Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Welcome to kingsnake.com's message board system. Here you may share and discuss information with others about your favorite reptile and amphibian related topics such as care and feeding, caging requirements, permits and licenses, and more. Launched in 1997, the kingsnake.com message board system is one of the oldest and largest systems on the internet.

Click here to visit Classifieds
Click for ZooMed

Emergency Vet Visit--Not A Good Easter!

renland Apr 18, 2006 12:39 PM

God, I don't even know where to begin. I posted a few days ago about my new (and first) additions that I purchased on Saturday. They were staying with my friend until I could get them set up at my home, and I was on my way up to visit them after the Easter festivities on Sunday. Well, there was a small portion of the temporary tank that was covered by duct tape, and the tape never got covered over. I was half-way up to my friends place when I got a call that my bloodred had found that piece of tape and firmy affixed himself to it! It was aweful...his whole head was stuck. My friend had managed to get the rest of him disengaged, but his head was not going to be able to be helped. We rushed him to the 24hr emergency vet clinic where, thank god, they were able to dissolve the adhesive with alcohol and free him. My poor little guy, he was so good and didnt even try to strike at the vets--they even complimented on how tame he was. I feel like such a bad mommy; I'd only owned him for about twelve hours! The vets said that that type of injury is fairly common with snakes because they like to roam into things like flypaper, but I still felt horrible. He's doing fairly well now, and I'm leaving him be for at least a week for him to de-stress. Any other suggestions would be enormously appreciated (and yes, duct tape = stupid and evil).

By the way, he was unnamed at the time of the incident, but in honor of his ordeal, his name is now Ducky.

Replies (9)

phiber_optikx Apr 18, 2006 01:25 PM

I recommend that next time (hopefully there isn't one) you just add a little vegetable oil and save your self the vet visit. I am glad your snake is ok. I have actually heard of this type of thing several times before.
-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"
0.0.1 Black Ratsnake "Shadow"

repzoo44 Apr 18, 2006 04:06 PM

Look on the bright side of things. 1. Probably, youll never leave duct tape on a cage again. and 2. You got a good name out of the ordeal for your snake. I know I always have trouble coming up with names that fit the animal. And it looks like you have nailed it on the head. Or should I say, taped it on the head. I know I know, that was really really terrible. sorry. glad hes OK.

ep
-----
Occupants not paying rent:
1.1. balls
1.1 corns
1 everglades rat
1 w. hognose
1 bearded dragon
2.1 cats

renland Apr 18, 2006 08:03 PM

Lol, yeah.....I guess that he REALLY wanted his new name, and getting himself in a sticky situation was the only way he could tell me. I hope that my future animals are never as headstrong. Hehehe. So far, he is doing well. I was told that in the future he might have some difficulty shedding, but I will cross that bridge when I come to it.

BlueKing Apr 18, 2006 08:07 PM

Try using vegetable oil. It will free any snake stuck in tape! And yes, it works (from personal experience). I felt bad too - a couple of times!!! Luckily no casualties from those experiences!

Zee
-----
"I am an expert on everything, but I know so little and have so much to learn!" -Carsten "Zee" Zoldy-

phiber_optikx Apr 19, 2006 12:56 AM

I actually had to get my cat off of a glue pad onece.... man was he slick after that!
-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"
0.0.1 Black Ratsnake "Shadow"

jasonw Apr 19, 2006 05:08 PM

Why would somone have exposed duck tape on a snake enclosure? I would not leave my animals with that person anymore. You would be better of leaving them in a critter keeper untill you get set up or making sure you are st up before buying them, Years ago I was helping my father clean his garage and we moved a large box held shut with duck tape and found a hatchling Pacific Gopher Snake stuck to part of the tape, He had long sence died and the box became his tumb. Tuck tape is the devel and has no place being anywhere around snakes.
My Research and Collection

phiber_optikx Apr 19, 2006 09:20 PM

That was a little harshe. He didn't know and now he does. Everyone has to learn somehow.
-----
0.1 Snow Corn "Hope"
1.0 Ball Python "Wilson" (Castaway)
1. Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Chunk" (Goonies)
.1 Orange Albino Black Ratsnake "Peaches"
0.0.1 Mexican Black Kingsnake "Onyx"
0.0.1 Black Ratsnake "Shadow"

STEVES_KIKI Apr 19, 2006 09:58 PM

i agree.... sometimes you have to learn the right way!!! glad someone else sees it like me
-----
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~SNAKIES~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Corns:
.1 Normal (Gertrude)
1. unknown hypo? normal? (Romeo)
.1 Miami Phase (Emily)
1. Amel het Blizzard (Dunesbury)
1. Classic het Hypo, Anery, poss het Amel (Cobra)
1.1 Classics (Henry VIII, Cassy [Emilys babies])
.1 Amel (Pepperoni)
1.1 Hypo zig zags poss het Caramel (Bernard, Abegail)
.1 Classic het Hypo, Stripe (Gracie Lou)

Rats:
1.1 Black rats (Cecily, Willard)

Cal Kings:
1.1 Striped Cal Kings (Skunky, Dweezil)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~LEOPARD GECKOS~~~~~~~~~~~~~

1. Normal het Midnight Blizzard (Mr. Spot)
.1 Blizzard

~~~~~~~~~~~~~TURTLE~~~~~~~~~~~~
.1 white cheeked mud (Opel)

jasonw Apr 20, 2006 12:33 AM

I am sorry if it sounded harsh but it is my honest feelings. IMO its common sense really. I am not saying this entire ordeal is renland's fault as it was noted the snake was left under the responsibility of a friend, I am pointing out it is not very responsible having exposed duck tape on a snake enclosure. Would you put exposed duck tape in your babies crib for him/her to catch there hair on? I don’t think so. Once again I am sorry if it sounds harsh but some of these posts just bug me when they are about things that could easily be prevented.
My Research and Collection

Site Tools