Snake has a minor bite

I feed live and fully know the risks of doing so. I prescent the cage in order to invoke a feeding response so that the snake strikes almost immediately...

As usual the strike came about 10 seconds after I put the rat in. Unfortunately this time George did not get a good strike in and nailed the rat right on the butt. The rat managed to get a bite in on George and there is a little bit of blood, not even enough to run down his body onto the newspaper substrate. Its like a tiny pinprick.

Its 5:40 and he is just finishing swallowing and I'm wondering how long I should wait to pull him out and inspect the spot. I don't want to cause a regurge but I also want to check and make sure there is no real damage. Is it safe to do it tonight or should I wait until morning? I will get a pic of it and put it up here so somebody could check it out for me as well.

As a precaution would it be a good idea to put a bit of nonmedicated neosporin on the spot maybe daily or every other day? It really doesn't look like its going to be anything too bad but I'm not willing to risk anything...

Meh. If there isnt any blood now, dont worry too much about it.

You can take him out to look now, just handle gently. but otherwise... i really wouldnt worry too much about it. A Quick soak in some water to clean the area, and a little neosporin ( no painkiller ) is fine if you are at all worried.

I usually wait at least an hour if all is not an emergency. I use non-pain killing triple anti-biotic ointment.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mooingtricycle

Meh. If there isnt any blood now, dont worry too much about it.

You can take him out to look now, just handle gently. but otherwise... i really wouldnt worry too much about it. A Quick soak in some water to clean the area, and a little neosporin ( no painkiller ) is fine if you are at all worried.

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agreed

Ditto to everyone. I've had a few run-ins with bites. -Shudders.- just wash him off and put some neosporin on. Then? Let him relax.

yup these snakes get knicks and cuts in the wild all the time from prey, the only thing to watch out for is infection, like any cut on any animal

i had this happen last week. little blood she did fine and even ate the second rat i gave her

Thanks everybody...

I learned 2 valuable lessons in tonight's feeding and you guys will probably laugh at both of them...

Lesson 1 (just dumb)
The pet store I got the rat gave it to me in a box. I usually prescent and so this time i decided I would just put the box in the cage for a few minutes till the BP wakes up and comes out... I place the box in the cage go and put my phone on the charger in the other room... Come back in and George is completely out of his hide and in the S position lookin at the box... I get near the cage and he turns at me...

so now i have to open this box that the hungry snake wants to eat without getting eaten myself... "roommates, i'll need the oven mits, my accounting notes, and a spare set of hands" Had one of my roommates hold the lid over the tank as much as he could while I reached in with the notebook and placed it between Georges head and the box... Said abracadabra and poof the box was gone...

George is not happy and starts lookin around for his food. but he was still in the middle of his habitat. I just dropped the rat in one of the corners and it was FAST...

Lesson: Don't place box of violent animal food in with violent animal and intend on going back in any time soon

Other Lesson (less funny)
make sure the snake is on one end of the habitat and place rat on other end in order to give the snake some time to aim...