Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What should i do, no vet is open? Should i put silvadine on it? I was helping her out of a rough shed, and it just came off and exposed raw skin, i dont know what to do, never had this happen!

She is young, about 6 to 8 months.

Please let me know what you suggest.

Hunter

thanks so much

it is bleeding a bit

I would clean with peroxide and then coat with neosporin and cover with a bandage. Would def take to vet to get antibiotics for her. infection can set in quick and lead to LOTS of problems. Better safe than sorry. FYI, i would always soak before trying to assist in removing stuck sheds.

Thanks for your help! She was soaked for two hours prior, while changing the water when it cooled too much. i dont know how that part happened.

I already left a message with the vet, and i also put Silvadine cream on it, which is a very strong antibiotic ointment.

Thank you very much!

Also if i am not mistaken silvadine is for burns and has a short shelf life. I know that the silvadine cream i got for burning my hand only had a 6 week shelf life according to the pharmacy. Throw in the fact it should be kept in the fridge and the cold of the cream as you apply it might freak the boa out. Your concern shopuld be to try and stop some sort of infec from setting in. Pic does not look to bad but u have to remember that reptiles are always hit and miss as far as injuries. I have known many boas die from infection and have also known many recover with no problems. Also would also make sure to keep moisture as low as possible and increase temp slightly.

You are correct about the silvadine working for burns in humans, but works great in reptiles for many other things, such as infections on a water dragons mouth, rat bite on snake(no, i havnt had one, i prekill).

I am calling the vet first thing in the morning and getting a round of antibiotics done.

thanks for all fo your help!
Hunter

Hi.. I hope your Boa comes through Ok. Think about these things when you have time..

What are the underlying causes of the problem in the Boa?

Little boas are tough critters.. fragile skin results from:

1) Repeated shedding problems.
2) Malnourishment (usually from intestinal distress, not underfeeding).
3) Environmental factors (humdity, substrate, etc.)
4) Bacterial or fungal infection (see #3)

And also consider that antibiotic treatments (internal) are not without long-term consequence. Large captive-raised boas of ourtward healthy appearance which die prematurely very often reveal evidence of repeated antibiotic treatments under necropsy. The kidneys especially are hardened and dysfuntional. If the skin is removed scars from repeated intramuscular injection are evident in the muscle-tissues and on the skin itself.

Without rigorous clinical studies it would be impossible to determine with certainty which was the more injurios to the boa, repeated antibiotic use or recurring infection. What is obvious is that choice of treatment did not ultimately save the animal.

For myself only I would be very cautious in deciding to resort to antibiotic injections in a small boa or other reptile. And if I made that choice I would resolve to make sure such was not needed again. Veterinarians often prescribe that course (and in some cases they are correct). Mainly this is because they have no other way of treating the animal.. feeding, environment, stress, cleanliness, temperatures, humidity... all the things which the animal needs for a healthy life are in OUR HANDS, yet the animal is presented to the Vet in a depressed or injured state.

And lastly.. large open wounds or punctures require intervention of some kind. Treatments, stitches and so on. (I'll tell you the story of the 21' retic I stitched up sometime). But the best treatment for scrapes and scratches and rubs in most all reptiles is allow the wound to dry out in a clean environment under proper temperatures. The skin layers of a boa rapidly draw together and begin healing if allowed to dry.. applying ointments, bandages and etc. keeps those layers elastic and prevents the wound from closing and healing.

I hope this helps!

-----
Gus
A. Rentfro
RioBravoReptiles.com
www.riobravoreptiles.com

"Quality is not an accident. Perfectly healthy animals are a minimum requirement.. everything else is just salesmanship" gus

I take all that to heart!

I am only applying ointment as needed, as the vet gave the exact info you did. Apply sparingly, allow wound to dry, and heal.

Now, my last question for now is ,

When can i FEED her? How long do i need to give her off? It has been 10 days since her last meal.

Thanks so mjuch!
Hunter

Just feed as usual and keep the cage "CLEAN" !

M/

Sounds like everything is turning out for your boa. You did the right thing. The most important thing you did was keep the boa clean. I wouldn't use h.peroxide as it's rather irritating but it wouldn't hurt that much either. The silvadene cream is great for reptiles, and the shelf date is questionable. It works well past the expiration date, yet the concern is that bacteria will grow in it. I've never had this problem, but to minimize it, keep the lid on, and perhaps use an exam glove to remove it for treatments.

As per systemic antibiotics, I agree that they probably arn't necessary with this case. I would not avoid them if they were ever recommended by a herp vet as perhaps suggested by some other posts. Yes, they are dangerous, and long term effects havn't been studied well. However based on clinical data, experience, and opinions of veterinary colleuges the terms of antibiotics often given are not somthing of concern in otherwise healthy animals. If your snake, or any animal (humans too) needs ab's often, throughout it's life, than yes, there is a concern, and yet, it is still secondary to all the incidents that was cause for them in the first place.
To summerize... avoid antibiotics by avoiding the need for them. When accidents happen, seek veterinary advice as you have done

Ian

ps, to get some real answers to the antibiotic question we would all be a great help to get periodic bloodwork done on our reptiles. This allows for baseline data, and a comparison for aging animals that have had antibiotics versus aging animals that have never been medicated.

Just a quick update on the boa....

She is doing fine. I fed her her usual size prey, but she couldnt get it down for some reason, so i switched it out for a smaller item and she was fine and not stressed.

Her cage is being changed daily, and the humidity is low for the next week. I talked to the vet, and he said to put the Silvadine on once (time of trauma) and not to do it for a copule of days.

I took out her water so it would stay dry, she seems to be doing great except for the fact that she still has stubborn shed left over from the last shed, which will correct itself at the next shed.

When do you guys think it would be safe to soak her again?

I am in debted to yall, thanks for the help!

Hunter