Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I've moved to an area where the populace hates snakes, and the vet won't even see this poor guy. Long story made short: I live deep in the woods, and my !@#$% dogs caught what I think is a 4' Rat Snake, and he's injured. Trust me, there is NOBODY I can take him to. (And we're in between paydays, so I don't have a lot of gas.)

He has a bloody mouth, but worse than that they must have grabbed him because his abdomen is cut, and he has gray metter pushing out (which I assume is his digestive tract.)

This one's up to me. Sure, I could stitch him up, but what if those intestines (for lack of a better word) are torn? He's going to need antibiotics if he even makes it.

I placed him in a sealed plastic tub with air vents and on a soft towel...then I put it on top of my BP cage's heat pad. (I have exterior pads both top and bottom on his warm end. It was that or put that container in my GTP's cage, and I'm not taking any chances he could pass mites or disease to my pet...so atop the BP cage heat mat he is..with one end of the container off the heat mat.

Can anyone direct me to some online help?
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1.0.0 BP
1.1.0 Chondro

I wish I knew where to send you, sounds like you are doing what you can with the heat, I bet those intestines need to be inside though.
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Todd Hughes

Thanks for replying. Once hubby got home and I had some help holding him still we realized his back was badly broken. Hubby put him down. (I couldn't do it...I feel the same about my snakes as I would my cats or dogs.)

I was really hoping I could help the animal, but you can't win them all I guess.

Thanks again.
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1.0.0 BP
1.1.0 Chondro

As much as I hate to say this....the best thing you could do for the snake if it has prolapsed, is to put it out of it's misery. If the intestines are exposed and it was done by another animal, it is most likely infected. The cost to save it would be several hundred bucks minimum. Short of whacking off its head which is the quickest and most humane way - you could also put it in a freezer where it would go to sleep. Again, my apologies for this post if you feel it is too graphic or cold, but sometimes the best answer is the one we really don't want.