Wounded BP!

I fed Jackson an adult mouse today because the pet store was out of rat crawlers. I watched him the whole time and everything looked fine, but as he was swallowing I noticed that the mouse had given him a pretty good gash on the side of the neck. It looks like peeling scales. Should I take him to the vet? Is there a home remedy I should use? I feel just awful... I will def kill it next time I give him an adult rodent...

Is he bleeding or just losing some scales/peeling? If there's no broken skin, then I wouldn't worry too much. Just take more precautions next time, like you said.

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Originally Posted by blueberrypancakes

I fed Jackson an adult mouse today because the pet store was out of rat crawlers. I watched him the whole time and everything looked fine, but as he was swallowing I noticed that the mouse had given him a pretty good gash on the side of the neck. It looks like peeling scales. Should I take him to the vet? Is there a home remedy I should use? I feel just awful... I will def kill it next time I give him an adult rodent...

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That's what his scales are all about! He will be fine. You can use neosporin, in do time the scales will heel with every shed.

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Originally Posted by KingPythons

That's what his scales are all about! He will be fine. You can use neosporin, in do time the scales will heel with every shed.

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Neosporin without the pain reliever.

yeah, live mice do a lot of kicking and scrabbling when they're being constricted, and this one might have gotten a clawhold. Can you post an (in-focus, not over-exposed) picture?

But usually I do use neosporin (without pain reliever) on little wounds like that. And keep an eye on it, to make sure it doesn't get infected.

Usually a small wound will trigger a shed cycle. It'll either disappear or look like a scar after the shed, depending on how deep it was.

There was no blood at all, but I thought I could see the mouse through his skin as he swallowed it. I mean, His skin was stretched pretty thin, so I guess that stands to reasoning, but it still freaked me out a little. He has a little bit of scales hanging off (like a big hangnail, I suppose...) No one makes easy peel snake band aids or anything? :( (Don't worry, I know well enough not to put anything sticky on him. I'm just kidding!)

I will get a pic either tomorrow or the next day, I want to just let him be for now. It looks pretty nasty to me, but he's such a little guy I think anything would look like a big ouch.

Don't be so overprotective! His species survived all this time by fighting rodents and squeezing them to death; they are perfectly suited to dealing with a bite or scratch. As long as it isn't actively bleeding, he'll be fine after a shed or two.

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Originally Posted by Salodin

Don't be so overprotective!

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Hahaha, I know! I am a notoriously BAD worrier. Thanks for that, though. Need to hear it... often... My husband and I joke about how when I have kids, I'm gonna be a total spaz. But for real, it's not funny, I probably will need professional help. :rofl: (Its unfortunate that tone doesn't come across over internet communications, cause this sounds a little nuts.)

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Originally Posted by ballpythonluvr

Neosporin without the pain reliever.

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Is it a problem? I've used whatever I had, never harmed my ball.