Neosporin

I am trying to learn everything I possibly can about snake care. My bp's don't have any wounds but god forbid it ever did happen, I want to be educated. I have read conflicting opinions about using neosporin so... what do the experts think??

Depends. For minor cuts/wounds neosporin without the pain killer is fine to use. Not to be used on burns of any kind.

I would stay away from Neosporin, Betadine is safer and should work just as well if not better.

I don't want to take anything out of context here but this is what sparked my interest into the subject. read the last post on the first page written by homegrownscales http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ighlight=burns

Lol. It's usually the experts that are more conflicted about the proper way to do things than anyone else! :P

The problem with neo (and any other over the counter anti bacterial ointment) is that it's oil based. It can be used on very minor things, but only very sparingly and not everyday. Oil based products cause the scales to flake off. If you think it's needed on a very minor scrape or tiny bite, a small dab can be rubbed on to help prevent infection. It shouldn't be needed after that. If the enclosure is clean the snake will heal on it own.

The best use for neo or bacitracin is badly stuck eyecaps (multiple layers). Once the snake begins to show signs of going into shed again, applying a tiny amount of this to each eye every day or every other day while making sure the humidity is high (65-75) will ensure the caps come off and the snake sheds well.

I often recommended this for rescues that have not been taken care of. Soaking prior to a shed will actually cause a bad shed. It strips away the layer of natural oil between the old skin and new skin which is required to help the old skin come off. This is why we say do not soak a BP before it sheds. Just increase the humidity in the enclosure quite a bit and add a humid hide for that week. The neo/ bacitracin trick for badly stuck caps is a great way to ensure they come off since the eyes should never be picked at or messed with in any other way.

As for things like scale rot.. If you keep the substrate moist, you may start to see the snakes scales looking almost dull and puckered or wrinkly. Maybe even start to get a discolored area on the belly. Reddish or yellow.

In this case, never put anything oil based on it. You will make it worse. That is the very beginning signs of scale rot and the only thing you have to do is simply change the substrate, increase ventilation, and keep it extremely clean. Don't let the humidity rise too high and this will literally fix itself right away before it actually becomes scale rot.

In over 16 years I've only used neo or bacitracin twice on snakes. Once on a Retic's stuck eye caps, and once years ago on a rat bite before I knew better.

I have a normal BP that I allowed to self incubate her first clutch a few years ago and she got a strip of scale rot along the inside of her body where she was tightly wrapped around the eggs. I did nothing but give her a bath, washing the area with a dab of antibacterial soap to dry it out. Kept her on clean paper, and it healed. Things like that need to be kept dry and clean. Then raise humidity only during the week of shed.

Antibacterial ointment should not be thrown around so freely when it comes to herps. If anything is needed to clean and disinfect a wound, betadine is best. Even antibacterial hand soap or bar soap to clean it and ease your mind. If it's something serious enough to require more than one cleaning or treatment, like a bad burn or scale rot with open sores, blisters, a wound or bite that is large and open, then it's time for a vet visit. Period. Anything else is a cake walk. These animals do heal well simply by being kept the proper way.

Foshi said it best!
I prefer to not use neo in anyone for stuck caps on rescues I have an eye ointment that my vet supplies me with. But neo can be used. Any minor cuts I just use betadyne. It keeps things just as clean with no risk of flaking.


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