Updated photos, injured garter snake

[ZinniaZ]

He has shed today and is feisty. The wound looks worse now that he has shed. Very open and raw. It looks very painful. We think he ate one worm but not totally sure as we have dirt etc in his enclosure and the worm could have just been hidden. I have not cleaned it but the dirt is sterile reptile dirt. The bark comes from where we found him. Not sterile.

Should we clean the wound now?
Should we put antibiotic ointment on it?

[Michelle.C]

He has shed today and is feisty. The wound looks worse now that he has shed. Very open and raw. It looks very painful. We think he ate one worm but not totally sure as we have dirt etc in his enclosure and the worm could have just been hidden. I have not cleaned it but the dirt is sterile reptile dirt. The bark comes from where we found him. Not sterile.

Should we clean the wound now?
Should we put antibiotic ointment on it?

Move him to moist paper towels. No dirt is really all that sterile. The dirt can also impede the healing process.

Worms are not really an appropriate diet for a Garter Snake. I would pick him up a few Silversides or Guppies. You can also scent pinkie mice with frogs or minnows, sometimes they will take them. Remember to stay away from all members of the Cyprinidae family (Carp). They have a enzyme known as thiaminase, which prevents the absorption of Thiamine (Vitamin B1). Which can cause serious health problems, possibly being fatal.

I would make a betadine or nolvasan rinse to rinse out the wound, cleaning it throughly. Then place a bit of polysporin on the wound and it should heal. I've dealt with much worse and had a positive outcome.

Good luck.

[ZinniaZ]

Ok, I will do that. I was going with worms and slugs because that seems to be what he would eat in our woods.

Re nolvasan, I have a topical nolvasan ointment, not a nol;vasan liquid. Can I use the ointment? Flush with water, then apply the nolvasan right to the wound?

[Michelle.C]

Ok, I will do that. I was going with worms and slugs because that seems to be what he would eat in our woods.

Re nolvasan, I have a topical nolvasan ointment, not a nol;vasan liquid. Can I use the ointment? Flush with water, then apply the nolvasan right to the wound?

Eh, even though he came from the wild (I assume), I wouldn't feed him things from the wild. Slugs can carry blood parasites (like snails). They aren't really safe.

The nolvasan ointment would be fine. Give him a soak in warm water and flush it a few times with a syringe/ear bulb. Then apply the ointment.

Remember to move him/her to paper towels as well, this is one of the most important steps.

[dr del]

Hi,

I agree on the paper towels stopping grit etc getting into the wound.

And this thread has some brilliant info on feeding garters.


dr del

[ZinniaZ]

Ok. Moving to papertowels, cleaning, ointment, got it.

We found him stuck in a tiny hole in our lawn mower. He was thrashing wildly and completely stuck. The hole was half the diameter of his body. My son used butter and eased him out one scale at a time. We are keeping him until he seems healthy enough to be released.

[ZinniaZ]

We thought we would only keep him until his first shed and meal after the injury. But the wound looks so raw after the shed that we are going to keep him until that looks healthier. Poor guy. It looks like something took bites out of him.

[wolfy-hound]

Good for you helping the poor guy out. He doesn't sound quite so bright, climbing into a tiny hole!
Paper towels and some treatment, and I bet he's better in no time. Glad to see some knowledgable folks giving you good advice.

[ZinniaZ]

Thanks everyone for the help and the advice. He is resting on damp paper towels and he is well coated with nolvasan on his sore belly. I'll go get something good for him to eat tomorrow...