Help, BP got stuck in small ring!

I always check on my bp Manwë in the morning and noticed his hide was on its side today, which was strange. Normally he’s a very calm snake who likes to just sit in his hut and not move around too much. I found him laying at the back of his tank with the thickest part of his body stuck in a tiny coil of one of his bones (the vine is one of those long ones you can buy and is connected by coils that are around the size of quarters). He was so upset, hissing when i picked him up but i eventually gently managed to cut it off him. The pictures are what he looked like when i got it off. I threw out the vines and put him in his tank to write this but I’m panicking. Has this happened to anyone before? What’s the best course of action? He seemed fine after i got the ring off him but that doesn’t mean anything.

[IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/15dp7vs.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/2vmue5u.jpg[/IMG]

Oh boy !!!

That looks quite sore :( Also looks like some bruising and bleeding under the skin.

I don't think a vet could do anything for that. At this point you should probably just let him heal. Do keep a close eye on it (without disturbing him to much). IF it gets bigger, swollen and dark spots appear around it, then go to a vet for antibiotics.

If it stays the same, just give it time to heal. I would hold off on feeding for at least 2 to 3 weeks. Give the tissue time to recover. The first 2 or 3 meals should be smaller then what he normally gets, so the tissue doesn't have to stretch out a lot during eating and possibly getting re-injured.

Most likely he will be just fine.

Unfortunately he isn't the first getting stuck in decorations. Good thing you were able to get it off of him.

Reptiles have slow metabolic responses (relative to warm-blooded animals)-There is the possibility that the constricted area might continue to swell to a point that it interferes with the snakes internal organs. A Vet may give your snake steroids to decrease the swelling and prevent complications.

Your vet may also want to check for broken ribs. There's not a lot that can be done to help heal them, other than to feed very small prey so as not to stretch that area when the snake eats.

Hey guys,

Thank you you so much for the responses! I’ve been in a panic all morning. I also consulted the owners of my local pet shop (big snake enthusiasts) and they said pretty much the same thing. I checked in on him after three hours and it’s still a bit bulgy and dark around where it was caught the worst, but nowhere near as bad as when I initially freed him and he’s not hissing/doesn’t seem to have trouble moving. My roommate and I have been keeping a close eye on him, and if anything changes for the worst I’ll definintely be taking him to the vet. Hoping that he just needs rest and time to heal, this morning was such an awful shock, I’ve never thrown something away as fast as those vines!

Update, I checked on him after another few hours and it seems to be a bit better? What do you guys think? [IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...com/5lummp.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/24ybouv.jpg[/IMG][IMG]https://ball-pythons.net/forums/cach...om/287qlfm.jpg[/IMG]

It looks better because the tissue was allowed to expand again.

However, the damage was done, as evident by the bleeding under the skin. Just watch it to make sure it won't swell up now.

Keep the handling to absolute minimum for now. Only for maintenance of the enclosure and to have a quick check while the snake is in the tank. You don't want him to slither and bend around your fingers, as that makes him contract the muscles to stretch and move.

It needs to heal..

I would still take a good long feeding break, at least 2 to 3 weeks. And then feed rodents that are only about as big around as he is in the damaged area. If nothing else, this is probably quite painful, as crushing injuries tend to be.

They are tough, they often heal up just fine, but I wouldn't want to rush anything. They can go that long without eating without a problem.