Reptile & Amphibian Forums

2 of my snakes got loose last night, because one of the doors on their keeper was not fastened down tight enough. Today I found both, but one of them I found stuck in a glue trap I use to catch escape crickets. I sprayed pam cooking spray on the glue trap which causes anything on the trap to release, but as he started to release he started twisting with part of his skin still stuck on the trap He now has a slice about two inches long from his neck down. No blood at all, but just like he skinned himself. I contacted my vet right away, and he instructed me to keep the wound clean, apply triple antibiotic ointment, and treat a few days like this... I thought he may need stitches or something to close the skin, and hold it closed as he skinned himself pretty good. what do you think??

I just want some opinions on if something more should or can be done for him. Is stitching an option, or is this not needed for such a wound? It happened about 15 minutes ago so everything is fresh.. I soaked him in warm water to clean him off, and applied the ointment.. He is housed now in an enclosure with paper towel substrate, his water bowl, and his hide in an effort to keep him as clean as possible.. I never had a snake get injured like this, and I'm not sure exactly how they would heal from being sliced like this.. Any one know the healing process with kind of injury?

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Mystical-Dragons Web Site
Webshots photos

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Darin Chappell
Hillbilly Herps
PO Box 254
Rogersville, MO 65742

that looks bad, its probably going to take a very long time to heal.

my ball got something like that in round shape on the top of his head from burrowing under astroturf and it took almost two months to heal, just keep it clean and it should heal alittle with every shed and leave little scaring
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my addiction:
2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
1 amelenistic corn snake (mazy)
1 wc eastern milksnake (psycho)

my snake did the best one, he is a 4ft amel male, and it was smack bang in the middle of mating up season. i had introduced him to my female, witnesed two bouts of copulation so seperated him again back into his own tank.
his tank at this point was a converted fish tank with a retail vivarium lid fitted on top.
having placed him back in his tank i watched him to proceed to squeeze himself onto the glass lip on the inside of the tank and LIFT the lid of said so called "viv lid" in anticipation of what i can only assume is him wanting to "get it on" yet again with the female.
knowing that my father would absolutly kill me if he managed to escape i proceeded in placing 4 of the largest and heavest house bricks i could on either end of the tank...plus on on each of the sliding glass panel aswell (10 in total). i watched him for 1/2 an hour or so, trying so eagerly to lift the lid to no avail. me, happy in my conquest of beating said snake goes to bed a happy camper.
the following morning i am rudly awoken by some one screaming "LAURA, IM GONA *$£!ing WELL KILL YOU"
uhh ohh, sure enough, my dad had gone into my snake room the next morning to find one empty amel tank. i walked in, badly confused as to how me had gotten out seeing as EVERY brick was still in its original place (and am still baffled by it to this day...who knew snakes had so much strength) i proceed to tear the room apart looking for him, after 4 hours of searching i finally found him, under hte book case, but he had 3 inch long and 1cm wide deep gashes down his back, all bleeding slightly (kinda like a human graze would.
rushed him to the vets...and after paying a £30 consultation fee (he didnt even touch the animal) was told to put basic house hold pink germolene on the wounds as an antiseptic and that the woulnd would heal "in due course".
as this was the only reptile keeper within a 50 mile distance i had no option but to do what he said.
tell you what, it worked really well, within 2 sheds the wounds were completly healed, within 4 sheds, he had proper scales again, and 6 sheds later, he had even returned to his original colourfull self, no worse for wear.

moral of the story....never underestimate the strength and escaping capability of you snake, and moral #2...pink germolene is your savoiur

i find that tank clips work better than wieght
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my addiction:
2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
1 amelenistic corn snake (mazy)
1 wc eastern milksnake (psycho)

tank clips? what are they?

never heard of them! even at the minute, all im using is gaffer tape right round every edge.

You can get cage clips at petstores.
I've included a link for a website that sells cages and stuff.
They have pictures of clips there to give you an idea.
If you can't fine any in your area, I recommend ordering some online. They will work a lot better than tape!
Link

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Suzanne
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0.1 Albino Okeetee Corn - Scout
0.1 Snow Corn - Lilly
1.0 Okeetee Corn - Colonel

If he is not bleeding just put some neosporin on him and it will go away in shed. Just keep an eye on him, make sure he stays clean till he heals. I would put him o paper towels till he sheds to see if this makes it improve.

Ken
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0.1 Albino Cal. King (Fokker)
)
1.0 Reverse Okeetee Corn (trouble)

0.0.2 Anery (Thanks Jimmy)(Frodo, and Sam Wise)
1.2 Dogs(2 Boxers, Cookie and Joe, Lhasa Apso, George)
1.0 Betta
0.1 Wife
0.1 Kid

While horseback riding a few years ago, I found the prettiest wild garter I have ever seen laying along side the trail. The little guy had a good sized chunk of flesh missing from his back and a few smaller wounds. He had obviously narrowly escaped being lunch.

I knew his chances were pretty slim as did everyone else here on the forums but I gave it a shot. I dipped him in a pan of warm water with a spoonful of antibacterial soap added, washed him thoroughly and applied Neosporin. By keeping him warm, clean and treated and on fresh papertowls he slowly recovered and was released the following spring.

Good luck with your little guy, with time and care, he should be ok.

While the above advice is all good and such, it is not ideal. Chances of infection are greater, and a scar will be largely apparent for a longer time. Since this wound is so fresh, having it sutured would be best. I am surprised that your vet gave you this advice without examining it.
a)this vet is hesitant to work with snakes... you should find a new one
OR
b)you somehow gave the impression that you didn't want to take your snake in and wanted to treat it at home.

Good luck with whatever course of action you decide upon. Snakes are great (albiet slow) healers and if husbandry is good, cleanliness is great, then your cornsnake should do fine.

Ian