Ball python bit by Medium Rat, any advice?

Tonight while feeding, one of my breeders was bitten by a medium rat. I always feed F/T but I have one female who is terrible about eating frozen. So we decided to try live and while holding the rat above the tub he managed to excape from the tongs I was holding him with. Then proceeded to the back of the tub while my ball python was focused on trying to eat me. Then the rat started freaking out and bit her at least 3 times. Finally she turned around and got the little turd and finished him off.

Never had this problem? I haven't looked her over yet as she's still in feeding mode, but anything that needs to be done right away?

Let her finish her meal then just use neosporin on any open wounds after you wash your hands and clean her up. Make sure she has a clean tank for the healing process so it doesn't get infected.

If you use Neosporin do not use it more than once, Neosporin is oil based and will cause much bigger problems in the long run (as in scales falling off) I would recommend that you use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect the bite.

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Originally Posted by The Serpent Merchant

If you use Neosporin do not use it more than once, Neosporin is oil based and will cause much bigger problems in the long run (as in scales falling off) I would recommend that you use hydrogen peroxide to disinfect the bite.

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I thought hydro perox shouldn't be used more than once or twice as well, right. I used hydro perox when my girl got hurt and used neosprin every day and never had a problem. Never heard of that before but I've heard not to use hydro perox more then 1-2 times max.

Yes, that is my bad, I forgot to mention that, but as long as the bite isn't too bad either way with Neosporin or Hydrogen peroxide, it shouldn't take more than one or two applications. All that needs to be done is to disinfect the bite.

Phew, thought I was losing it for a sec.

And just make sure you don't have substrate that will get inside and dirty the wound(s). Keep it clean.

Awesome, thats what I was thinking. I keep em on un-printed newspaper so we should be good. Never fed live rats before so this was def a learning experience.

Thanks guys!

To avoid nippy rats, try downsizing. Small rats and weanlings are practically helpless. So instead of feeding larger and less often, you can feed smaller and more frequent. It definitely saves the trouble of dealing with a freaked out rat and the possibilities of injury.

Edit: also try just putting the rat into the enclosure itself. Dangling it will only frighten it more, which increases the chances of it biting. Just monitor the feeding and be prepared to assist your snake if anything happens.

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Do not use hydrogen peroxide on the wound. This effects the tissues ability to heal. What you want to use is betadyne. You can find it at your pharmacy.

Peroxide is best used on deep tissue punctures it kills anaerobic bacteria very very well but aerobic ones not so well surface cuts do best with other methods. I'd just keep it clean and maybe use a dab of poly once if at all. Polysporin regular NO PAIN KILLERS added!

Personally I'd not switch a F/T eater to live. Usually a occasional eater has other issues not the f/t. they will or won't usually. Security, temps, health. Check them all.

Betadyne and if you are gonna use any antibiotic ointment make sure its without painkiller. Usually a bite will heal up fine. I would also put the snake on paper for a while if its not already on paper. Substrates can get into a wound. I feed all live cause i breed my own rats and my snakes are pretty much trained to feeding time lol. I offer food and if they dont nail it within 5 minutes i temove the rat and offer later. By doing this most of them hit right away

Have you tried leaving the f/t with your snake for a few hours? When our boy, Basil, is being picky, we leave him in there with the f/t for at least 4 hours. Hasn't failed us yet.

I hope she has a full recovery!

Everyone... And I mean everyone, really needs to just talk to their Dr or their vet and see if they can get a small pill bottle full (or if the Dr is really cool, an entire regular container) of silver cream for emergencies like these.

I keep some on hand just in case. I haven't had to use any in a couple years other than on my own bites and wounds but it really is the best thing to have around.

Also, if you have an older diabetic family member who requires daily blood sugar testing and daily medication, chances are they will already have some. Since diabetics don't heal right and are prone to infection, Drs often prescribe them silver cream ointment for wounds.

Alot of vets will do this. Especially with reptiles. I get a care package of things from my vet just to have on hand.

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

Everyone... And I mean everyone, really needs to just talk to their Dr or their vet and see if they can get a small pill bottle full (or if the Dr is really cool, an entire regular container) of silver cream for emergencies like these.

I keep some on hand just in case. I haven't had to use any in a couple years other than on my own bites and wounds but it really is the best thing to have around.

Also, if you have an older diabetic family member who requires daily blood sugar testing and daily medication, chances are they will already have some. Since diabetics don't heal right and are prone to infection, Drs often prescribe them silver cream ointment for wounds.

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What silver cream? Or is it really called silver cream lol...
I would like to get some bc I feed live. Havent had any problems yet, knock on wood.

See this is what my vet did for me. He put it in a little pill bottle and put a regular RX label on it with the date.

The stuff is good for 2-3 years so if I never need it I'll just bring it back to him and ask for a little more.

http://img.tapatalk.com/a6cd0e30-bf03-3be4.jpg

Plus if you the keeper ever end up with a bad wound, bite, or burn, you already have the best water based, antibacterial cream available in your own home.

It's called Silver Sulfadiazine cream. RX only.

You don't put it on everything. Just FYI for those who may ask. It is RX only and is only for open wounds, bites, burns.

peroxide imo isnt the way to go, it kills the tissue in the wound, if you use it on a dog or a cat or even children it is suggested that you dilute it in water 50/50 as to not kill the tissue surrounding the wound, i have used neosporin for years with no issues on anything from rat bits to an infected vent to even just rub spots from them rubbing their noses on the top of the rack. But in general if you keep up with keeping the cages clean and sanitary you should be fine.

Betadyne is the way I'd go. If you use neo use it one and not repeatedly. She will heal up just fine.


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My only issue is she ate two medium rats last night, I don't normally feed that heavy but this is a fairly skinny gal. I'm trying to get her up to size for late season breeding. So I haven't gotten her out yet to look her over for any bite marks. I know she was bit because she flinched several times while it looked like the rat was biting. So I will have to wait till tommorow.

It may have just been nibbling and didn't even penetrate the scales. Rats often do this just testing what they can get away with. Letting the possible threat know that they are armed with teeth and they will use them if needed.

They often don't clamp down and do real damage unless the strike and constrict has already happened and the rats head is free to turn and bite before it dies. Or if a rat is left unattended in with a snake it can start biting later on.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ballpythonluvr

Do not use hydrogen peroxide on the wound. This effects the tissues ability to heal. What you want to use is betadyne. You can find it at your pharmacy.

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This is true.

I'm intentionally keeping an deep wound on my Dobe's elbow open and -draining- by applying hydrogen peroxide liberally every day.

The strange little 'callous' he's had for a while turned out to be a deep tissue abscess [from what, I don't know] and it's imperative that I keep it draining long enough to give the Animax I'm squirting up inside there time enough to knock out the infection.

Without the peroxide it would've scabbed over and closed in less than a day, sealing in any residual infection.

Go with the Betadine.

:)