable state. Don't ABUSE it anymore.
2007-01-31 01:21:13 · answer #8 · answered by da_hammerhead 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
learn from your mistakes! use frozen food, soooo much safer!
2007-02-01 23:10:52 · answer #9 · answered by SpongeMate 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
what did you feed it, a jackal?
2007-01-29 06:52:34 · answer #10 · answered by Mr. Goodkat 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋