Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My ball got a small rat bite on his neck, i tried to stop it but couldnt. anyway i have heard that you can use neosporin on them. is this ok? its not a bad bite more of scratch i just dont wanna put something on him that is bad for him

Neosporin will work, the non medicated kind, but if it's just a scratch and the snake is in good health I'd leave it alone. It should heal up fine in a few days.
Quig

yeah both of them actually got bit, its not bad. is there a way to keep this from happening? the will only eat live and they will eat off tongs but after they grab it...i dont know how to keep them from gettng bit

Feed smaller prey, and stop feeding off of tongs. You don't feed live off of tongs.. That just ensures the rodent will be in pain and scared when you introduce it to the snake.

Just pre-scent for 30 minutes with the rodents in a tub next to the snakes' enclosures, then drop the rodent in on the opposite side that the snake is on. Let the snake do what they have done for millions of years.

I do this same method, all of my Ball Pythons, 40 , get adult mice, and no one gets bit.
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-Becky Brown, RVT-
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thats what i usually do but after the bite i figured it would be better to try the tong thing, i hear people talk about so i gave it a shot and he still got bit. next time its back to doing what i did before. thanks for the advice.

When I have to feed live pray I keep a pencil in hand to put in the rodents mouth , as soon as they are raped up I find the head and if need be insert the pencil into there mouth and let them bite it all they wont to . David

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander
Abraham Lincoln.

Quig ! I have to disagree on one point you made , It is my opinion that if the skin is broken by a rodents mouth and or claws( and I include claws as they walk in there own waist ) it needs to be disaffected and treated .Thanks David

"I would rather be precisely wrong than approximately right"
Marion "Doc" Ford

well the bite is not very big and it is already starting to scab over so just the neosporin or try and put disinfectant on it? and thanks for the tip about the pencil. like i said i like to just drop the rat in there and let the snake do what it is supposed to do, but i didnt want to get him bit again and he only eats live, so thanks for the tips

Yes a triple antibiotic ointment is fine ,you sourly don’t wont to remove the scabbing . And with the triple antibiotic ointment most times a disinfectant isn’t needed if you simply clean it first . Good luck . David

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander
Abraham Lincoln.

David,
You're right, it's probably best to disinfect with something. Better safe than sorry, but I think a simple scratch will heal up fine. A strong immune system can work wonders on simple things all by itself.

Quig

Hi Quig! Yes I agree about the strong immune system but rodents can cause some nasty infections and they can carry all sorts of crap . If it was from some other cause then I would consider not going threw all the fuss ,but not with rodents . I don’t like to over treat ether ,I’m like you on that point ,some things are best left to there own defenses . Wave a good week Quig. Ok . David

Truth is generally the best vindication against slander
Abraham Lincoln.

thanks for all the advice guys, i really appreciate it