Raw Skin on Back

Yeah, I think one small rat is a good idea. I was saying he never regurgitated before, then the petco snake person suggested we give him three mice instead of the usual two. Then he regurgitated them about 4 days after he ate them.

I don't think the UV lamp could burn him. It is not a heat lamp, only a UV bulb and it is several inches from the enclosure which has a screen door along one side that he can reach. He does have problems shedding alone. We usually have to soak him and aid him. It is possible that my daughter jumped the gun, but I don't think she could have caused this injury.

Now please, Frankykeno, in a nutshell, what is the procedure for getting him back on a normal eating schedule after a regurgitation? I don't want to get in some bad regurgitation cycle. Thanks, by the way, for all the help. What would us uninitiated do without experts like you?

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Originally Posted by Paulzy

Yeah, I think one small rat is a good idea. I was saying he never regurgitated before, then the petco snake person suggested we give him three mice instead of the usual two. Then he regurgitated them about 4 days after he ate them.

I don't think the UV lamp could burn him. It is not a heat lamp, only a UV bulb and it is several inches from the enclosure which has a screen door along one side that he can reach. He does have problems shedding alone. We usually have to soak him and aid him. It is possible that my daughter jumped the gun, but I don't think she could have caused this injury.

Now please, Frankykeno, in a nutshell, what is the procedure for getting him back on a normal eating schedule after a regurgitation? I don't want to get in some bad regurgitation cycle. Thanks, by the way, for all the help. What would us uninitiated do without experts like you?

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UV rays are not necessary for a nocturnal animal like bps, and I'm sure that it does produce heat. Even a regular lightbulb produces quite a bit of heat. ;) You can't be sure that it's NOT a thermal burn unless you double check your temps. Do you have a digital thermometer to check? I'd measure the temps at the top and the bottom of the enclosure just to make sure the temps are in the right ranges.

I do not have any experience with regurges, but I believe (from research) that you usually allow 3 weeks for the natural flora of the gut to reestablish itself. Then offer a much smaller prey item, and work up to a normal size for that animal. It's always better to err on the side of caution with bps. If 4 mice caused the regurg, I would try and off 1 to start off and then work up to 2 or 3. You can attempt to switch mice to rats, but I would wait until after you have reestablished successful feedings. :D

Well, the Jig is up. After some interrogation, my daughter confessed to shedding him prematurely and injuring him. I know how this sounds, but she does really love Uday, she is just thirteen and has some other issues that I'd rather not go into. Anyway, now that we know what it is, is there any advice out there on helping him get back on his feet---oops!

It does appear that he is preparing to shed again. Will this help to recover the area somewhat? Should I keep applying the Neosporin? And don't worry out there, I will be doing the shedding duties from now on just to be safe.

You shouldn't have to have "shedding duties" if the enclosure is set up properly. 82-84 on the cool side and 92-94 degrees on the warm side, and humidity 50-60%, measured with a digital thermometer/hygrometer combo unit(has a probe to measure both temps, can be found at WalMart in the outdoor thermometer section, brand is AcuRite, price- $10).

Undertank heating should be controlled by a quality thermostat(Helix, Herpstat 1, Herpstat 2, Johnson Controls, Rancos are all good choices) to prevent burns and overheating of the heating device.

Does he have two secure hides on each end? What type of substrate?

And don't worry about trying to feed more. If the snake is of good weight and healthy, don't try to fix what ain't broke. Two mice per week is PLENTY for an adult male Ball. They don't need to get big and fat, they just need to maintain their weight and eat consistently. If he eats well on two mice(as 3 is obviously too many, and stressed his system) and since he is old enough now that trying to switch him from mice to rats would be like trying to set fire to Antarctica...

Since he regurgitated, let his system rest for 2.5-3 weeks, and then offer ONE mouse. Keep offering only ONE mouse for 2-3 weeks and then you can bump him back up to his normal size meal of two. I feed all of my snakes on mice(except for Ruari, that would be a bit out of budget) and they grow like market hogs.

Make sure his heat and humidity are both spot on, and he will do just fine. Good luck with him.

Oh, and a generic triple antibiotic ointment applied once or twice per day, and keeping the enclosure clean, will help that area heal. After he sheds, it should be less noticeable.

I, being new to this myself, cannot offer any advise. But I will say that I fully support you teaching your children how to be responsable for others/animals. I have an 11 year old son who would rather have pets than friends. He is amazing with our pets. Please don't be too hard on her and let her help as much as possiable. We all learn from our mistakes and accomplishments. I think thats how most of our vets around here have gained their infinate wisdom. :D Just my :2cent: .

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Originally Posted by Paulzy

Well, the Jig is up. After some interrogation, my daughter confessed to shedding him prematurely and injuring him. I know how this sounds, but she does really love Uday, she is just thirteen and has some other issues that I'd rather not go into. Anyway, now that we know what it is, is there any advice out there on helping him get back on his feet---oops!

It does appear that he is preparing to shed again. Will this help to recover the area somewhat? Should I keep applying the Neosporin? And don't worry out there, I will be doing the shedding duties from now on just to be safe.

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I have a question how did she shed him if the old skin was not ready to come off of him? Was his eyes still cloudy? What i am trying to do here is figure out what part of the shed cycle he was in when she removed his skin.Is this the first time she has done this?

Thanks for all the advice out there. I will adjust the climate in the enclosure accordingly so that maybe there will be no more shedding problems. My daughter says that she has definitely learned her lesson. We will wean him back on food in a few weeks, slowly. In the meantime, I will use Neosporin on the area and keep his enclosure very clean. Thanks again to all.

You might want to replace that turf with a good layer of plain white paper towels while he heals. That way you can see if there's any discharge from the wound and it's softer than turf. Also just something to think about here....turf has a nasty habit of harboring bacteria no matter how often it's changed. It's very hard to get it completely clean too. Very nice to look at but possibly problematic that way.

I am curioius as to why wait 2-3 weeks before offering another meal? if a person or dog/cat, vomits, they will often begin eating normally within 1-2 days after the vomit, and that is for an animal that feeds 2xs per day. a week would be plenty of time, for the bacteria within the gut of an animal to jumpstart itself. i can understand feeding a smaller meal, and a snake def has no problem going several weeks without food, but i am curious as to why wait 2-3 weeks??


what it sounds like to me is that there was some type of gastic gas build up or rot going on and the body had to expel what was basically rotting inside the animal. I would strongly suggest checking temperatures.

~mike

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Originally Posted by wildlifewarrior

I am curioius as to why wait 2-3 weeks before offering another meal? if a person or dog/cat, vomits, they will often begin eating normally within 1-2 days after the vomit, and that is for an animal that feeds 2xs per day. a week would be plenty of time, for the bacteria within the gut of an animal to jumpstart itself. i can understand feeding a smaller meal, and a snake def has no problem going several weeks without food, but i am curious as to why wait 2-3 weeks??


what it sounds like to me is that there was some type of gastic gas build up or rot going on and the body had to expel what was basically rotting inside the animal. I would strongly suggest checking temperatures.

~mike

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A regurg is a major event for a snake, and you can't adequately compare a mammal that eats daily to an animal that may only get a couple meals a year. Not to mention that one is a mammal and one a reptile. ;)

Anyway, you are not just waiting for the gut flora to regain a balance, but also to allow the body to heal. Not just the rodent is regurg, but along with it digestive enzymes. So you are allowing the esophogus to heal as well. Don't forget that reptiles heal much slower than we do. Besides, waiting a couple weeks is nothing to a snake and it's much better to err on the side of caution than to risk another regurg.