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I got a 1 year old Savu python recently. He's got a flat area on the side of his body. I recently realized it must be broken ribs, it runs about 4" long, he's a bit over 2 feet long. It doesn't disrupt his movement and it doesn't seem to hurt. My question is how can I heal this for him? o__o

Thanks,

Sky

>>I got a 1 year old Savu python recently. He's got a flat area on the side of his body. I recently realized it must be broken ribs, it runs about 4" long, he's a bit over 2 feet long. It doesn't disrupt his movement and it doesn't seem to hurt. My question is how can I heal this for him? o__o
>>
>>Thanks,
>>
>>Sky

I won't say this is right. But this is the advice I got from Doug Hotle....zoo curator when I got a hatchling drymarchon that had a section of his entire back and rib region reversed when he hatched. Feed it and see how it does...if it can digest etc. I did and still have the snake 5 plus years later and nicely healthy. The entire section of back etc righted itself. Go fig. Even with people they don't do a heck of a lot about ribs since they are in such a muscular area...snakes even moreso.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

Thanks for the info, I don't know if he was born like this or it happened during his life. He also hides for days and days and days.

Not much you can do and the injury is probably old and healed as best it will ever heal. Like above poster stated, as long as eating and living well, not much more to do. It will probably just be deformed for the rest of its life in that area. As far as hiding...its what snakes do LOL!! If fed well, kept at correct temps, and in general comfortable, they just chill till they need to feed, warmup, etc. I wouldnt necessarily take it as an indication its ill from the injury.

.
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

It might've happened right before I got him, which was at the end of March, so it might not be 2 late 2 change. Do vets ever do operations for something like this?

Most will just take your money, if not just make the snake worse than it already is. I have had W/C snakes with broken ribs before, and they heal up fine usually, they just look a bit flat in that area.

I wouldn't worry about it at all, and just let nature heal it up as it has done for countless millenia.

In the near future when you really have to move or hold it, just make sure you don't apply undue pressure to that area until it can heal successfully.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com