Nooo! >.< A mouse bit my baby ball python.

Does anybody know what to look for when watching for infection of the bite? I'd say "keep an eye on the wound" to the OP, but I don't actually know what an infected wound on a BP looks like.

me either, loonunit. I know from human infection to look for redness and swelling, but you can't see redness on a BP and by the time swelling got noticeable it could be pretty far in progression. :oops:

Rodent bites seems to be a very common occurrence for people feeding live.

I know my biggest balls all have a battle scar or two from bites, but I don't love them any less for it.

I do watch my live eaters carefully though, and I'm always ready to intervene if I have to. I have found it necessary to put something between the mouse/rat teeth and my snakes a few times, but it seems with mine, one bad strike and mommy intervene is enough to make them more careful the next time.

I know my big mojave girl went on a hunger strike for 3 months, what finally got her eating again were live rats. Her first one she hit perfectly, but the second was a little sloppy. She was at a very awkward angle, and I could not keep the rat from chewing on her side no matter how hard I tried. It never broke her skin, but I was a wreck! However, she learned her lesson, and after that she always maneuvers the rat so she can grab the head first.

In snakes and other animals, what I watch for in a wound is not red, but white. I have found a reddish wound is fairly normal, but if the red area turns whitish, it's usually an infection. If you keep her bite clean and covered by ointment, she should be fine.

Gale

So i was feeding my ball python a live mouse and she had a good strike but not a good grip. She was holding it for a long time and i couldn't see the mouse head or limbs so i couldn't tell if anything was happening. Then she let go and the mouse got out all bloody (kinda gross actually). She then bit its body and just coiled tight to kill it. As she was doing so the mouse head had a coil around it but the mouse started biting her. After she killed it she moved it for re adjusting and then while smelling around for the head she bit herself!! She opened he mouth and bit down on her neck and sat there for a bit. That in itself scared the poo out of me and i don't know if thats a common thing. After she ate it I saw the puncture wounds she gave herself and a spot on her back where i assume the mouse scratched/bit her. A couple scales were up and it seemed a little red underneath. I'm not sure what to do or to be worried. She has not injuries to her face, eyes, mouth, or vent. Her wounds are 1. her neck from biting herself, 2. a scratch spot 3. a bite spot from the mouse. She is not bleeding out on any. I'm not sure if this is normal (especially the biting herself thing) and I'm not sure what I should do or if she is hurt or anything.

Please help
Thanks :)

She'll be fine. :gj: