Help! Injured spider

A month or so ago I took some snakes in to the vet to get sexed, and while I was there she noticed this on my spider. They look like scabbed over cuts or abrasions of some type. Her last meal must have been 6 weeks ago or so, and it was a f/t rat. I thought the cuts were getting better but it was just the shed, and now they look nearly the same as when I first saw them at the vets. I've put some antibiotics (neosporin and the like) on them a few times, and they aren't getting worse, but they don't seem to be healing much, if at all.

Do snakes take a long time to heal? She hasn't lost much weight, she is at 950 or so now but I'd really like to see her start eating, not only for her health but also for breeding season.

Should I take her back to the vet or is there anything else I can do? Or just wait it out?

Here are the pics, sorry they aren't better, but I had to take them solo. The camera is a good one, but just can't seem to get a good bead on the injuries:
https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../8/spider2.jpg

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil.../8/spider1.jpg


Thanks for any help!

Does your camera have a macro setting? It usually looks like a flower, it's for closeups like that. A better picture would be needed before anyone could identify what we're looking at, since right now it just looks like black spots to me. Of course when in doubt a vet visit wouldn't hurt!

My spider actually has 2 wounds that are very similar to that, He also has a pretty big one on his head rom rubbing. I posted this on another thread, but it applies here as well
My guy was rubbing and has a wound on his head, and under his chin. I had been cleaning it and putting neosporin on it, but 3 months later it's still not healed and a little worse (not horrible, but worse).
So he went to the vet (Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald) and he said that it was a little infected. That BPs have a lot of different bacteria on them that are very opportunistic, so that BPs are slow at healing. My guy got an injection of antibiotic (Baytril), then I give it orally once a day and clean the wound and apply the cream (Silver sulfadiazine) once a day. He said the SSD was better than a typical antibiotic because it creates a very bad environment for the bacteria, but is safe for your snake.

I would take her back in and do what your vet reccommends.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Corvid

My spider actually has 2 wounds that are very similar to that, He also has a pretty big one on his headf rom rubbing. I posted this on another thread, but it applies here as well
My guy was rubbing and has a wound on his head, and under his chin. I had been cleaning it and putting neosporin on it, but 3 months later it's still not healed and a little worse (not horrible, but worse).
So he went to the vet (Dr. Kevin Fitzgerald) and he said that it was a little infected. That BPs have a lot of different bacteria on them that are very opportunistic, so that BPs are slow at healing. My guy got an injection of antibiotic (Baytril), then I give it orally once a day and clean the wound and apply the cream (Silver sulfadiazine) once a day. He said the SSD was better than a typical antibiotic because it create a very bad environment for the bacteria, but is safe for your snake.

I would take her back in and do what your vet reccommends.

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Yeah, I am thinking a vet visit is in order. She hasn't eaten any sized prey since I am sure any stretching of that area would only worsen the wounds.


Can I try offering really really small sized prey in hopes that she will eat or do you think it is unlikely?

Either way is fine I think,
If you want to try to offer her something small I think it would be ok, but still would probably strech her jaw a touch.
I asked my vet if I should hold off on feeding him and he said to go ahead as normal.
But if you're uncomfortable with the thought of doing more damage, it won't hurt to hold off feeding for a few weeks, since she's bigger.
I wonder what its from, because like I said, my male spider has 2 very similar slits on his lower jaw like that. His just look like red scratched at this point, not big nor scabby. Interesting though... Anyone else seen these injuries, infections?

Something similar happened to my adult normal. I was keeping him in a plastic tub with a lid and he kept trying to open the top by pushing his nose through the gap. he cut his chin a couple of times, however I didn't consider it enough to warrant a vet visit. I just got a couple of more straps for the lid (this was before I got a rack system) so he couldn't fit his nose through at any points, and I kept putting some antibiotic cream on the cuts, he still has the scars but it's nothing compared to what a rat could do or what you usually find on wild snakes.

The thickness of those cuts would lead me to suggest a vet visit, they'll probably tell you to throw an antibiotic on it and watch her. And definitely hold off on feeding until she's healed.

If any of my get small cuts or abrasions, they get a dab of betadine for a few days. If it doesn't look like it's healing up fast and well, then off to the vet for treatment.

So the abrasion is still there, and actually seems a bit wider but maybe a little shorter and the smaller one seems to be slowly closing up. I've heard that mineral oil is a good idea
to help with healing (ive been putting neosporin on 2x a day and heard the oil may be better since it doesn't seem infected).

BUT! I am much less worries because she ate a weaned rat and an ASF last night! I hope this means she's on the mend and gives me some hope of either het albinos or bees.

I hope she keeps eating. I was so excited last night when she ate!

No mineral oil.

She'll be fine. You won't see much change until she sheds then it should be mostly gone.

Be patient.