Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My boyfriend broght home a northern water snake today and he is missing a good portion of his tail. I want to put something on it. I have heard neosporin works, but I have heard the kind with pain relief is bad for them, all I have is pain relief, will it hurt him? Also would peroxide hurt him? I just want to heal up his tail. Here is a picture of him, cute huh?

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~~~ Krystal - Future breeder of Pythons, Geckos, we'll see what else later! Specalizing in Ball Pythons and Leopard Geckos ~~~ www.geocities.com/krystal19_85 ~~~

First of all change the setup. Get him on plain papertowels with a hidebox and a SMALL waterbowl that will not allow him to crawl inside and soak (bad for the wound...especially since they tend to defecate in their bowls). As well, keep the wound clean. Some people use peroxide(I believe) but I personally just use the plain neosporin. At the shelter where I work we wash all cuts with a weak cholorohexadine soultion (commercially known as Novalsan). I would just wait and get some neosporin tomorrow, but that is me. Keep him warm, mid80's or so in the basking spot (Warmest spot). The wound should heal up fine depending on what you call a good portion of the tail. Is it as far as the anal slit, or is it just most of the tip? Water snakes do, in fact, have the ability to shed their tails as the bones are weekly fused, much like a lizard, but the snakes will not regenerate their tails. If that is what happened, just keep the wound nice and dry/clean. Good luck. Andy
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Andy Maddox
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Who are you who can say it's ok to live through me? Alice In Chains

I have looked like 50 times and cannot tell if he still has his ainal slit, but he is missing enough of his tail so that I am worried, I see pictures of NW snakes and they have a whip like tail and his s pretty blunt and he seems to be pretty beat up for another inch and 1/2 or 2", kinda looks like a kitten got him or something. He is active and flicking his tounge, he seems to have no interest in his water in any way. He spends alot of time roaming and a little time hiding.
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~~~ Krystal - Future breeder of Pythons, Geckos, we'll see what else later! Specalizing in Ball Pythons and Leopard Geckos ~~~ www.geocities.com/krystal19_85 ~~~

Can you get us a pic of his ventral side including the tail? Andy
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Andy Maddox
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Who are you who can say it's ok to live through me? Alice In Chains

I can only get a top shot, he is too squirmy to get a still shot of his underside. Here is all I can do for now.

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~~~ Krystal - Future breeder of Pythons, Geckos, we'll see what else later! Specalizing in Ball Pythons and Leopard Geckos ~~~ www.geocities.com/krystal19_85 ~~~

Wow...And you can not tell if the vent is still there or not? It should be pretty easy to tell. Either way, if its a male it probably is not a happy snake. Andy
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Andy Maddox
Houston Herp Key
The Reptizone

Who are you who can say it's ok to live through me? Alice In Chains

Yea, thats a pretty bad wound. It looks recent too. I agree that you should get it in a more sterile environment - clean, *dry* paper towels, a small water dish, a couple hide boxes and a basking spot thats warm- around 85F.
I have used hydrogen peroxide to help clean out the dead and decayed material on a wound. After its has dried well coat in with anti-biotic cream. I would do this every other day. He's going to need rest and security to recover in my opinion. Handling him will really stress him out, as will a lot of activity outside of his enclosure (if he's in an aquarium, for example). If you try to feed him at all, I would suggest very small minnows or ruby reds from the pet store - he doesn't need to expend his energy fighting for food right now, or trying to digest large food items. A couple minnows every 4-5 days might be enough for a while.

Joe
http://www.HerpNet.net
Reptiles and Amphibians of Iowa and Minnesota

He is on paper towls with 2 hides and some rocks he seems to like basking on. I only handeled him to see if I could see the vent, but he is so squirmy and small and he is pretty mangled even further than the actual wound. I haven't offered him any food yet, but if I do I was going for the rubys or some tad poles. I don't think he is going to make it much longer though, yesterday he has a white creamy liquid come out of the end of the tail and I am thinking it is because it reached the end of the line (as in he has lost his vent). My hopes are high, but I doubt he will make it, but gotta keep trying.
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~~~ Krystal - Future breeder of Pythons, Geckos, we'll see what else later! Specalizing in Ball Pythons and Leopard Geckos ~~~ www.geocities.com/krystal19_85 ~~~