EMERGENCY | My Ball Python's Scales Just Split

Dave has come back from the vet.

Get this:

They managed to stitch up his big gash but there was a smaller one on his body from a mouse bite. It was the size of 1 or 2 centimeters and they couldn't stitch that one up so now it's the size of a dime. His gash looks to be poorly stitched as there's still some open parts of it but I'm not sure how limited they were with him because he scales are so weak. He's sedated currently and I made him a cardboard home because paper towels won't do for the time being. He defiantly needs a lot of rest. I'll be applying antibiotic cream twice a day and we will be feeding him very small mice that are not bigger than the diameter of his neck so it doesn't break the stitches. I will be spraying the mice with a vitamin supplement that only gives Vitamin C.

This is his new wound given by the vets:

http://i65.tinypic.com/2n6ubcz.jpg

And these are his stitches:

http://i63.tinypic.com/2ai52zc.jpg

*Sighs* It's something... We needed antibiotics. There was another vet but we'd have to wait longer. He needs antibiotics so that's not a good choice.

Because oddly enough...

When my mom was at the regular Pet Supplies Plus we go to for feeder mice, she had met a guy who owns ball pythons himself and knows us. He told my mom that his friend had told him about a snake that had come into the vet and they said they saw a snake who looked like they had 'spontaneous rupture of skin' which is basically the slipped skin disease. They said it looked to be it. I need to find this employee at Pet Supplies Plus and ask more about it. This is an opportunity for more support and possibly better care. I know, it's bad that he more than likely has it but if we know what it is, we know how to treat it.

My mom didn't get his name but remembered what he looked like and we have the fact he owns snakes so that'll help if we ask for him.

Until then, Dave is now on top of the cardboard box trying to get out. Nobody can wear this guy down, not even drugs. I gave him a plastic dish for water because there's no way I'm using the water bowl given to me by the previous owner because that thing is constantly getting algae. It's gross. He needs fresh water.

I'm more than half asleep and I'm not sure I processed that all right... He came back more injured?

Well im glad he got antibiotics, glad you've got a lead to go on. Still have hopes for this poor thing! Glad for the update

I think so. I haven't seen snake stitches before and I can't tell if those are terrible, bad, or normal. And the other gash got larger so at that point, yes, it got worse. As long as he has something to prevent infection, the wounds will have time to heal.

Wow with those new pictures the scales look so brittle. To be honest with you, I don't know that I'd look to more stitches. I just don't see how they will hold, but that's for a conversation with your vet. Poor guy is going to be a day by day case. Keep him clean and in a very safe environment. You've done everything you can.

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It just occurred to me, this guy and the other animal I read about with this disease were chronically malnourished so it follows that this condition is a possible result of a nutritional deficiency. If so a round of steroids and general vitamins might do him some good. It's a long shot but something else you might discuss with your vet.

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My mom noticed his scales seemed 'different'. She described them as dry. They don't look healthy. I don't like the idea of stitches either. Hopefully they'll help heal his gash faster but it completely messed up his other one.

And that's what we're going to do: give him vitamins. I have Vitamin C supplements. He probably needs a few others but for now we will stick with this. I also got some cage liner so I don't waste paper towels. Tomorrow since I have no school I will completely sanitize his cage, put in the cage liner and the rest of what he needs and take it from there. I'll be checking for things to spot clean daily and this is something I must clean at least once a week. I'm not risking infection, even with the antibiotics. I might take some more money out of my bank account (as I'm paying for the medical bill) to buy more supplements. He's deprived of most likely everything.

Sounds like you're doing all that you can for him.

Another thought - if you don't have a regular job yet, perhaps you can ask your neighbors if there are any odd jobs you can do for cash over the next week so you can replenish your savings in case another vet visit is needed.

I do believe there's some people I know who will accept some work. My neighbors creep me out but my dad's boss always let my sister rake leaves, mow the lawn, shovel the driveway, etc. I look into it.

Poor Dave. Little guy needs to be in a plastic ball. But maybe the non flavor pedilight will help it'll give him vitamins. I don't know really anything else that you can really do


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At least the second injury looks more normal than the one that was stitched... It'll probably take awhile to heal, but I don't see any pockets (like the gap between the skin and muscle in the first gash) for infection to really get in there and 'hide' so I think just keeping it clean until it heals over should be enough.

If you can keep him from getting infected until he gets up to a healthy weight and his body has time to correct whatever nutritional issues are likely causing the brittle skin, I think he stands a decent chance.

I had a snake with a severe skin issues several years ago; hers were due to a really rare mammalian parasite, but it destroyed the connective tissue and changed the texture of the skin, making it brittle and far too soft. Even after the parasite issue was remedied, it took a LONG time for her skin to get back to normal because her body had to 'rebuild' a lot of the skin. Your guy is probably going to have a long recovery process ahead of him, but it seems like he's in good hands.