Eaten Scales,...

:(my local petstore had a forgetfull employee tonight,... the employee in charge of feeding the snakes left an adolescent mouse in one of the cages, when the owner found the bp about 1/2 its scales had been eaten. right as i got there they had brought the bp up to the front of the store to decide what to do, the owner then called the employee and fired her. i offered to bring it home and see what i could do for it i figure it deserves a chance at life so they gave me some directions and i wanted to check if there were things i could do in addition to try to help it

the snake is about 8-12 inches long and in my opinion should be only eating two mice pinkies per feeding not an adolescent, none of his belly scales have been punctured, they suggested that i put him in normal tap water for about ten mins to wash the blood off then like a five min soak in betadine for the bacteria, the other herp person that works there recomended zoo meds repti wound-healing aid because it has a mild pain killer in it the owner also recomended using neosporin on it but i wanted to get a few other opinions i will have at least one pic up soon i cant promise quality because i cant pick him up except to treat him i dont want to risk infection,...

http://i1085.photobucket.com/albums/...6642314000.jpg
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P.S. I have purchased animals from this store for the last ten years and its hit the point that if they have something sick or injured come in they will offer it to me these are sweet people and the owner had a look of total heartbreak when he saw the snake so i know this wasnt an intentional thing on his part,... any and all help is appriciated thanks to all

Poor thing! I'd say hit up a vet.

sent from my EVO

aww the poor snake! so glad that employee was fired.
will those scales ever grow back or will that all become scar tissue?
such a shame...

Awww! That poor little baby! I would second the opinion for a vet visit.

Vet time for sure.

It's extremely import you get it to a vet the skin protects a snake from a lot of things among other things. It may have a long road ahead buy glad you stepped up. Good luck and keep us posted!

argh, it pains me to look at this :(

I too would say, IF you want to do something, please take it to the vet. Rodents have nasties in their mouth and you will need antibiotics asap

You would need to wash and also sanitize the poor thing. But I shudder to think of the pain it may go through, I would first find out what can safely be used on such an extensive wound. Many sanitizing agents can be either painful or even hard on regenerating tissue.

Man, this poor little thing :(

yes vet big time I also will remind no neosporin unless it with out pain killer.( the pain med in i bad for snakes I believe what i was told)
as for the scale they gone the snake will most like have scare scales/tissue and it will be all black prolly.

:D glad you stepped up to save the little guy I also see if the pet shop will offset some cost/supplies while it in your care since you do so much for them.
I wish I had more reptile related pet shops aroud me. only 2 true pet shops in my area cause most others are mainly supplies only or a fly by night as you don't know when they will close.

I know this is not gonna be the popular answer here however you are dealing with extensive damage on a VERY young animal and if I were you I would consider putting the animal down now to end it's suffering.

If you don't do that than you MUST take him to a vet that will likely prescribe anti-biotics to prevent infection but let's face it given the size of the animal the recovery chances are low.

The animal would take a long time to recover (if it did) and would not eat during that process and could likely end up starving to death given it's size if the rest doesn't kill it.

PS: Fuzzie mice are nit appropriate size food for BP, the right food was offered just not fed responsibly that's all.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

I know this is not gonna be the popular answer here however you are dealing with extensive damage on a VERY young animal and if I were you I would consider putting the animal down now to end it's suffering.

If you don't do that than you MUST take him to a vet that will likely prescribe anti-biotics to prevent infection but let's face it given the size of the animal the recovery chances are low.

The animal would take a long time to recover (if it did) and would not eat during that process and could likely end up starving to death given it's size if the rest doesn't kill it.

PS: Fuzzie mice are nit appropriate size food for BP, the right food was offered just not fed responsibly that's all.

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This is very true. But if you get it appropriate help it has a chance, you may have to force feed and it's likely it may not make it. Then there is the pain factor to consider, it will be in a lot of pain. See what the vet says.

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Originally Posted by Deborah

I know this is not gonna be the popular answer here however you are dealing with extensive damage on a VERY young animal and if I were you I would consider putting the animal down now to end it's suffering.

If you don't do that than you MUST take him to a vet that will likely prescribe anti-biotics to prevent infection but let's face it given the size of the animal the recovery chances are low.

The animal would take a long time to recover (if it did) and would not eat during that process and could likely end up starving to death given it's size if the rest doesn't kill it.

PS: Fuzzie mice are nit appropriate size food for BP, the right food was offered just not fed responsibly that's all.

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I have to agree 100% with Deb. Not only will it take a LONG time to recover (IF it can recover at all), it may also take a very long time to die...and it breaks my heart to think of it suffering through all the cleansing treatments and antibiotic shots just to eventually die anyhow. :tears: Poor little thing.

You also have to wonder if the scar tissue , which will be EXTENSIVE is going to be pliable and able to stretch , to accommodate feeding, growing and shedding.

At that age they grow so fast.

Please take it to the vet, if only just to put it down. I can't even look at those pics , it looks so painful :(

poor guy :( this i swhy i s tay away from live rodents. please keep us updated on his recovery! my wishes to you and the little guy.

I am afraid that euthanizing this poor little guy is likely the best treatment, the only thing that would be similar in a human that happens is a large burns covering large portions of the body. Which is sometimes treated with induced comas. It is possible to rehabilitate this animal maybe but that is that better for the animal? The risk of infection would be very high and there is likely deeper tissue damage (I didn't look at the pictures close enough to see....) I am very sorry, that this animal is suffering that it happened in the first place and more that you have to actually look at this damage first hand. What you are doing is very special and important. I believe that the best thing for this snake is euthanasia.

I am sorry that you have to handle this.
Alex

Poor little baby!!!:rage:

Sometimes tough calls have to be made. If it were my decision to make, I would have already put it down upon discovery in that condition.

This is just so sad. I hate to see any animal it such a horrible condition. I couldn't imagine letting this happen. At least the pet store owners let the person go before it happened again, and hopefully they are more careful in the future.

I am also of the opinion that euthanasia is the best option, here. The risk of infection is so high, and I don't know how you could keep all of that exposed tissue from becoming damaged or necrotic.

Poor thing :( I am sorry...

Sometimes the damage is just to vast to warrant a vet visit and having them put the animal down. This seems to be one those cases, it's hard to think of how much pain the animal must be in with 95% of it's body being an open wound ..

Gosh..must have been a very hungry rat to do all of that in one night..

thank you all,... i will do what i can about the vet cuz he's out of town and i have no money this month due to taking a different snake into the vet last month so i have to find someone else or wait till saturday when he gets back thanks again,...

so there is nothing i can do at home for him????

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Originally Posted by Cheshire_queen

thank you all,... i will do what i can about the vet cuz he's out of town and i have no money this month due to taking a different snake into the vet last month so i have to find someone else or wait till saturday when he gets back thanks again,...

so there is nothing i can do at home for him????

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Yes end it's misery NOW

The extent of the damage is TOO severe, even if the vet wants to try to get him better and a smart vet would not do this, the chances are very small.

The animal is too young, too small, the damage is extensive, the animal will either die from it's wounds, infection, stress or starvation, because lets face it anyone that had to assist or force feed BP know how stressful it is even for an healthy animal and in this case the stress of assisting or force feeding will likely be FATAL and who will do it?

It's better to end an animal misery now than prolong it's suffering until you can find someone to take him or see him.

That's the harsh reality I know it's not what you want to hear but it's the truth.

It is so nice of you to try and help the poor baby. I also agree with everyone else. He should be put down. Please find a vet or try the humane society. Those pictures are heartbreaking.

I am afraid sometimes the tough calls MUST be made, and in this case that is euthanasia.

It sucks that the employee was careless, it sucks the mouse got hungry, it sucks you want so bad to help the little thing, it sucks that even the shop owner wants you to help, in fact everything about this sucks.:(

But, you must grit your teeth, dry your eyes, and do what is best for the suffering baby and NOT what is easiest for you. I've already had to make that heartbreaking decision once, and I know as a future breeder, I'll no doubt have to again. It's never going to get any easier, but I feel it is my responsibility.

If I am going to create little lives, nurture them, see them grow, and one day hopefully find loving homes, I must also agree to do the things I don't want to.
Like keeping a baby that might be mildly handicapped and won't make an ideal pet for most people, or keeping a baby that is just bad tempered to avoid it becoming abused or neglected. Or worst of all, making the decision to end the suffering of a baby I know won't have a good quality of life.

This little one has very little to no chance of survival. And even if it does survive for a while, it has no quality of life. The pain must be intense and constant, it won't be able to eat normally, maybe not at all. Starvation is not a pleasant way to die, and neither is dying from massive infection. I know it cannot be easy, but you MUST do what is best.

I know it is frowned upon in most cases, but under the circumstances freezing would probably be the fastest way. The baby is in so much pain already, it isn't likely to suffer much more. If you want the most humane way, I believe that is still by injection. If you cannot find a vet near you who will step up, the humane society probably will.

My heart goes out to you and this little one.

Gale

I don't cringe or flinch at seeing disgusting things. EVER. Until now.

This made me flinch so badly I almost fell out of my chair.
This is HORRIBLE! :(
I'm new to BPs, but I'd say it's Vet Time.
You should probably wash it daily, handle it VERY gently, and try not to touch that injured portion.
I'm sure you already know this, since these people are kind enough to trust you with any injured reptile, but it can't hurt for it to be said anyways.

This is such an unfortunate incident to have happened. You have been given some good sound advice. I would definitely put that poor animal out of it's misery. Imagine having a wound like that yourself. You would be in a lot of pain and would be miserable. That poor baby has very little chance of survival and that is really sad. Animals come into our lives and we are obligated to take care of them and provide for their needs. In this case, you have a very difficult decision to make. I had a cat that was very sick and last year I had to make the choice to put him down or let him suffer. I did the obvious thing and ended his suffering. Did it hurt for a while, sure it did. I was not going to be selfish and keep him alive for my own liking. I know you will make the right decision because it is obvious you really care about this animal. Please please please do not allow this snake suffer any longer then is absolutely necessary.

OMG. :tears::tears::tears:
He's so beautiful.
I'm SO SORRY that you had to see an animal suffering like that...I don't know if I myself would ever be able to recover. :(
You are a wonderful person for trying to help, but I agree with Deborah and a few others that the snake should be "put down" via euthanasia. :( I saw the photos and I don't think he would be able to heal--there's not enough healthy tissue on him. 70% of him was eaten away.
I am so sorry, again...I feel for you. You'd be doing the right thing by ending his suffering, and if I were you, I wouldn't regret it for a minute.
Thank you for caring and trying. You did a lot more than most people would have done for a snake (besides us here at BP.net), and for that, I know we all are grateful.
But put the little guy down. :(

That poor precious baby. That completely breaks my heart :(

I agree with everyone else, have the poor guy put down. He has to be in a ton of pain and euthanizing would be the most humane thing to do in this situation. Find a vet or an emergency animal hospital, they can do it. If money is an issue, last time I was at an ER vet (my grandma's cat had to be put down) it was about $75.

Oh my gosh :tears:

That honestly breaks my heart!! I'm almost at a loss for words. Unfortunately, I think the best option for the poor thing is to be put down. It's going to be hard, and it's going to hurt, but it's for the best for him. It was so sweet and caring of you to bring that lil guy home and try to help, but I just don't know if anyone can help him make it. I'm glad the employee was fired, because that's just unacceptable.

I have seen some pretty disturbing images concerning ball python neglect... and this is by far the absolute worse.
It made my heart sink. I panicked a little. I didn't expect it to be that severe. But oh my.
Poor thing.
Yea put it down. Or bring it back to the store and tell them u have decided to put it down and see if they will pay for it.
This whole situation is really sad... Im so sorry. I can't imagine how you are feeling.
Feelings aside... it has to be done.
I know we will all sleep better at night knowing the snake is no longer suffering.
And Im sure you will to. :(

thanks again to everyone,... it would be easier to take him and have him put down if i hadn't just paid all my bills that were due,... i am on a state income cuz i'm jobless right now and only get money once a month but freezing or humane society sound like decent ideas i'll call the humane society tomorrow and if they cant help me that only leaves one choice really, and its not cuz i want him to suffer but i have to say that he made it through the first night and looked a lot happier this morning,... there are no actual holes in him at all which suprised me but we'll see what they say tomorrow

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Originally Posted by Cheshire_queen

thanks again to everyone,... it would be easier to take him and have him put down if i hadn't just paid all my bills that were due,... i am on a state income cuz i'm jobless right now and only get money once a month but freezing or humane society sound like decent ideas i'll call the humane society tomorrow and if they cant help me that only leaves one choice really, and its not cuz i want him to suffer but i have to say that he made it through the first night and looked a lot happier this morning,... there are no actual holes in him at all which suprised me but we'll see what they say tomorrow

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I have euthanize balls by putting them in zip locks and placing them in the freezer. Taking him to the vet would be a better option, but if you do not have the money, or he is not available, this is an option. Some people may not agree with it, but it does put them out of their misery.

Happy I doubt it. You need to talk to your employer. He should also understand putting that baby down is the best thing for it. It was the forgetfulness of one of his employees that this happened in the first place.

Most big name breeders use the freezer for snakes. This causes them to die within mins and end everything.

i know this will sound very inhumane but thats not the case i love animals and hate seeing them like this,... i used what the store had given me right before going to bed because it has a pain killer in it and when i woke up to all the humane society to have him put down he was already gone so he's not suffering anymore,... but now my queston lands on more minor cases of this are there any home treatments that wouldn't pull hundreds of dollars out of my pocket with a vet vist i understand that this situation was unfortunate and how much of a neglegent owner you all probably think i am for not taking him in and for that i'm sorry i have three other happy and healthy snakes two bp and one king snake i'm starting to take them all to the vet regularly every few months but i just didnt have the resource this time i'm sorry once again and hope to breed at some point but i'm trying to learn how to treat what i can from home in case of this situation again and also refine my husbandry before i even consider trying to breed so all i ask is that you can forgive me for this and hopefully point me in the right directon so it doesn't happen again and i'm in the works of switching from live to frozen which may include my king that eats rat pups which arent much of a threat in my opinion

thanks again for your time i'm deeply sorry about this and i wish you all the best

the snake died?

Wow! :rolleyes: I hope you will talk to a breeder or breeders before you decide for sure if breeding is what you want to do. I'm sure they don't make a pile of money and the cost isn't cheap. I'm not trying to be mean or anything just hope you will think about it.

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Originally Posted by Cheshire_queen

i know this will sound very inhumane but thats not the case i love animals and hate seeing them like this,... i used what the store had given me right before going to bed because it has a pain killer in it and when i woke up to all the humane society to have him put down he was already gone so he's not suffering anymore,... but now my queston lands on more minor cases of this are there any home treatments that wouldn't pull hundreds of dollars out of my pocket with a vet vist i understand that this situation was unfortunate and how much of a neglegent owner you all probably think i am for not taking him in and for that i'm sorry i have three other happy and healthy snakes two bp and one king snake i'm starting to take them all to the vet regularly every few months but i just didnt have the resource this time i'm sorry once again and hope to breed at some point but i'm trying to learn how to treat what i can from home in case of this situation again and also refine my husbandry before i even consider trying to breed so all i ask is that you can forgive me for this and hopefully point me in the right directon so it doesn't happen again and i'm in the works of switching from live to frozen which may include my king that eats rat pups which arent much of a threat in my opinion

thanks again for your time i'm deeply sorry about this and i wish you all the best

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I don't believe anyone suggested or even implied that YOU are a "negligent owner" for not taking that snake to the vet. It wasn't even your fault. Bless you for taking in an injured animal that needed help....but shame on that store manager for not taking HIS responsibility seriously and taking care of that animal himself, or at least offering you some financial support to care for something that was ultimately his responsibility if not his fault.

It rarely costs "hundreds" of dollars to take a snake to a vet...even for a serious injury. Either the injury can be treated with some topical medicines and/or a few antibiotic shots...or the snake likely needs putting down.

That being said...there's nothing wrong with educating yourself on simple home treatments for minor issues that pop up from time to time. This thread is not the appropriate way to do that, though. A whole book could be written on the subject. (Not a bad idea for some inspiring writer with the right knowledge!)

As regards to breeding...nothing wrong with dreaming. But do make sure you're on very firm financial footing before taking on any more animals. Even a small breeding project will have a great deal of "hidden" expenses a lot of folks never even think about beyond "how much does that morph cost?".

Good luck to you!

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Originally Posted by DellaF

Wow! :rolleyes: I hope you will talk to a breeder or breeders before you decide for sure if breeding is what you want to do. I'm sure they don't make a pile of money and the cost isn't cheap. I'm not trying to be mean or anything just hope you will think about it.

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i'm friends with a local breeder/rescuer he is helping me work out the kinks but i turned here for some extra addvice,... but sure i'll ask

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Originally Posted by JLC

I don't believe anyone suggested or even implied that YOU are a "negligent owner" for not taking that snake to the vet. It wasn't even your fault. Bless you for taking in an injured animal that needed help....but shame on that store manager for not taking HIS responsibility seriously and taking care of that animal himself, or at least offering you some financial support to care for something that was ultimately his responsibility if not his fault.

It rarely costs "hundreds" of dollars to take a snake to a vet...even for a serious injury. Either the injury can be treated with some topical medicines and/or a few antibiotic shots...or the snake likely needs putting down.

That being said...there's nothing wrong with educating yourself on simple home treatments for minor issues that pop up from time to time. This thread is not the appropriate way to do that, though. A whole book could be written on the subject. (Not a bad idea for some inspiring writer with the right knowledge!)

As regards to breeding...nothing wrong with dreaming. But do make sure you're on very firm financial footing before taking on any more animals. Even a small breeding project will have a great deal of "hidden" expenses a lot of folks never even think about beyond "how much does that morph cost?".

Good luck to you!

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thank you for the support and i agree about the store he should have dealt with it,... i believe the reason he offered it to me is because i have taken others home and been able to bring them back months later to visit fully healed but this was beyond help,... and i refered to the hundreds of dollars because the 2 times i've taken snakes to the vet once for my teacher and one that was abandoned (the three i own are all going in on the first of march) my teachers red tail had stargazers and cost 220 and the 2yr old bp with the third degree belly burn cost 112 so i haven't had much luck yet with low cost visits then again i guess thats the price you pay when rescueing,... i dont plan to breed for about 5yrs not cuz my snakes are small but because i am in an appartment with my parents and wish to be in my own place before i even look into it further but thanks again to all i am sorry if i seemed a bit snippy,...

P.S. where would you recomend asking about home treatments???

oh my god thats terrible... im glad they fired that douchebag

I wish my bp would eat frozen.

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Originally Posted by rdoyle

I wish my bp would eat frozen.

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This is not a result of live feeding. This is a result of irresponsible keeper not watching the live feeding.

IMO if you allow a snake to get attacked to this point from live feeding, then you have no right owning a snake. I feed about 20 live feedings a week with not one problem.

yea I know I just wish my snake would eat fozon

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Originally Posted by rdoyle

yea I know I just wish my snake would eat fozon

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Theres no benefit to switching from live to frozen. I don't see the reason to switch a feeding snake to something it hasn't eaten before.

Feed what is working and keeping the snake fed.

To benefit? Every time you feed live you chance an injury. Maybe not like what's in the OP, but a mouse or rat could easily rip a BP's head apart in less than a second. Reason enough.
*done with random hijack*

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

Theres no benefit to switching from live to frozen. I don't see the reason to switch a feeding snake to something it hasn't eaten before.Feed what is working and keeping the snake fed.

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my snake has had 3 owners frist owner feed frozen, 2nd feed live, so now he will not touch frozen.

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Originally Posted by Shenzi Sixaxis

To benefit? Every time you feed live you chance an injury. Maybe not like what's in the OP, but a mouse or rat could easily rip a BP's head apart in less than a second. Reason enough.
*done with random hijack*

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I'll hijack a little more before I let this issue rest.


Tell me what is you live feeding experience and how many of your animals have had their head ripped apart?

I feed give or take 200 to 300 live prey each month, have been for a good while, and no head ripped apart here.

The point I am making here is that such disturbing images should not scare people off when it comes to live feeding.

Live feeding can be done safely if done by someone responsible and educated on the matter.

Those pictures and others floating around the net are not the result of responsible live feeding but NEGLIGENCE.

PS: Deaths have also occurred with f/t feeding.

Again it's all about being EDUCATED, RESPONSIBLE and chose the prey that works and is convenient, not about being scared of by graphic images that do not reflect a certain practice.

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Originally Posted by Shenzi Sixaxis

To benefit? Every time you feed live you chance an injury. Maybe not like what's in the OP, but a mouse or rat could easily rip a BP's head apart in less than a second. Reason enough.
*done with random hijack*

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YOu have much to learn if thats how you think

There is no more greater risk feeding live vs. feeding f/t. f/t can be just as dangerous as live if not thawed out properly. I feed my snakes live and have never encountered any issues. Being responsible about feeding live prey can and does prevent injuries. I always stand there to make sure the snake has a good grip and if the snake shows no interest in the live prey item, I remove it after 20 minutes. No harm done that way.

the reason i'm switching to f/t has nothing to do with injury it has to do with my son and other members of my household keeping rats as pets,... i have had pet rats in the past and once i got into snakes more i was having problems feeding live cuz of my pet ones and my son who is two was having problems cuz he would always walk in at the wrong time and freak out cuz he thought it was his rat i was feeding he has since gotten better, but that aside the other reason is income with only getting paid once a month i can buy a bunch stick them in the freezer and feed as needed instead of scrounging money every week to feed everyone