Reptile & Amphibian Forums

well i just got in a rescue ball that has SEVERE burns and rat bites on it and never had to treat any this bad and vet cant get her in for another 3 weeks anythign i can do to help the snake out till then.

polysporin. I have heard some people dispute this, but I have used it many times and it works great. be liberal, since much will rub off when the snake moves around. use two or three times a day. (Buy the stuff that actually says its for burns right on the package. using the wrong stuff can worsen things. This goes for snakes and people!)
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James.....
"Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought the beast back."

....make sure you are using newspaper as a substrate until the burns are healed. (paper towel is ok too, but tends to absorb more of the poly.) Change daily, as the poly will get on it and eventually start getting sticky and gross.

(also, I am sure you know since it sounds like you have dealt with burns before, keep the snake clean. wash him/her gently with luke warm water before applying new poly)
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James.....
"Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought the beast back."

yeah i own way to many snakes of my own and do some rescues when they need a home and help then rehome them when healthy enough. is polysporin the same as neosporin? i have used the neo before on snakes for minor bites and minor burns but nothign this bad before.

yea, pretty sure its just brand name. as long as it says its for burns I would say its ok. I had one snake with burns that were brutal, and this saved him. he had horrible scars, but when he had recovered, I rehomed him, and he is still happy and healthy today. (think it was bout six years ago!)
sure would like to have gotten my hands on the &@$#% who tortured that poor animal.
I am sure you will get more suggestions. This forum is a wealth of info! I have rescued for 12 years, and am just starting to breed now. I have learned tons already from the experienced breeders on here. (time to try and get a little money back out of this very expensive hobby. I am hoping to sell a few snakes to pay for future rescues!)
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James.....
"Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought the beast back."

neosporin twice a day.
newspaper substrate , change every day.
lukewarm bath with two ounces of hydrogen peroxide per gallon
every other day.
do this for two weeks and let us know how it's doing.
it will probably be in shed by then.
just keep it as clean as possible.
good luck , it will take about three sheds before the skin heals over if it's been broken through , but the sheds come quickly.

ck

thanks for the tips ill let you guys know how things go after some time other than burns scratches bites etc seems in good health lol. i think we got a fighter so im sure thigns will go good.

DO NOT USE PEROXIDE... It prevents healthy tissue from growing back and kills healthy cells. Doesn't even disinfect whatsoever. Works great for getting blood stains out of clothing or out of an animal's coat, but that's it.

I would soak the snake in a betadine solution or chlorhexidine gluconate solution. Get as much dead tissue off as possible so the new tissue can get clean and be able to regenerate.

Either polysporin or silver sulfadiazene(Silvadene) cream will help. If there are any scabs on the bites, I would try to get those scabs off and flush them out with the betadine or chlorhex. Puncture wounds need to be open to air and not covered with anything. If you have a big syringe and needle, fill it with betadine/chlorhex and really powerwash it.
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-Becky Brown, RVT-
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