Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a ball python thats maybe just under a year old. ive been pretty careful about feeding it pre-killed mice or f/t ...but it seems one of the mice unfortunately wasnt completely dead, and bit or scratched him on the botton of his neck. and im worried it might become infected.. are there any steps i can do to try to clean it without obviously paying a huge vet bill? any and all help would be greatly appreciated thank you so much.

John Rossi, a vet who wrote the book "What's Wrong with My Snake (1996)," recommends doing the following:

If the scratch or bite mark is pretty minor and doesn't look like it needs stitches, clean it with soapy water and apply a topical ointment like Silvadene Cream, Betadine or Polysporin on the wound. Treat the injury with ointment once a day. He says it may take several months to heal.

If if starts to get infected, take the snake to a vet.

The next time you're shopping for herp books, check this medical book out. I picked my copy up at a herp show. It's very informative, especially if you don't have a good reptile vet in your area. Everything from feeding problems to bad sheds to mouth rot and respiratory infections is covered in it.

Good luck with your snake!