Help need answers cat got to my ball python!!!

Can a ball python survive with a dislocated jaw? His lower lip is off to the side slightly, I don't actually know if its dislocated or not. He bled a little from the mouth. He is currently balled up not wanting to move. Still alive!!! No scratches.

I am seriously distraught about all of this! The worst part was seeing the jaw, and then having to clean up blood and poop. Uuuughh.

PLZ IM LOOKING FOR ANSWERS NOT "Go see a vet."

Ball pythons can dislocate and relocate their own jaws to swallow prey.

If the jaw is broken-depending upon the level of damage there is a potential it may heal on its own. I have one with a re-healed jaw (she broke it striking the side of her cage). It took months to heal, looks a bit ugly, but, works perfectly well.

The problem is that cats can inflict a large bacterial load via their teeth and claws: watch for signs of infection and if you see anything unusual: See a Vet.

Go see a vet!! There is literally no other answer than see a vet. No your snake will not live with a broken jaw.

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Originally Posted by DandD

Go see a vet!! There is literally no other answer than see a vet. No your snake will not live with a broken jaw.

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Also: your snake could easily have other internal injuries that you cannot see but that cause him PAIN.

Are you seriously thinking he should have to live with a broken jaw PLUS the infections PLUS whatever else you cannot see or possibly know...why do you have a pet?

He can most likely make a good recovery- remember we aren't seeing him & even with photos, we are not vets! it's not appropriate or ethical for us to diagnose here-
only to help you assess issues, ok? But to make that recovery, he NEEDS to see a vet NOW, & most likely needs some medical HELP.

You say you're distraught about this, but how do you think your SNAKE feels?

Thank you Lord Sorril. He has not been scratched or bitten. My cat simply dragged him around. He was only bleeding at the head no where else. He is acting normal now, but any changes I'll go to the vets.

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Originally Posted by Anns

PLZ IM LOOKING FOR ANSWERS NOT "Go see a vet."

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:confuzd:

So this is one of those tell me what I want to hear question?

Than sorry I don't have an answer because my answer is the one you don't want to hear.

[QUOTE=Anns;2675351]Thank you Lord Sorril. He has not been scratched or bitten. My cat simply dragged him around. He was only bleeding at the head no where else. He is acting normal now, but any changes I'll go to the vets.[/QUOTE

The head is not the greatest place to be bleeding from. I hope all is well and works out but pay close attention. Animals are amazing at hiding injuries to not appear weak.

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Originally Posted by Anns

Thank you Lord Sorril. He has not been scratched or bitten. My cat simply dragged him around. He was only bleeding at the head no where else. He is acting normal now, but any changes I'll go to the vets.

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You did say he was bleeding from the mouth...that means he is likely to get a nasty infection in his HEAD, near his BRAIN, & affecting the only mouth he has to EAT with.
Ignoring it doesn't sound like a good plan...just saying. Cats carry far more nasty germs than most animals, look it up.

Antibiotics are MOST effective when started EARLY, before the infection takes up residence. Don't say no one told you.

No offence your snake is injured, it needs a vet and the fact you say you don’t want to hear it shows a crap attitude and in my opinion You shouldn’t even keep animals.


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Be logical. I already know I may have to go to the vets. I'm looking for possible experience that's the whole reason for the question. You know there was a time when humans were self taught. Smh that's how vets were born.... lots of trial and error.

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Originally Posted by Anns

Be logical. I already know I may have to go to the vets. I'm looking for possible experience that's the whole reason for the question. You know there was a time when humans were self taught. Smh that's how vets were born.... lots of trial and error.

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There was also a time we consistently died from the flu or smallpox. Be logical it’s 2019 and we have specialists for this exact thing. Do your snake a favor and get it checked out.

You asked for an answer, here it is.

Yes a snake can live with a dislocated jaw just like a human can. How long would you wait to see a doctor with a dislocated jaw?

Me personally, I would take the snake to the vet and leave the front door of my house open while I was gone. When I came back, the snake would be checked out and so would the cat. Problem solved.


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Any sort of traumatic experience, like being dragged around by the head by the cat, I'm sure can cause great stress on the snake, causing problems like going off feed. Let alone the medical problems like scratches, possibly broken/dislocated jaw, etc. I mean, I know you don't want to hear it, but you let one of your pets attack another one of your pets, "dragging him around" and causing him to "bleed from his head". I think you, as a reptile keeper, have a responsibility to have him looked at by a vet. Sorry, I know you wanted to hear something else, but everyone here has the best interest of the snake in mind right now.

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Originally Posted by Jbabycsx

You asked for an answer, here it is.

Yes a snake can live with a dislocated jaw just like a human can. How long would you wait to see a doctor with a dislocated jaw?

Me personally, I would take the snake to the vet and leave the front door of my house open while I was gone. When I came back, the snake would be checked out and so would the cat. Problem solved.


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Except I don't agree with roaming cats preying on all our native wildlife either...cats are NOT 'native' & wreak havoc on birds, reptiles & other small mammals
that DO belong there. They also carry diseases & parasites everywhere. So please be responsible with your cat...get him a straight-jacket. :D

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Originally Posted by Anns

Be logical. I already know I may have to go to the vets. I'm looking for possible experience that's the whole reason for the question. You know there was a time when humans were self taught. Smh that's how vets were born.... lots of trial and error.

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So...you want US to be logical but then you post such a thing??

First of all, yes, we were self taught. Over CENTURIES of trial and error (more error then trial). Used to be a simply scratch could kill you, too. Infection kills.

If you have time to teach yourself how to make antibiotics or penicillin (moldy bread, but only a certain mold) and test that out over years and on different animals, loosing just about all of them, by all means. Teach yourself.

If you want help for the animal that got into that bad situation due to your own error, then listen to reason and LOGIC and take it to the vet.

The cat "only" dragged it around a bit? And there was "only" a bit of blood?

Any cat bite can be lethal to small animals. That is why wildlife re-habbers ALWAYS treat with antibiotics when small animals are brought to them that were rescued from cats. Even if you see no injuries and not even any blood. Cats have extremely sharp teeth and claws. If they drag anything around, they use those weapons. Their teeth and claws are so thin and sharp that they often leave tiny but deep puncture wounds. The openings of those wounds close up almost immediately, leaving all that nasty bacteria sealed inside of that wound. Where it will fester and grow. Even washing and sanitizing those wounds often doesn't work, because the skin closes over the tiny but deep tear almost immediately.

And honestly, it doesn't matter what you do or do not want to hear when you post about an animal in need of help. We are all snake lovers here, and you will hear what you need to hear. There simply is no other way. No one is going to put your tender feelings over the needs of that animal. The snake got into the trouble because of you, that is just a fact. And yes, we ALL have made mistakes. No one is perfect. We all had to learn from our mistakes.

But if you ask for help, at least be open to the advice and suggestions you will get. This isn't about you and your wishes. Its about your snake. You can get offended and angry and leave, or simply do as you like. Sure. Or you could do the right thing. That is absolutely up to you.

Also, jaws do not dis locate on a snake. Not during feeding nor injury. Unlike human jaws, a snakes jaw isn't a single rigid structure that can unhook and reconnect.

Its two pieces connected by ligament. Ligaments can stretch, have small tears, tear completely.

Whatever is causing that jaw to look bad, its not a good thing and will not hook itself back into place.

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Originally Posted by Jbabycsx

You asked for an answer, here it is.

Yes a snake can live with a dislocated jaw just like a human can. How long would you wait to see a doctor with a dislocated jaw?

Me personally, I would take the snake to the vet and leave the front door of my house open while I was gone. When I came back, the snake would be checked out and so would the cat. Problem solved.


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You are probably just kidding, but honestly, why punish another animal when there is only one at fault here? That is the owner. Owner needs to take responsibility. Keep your animals safe and away from one another. A dog would have/could have also messed with that snake. So could a toddler.

Making another animal suffer or subjecting it to danger does not make up for this happening in the first place.

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Originally Posted by zina10

So...you want US to be logical but then you post such a thing??

First of all, yes, we were self taught. Over CENTURIES of trial and error (more error then trial). Used to be a simply scratch could kill you, too. Infection kills.

If you have time to teach yourself how to make antibiotics or penicillin (moldy bread, but only a certain mold) and test that out over years and on different animals, loosing just about all of them, by all means. Teach yourself.

If you want help for the animal that got into that bad situation due to your own error, then listen to reason and LOGIC and take it to the vet.

The cat "only" dragged it around a bit? And there was "only" a bit of blood?

Any cat bite can be lethal to small animals. That is why wildlife re-habbers ALWAYS treat with antibiotics when small animals are brought to them that were rescued from cats. Even if you see no injuries and not even any blood. Cats have extremely sharp teeth and claws. If they drag anything around, they use those weapons. Their teeth and claws are so thin and sharp that they often leave tiny but deep puncture wounds. The openings of those wounds close up almost immediately, leaving all that nasty bacteria sealed inside of that wound. Where it will fester and grow. Even washing and sanitizing those wounds often doesn't work, because the skin closes over the tiny but deep tear almost immediately.

And honestly, it doesn't matter what you do or do not want to hear when you post about an animal in need of help. We are all snake lovers here, and you will hear what you need to hear. There simply is no other way. No one is going to put your tender feelings over the needs of that animal. The snake got into the trouble because of you, that is just a fact. And yes, we ALL have made mistakes. No one is perfect. We all had to learn from our mistakes.

But if you ask for help, at least be open to the advice and suggestions you will get. This isn't about you and your wishes. Its about your snake. You can get offended and angry and leave, or simply do as you like. Sure. Or you could do the right thing. That is absolutely up to you.

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The best advice you'll get all day.

One other thing, a family member of mine, who has kept cats for all of her 60-something years, was at one time hospitalized due to a bacterial infection from a cat bite. Anytime a cat draws blood, particularly on a small animal with an already stressed-out system due to a cat attack, its nothing to brush off. I'm sorry, but I think to ask a bunch of snake lovers to recommend something other than going to the vet, when we hear about an accident like this, is ridiculous.

I'm having about as hard of a time swallowing this as the snake will probably have.

1) You say the snake was "dragged" around, not scratched or bitten? How is it bleeding? How did the cat manage to drag it around without using it's paws or mouth? Did the snake just get a free cat rodeo ride?

2) How was the snake in a position for you cat to get a hold of it? Was it just free roaming your house? Or did you consciously make the choice to let the snake and cat be near each other?

3) Go to the freaking vet. Part of the responsibility of owning a pet is insuring it's well-being. If you do not have the means to provide this then you probably shouldn't own a pet.

we haven't seen/ examined the snake - it might just be an unhinged jaw but those do not bleed. It could be a broken jaw, it will probably need anti-biotics to prevent infection making it far worse. It is a horrible situation but it still needs to be dealt with correctly.

There is no other answer possible under these circumstances aside from take it to an exotic qualified vet.

We do have a vet list that might list one near you other members have used in the past.

Not sure what to say that hasn't been said.

Horrible situation all around.

Please do the right thing and take the snake to a vet ASAP. I'd hate to see a dead animal on your conscious, especially since the situation could have been avoided, and your window of opportunity to do the right thing is closing.

Also, if the snake is suffering now, which it probably is, it's just not fair to the animal not to get treatment.

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Originally Posted by Anns

Can a ball python survive with a dislocated jaw? His lower lip is off to the side slightly, I don't actually know if its dislocated or not. He bled a little from the mouth. He is currently balled up not wanting to move. Still alive!!! No scratches.

I am seriously distraught about all of this! The worst part was seeing the jaw, and then having to clean up blood and poop. Uuuughh.

PLZ IM LOOKING FOR ANSWERS NOT "Go see a vet."

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Okay, I’ll play. Here’s your answer, give the snake to someone who will care for it properly. Plain and simple. If it’s not already to late. This is gotta be a joke? My cat just ran around holding my snake by its head in its mouth? Sweet. But hey, let’s be Logical.

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Originally Posted by zina10

You are probably just kidding, but honestly, why punish another animal when there is only one at fault here? That is the owner. Owner needs to take responsibility. Keep your animals safe and away from one another. A dog would have/could have also messed with that snake. So could a toddler.

Making another animal suffer or subjecting it to danger does not make up for this happening in the first place.

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Yes I was being semi sarcastic. I wouldn’t turn an animal out to roam the streets. I would certainly find another loving home for it though. I’ve had cats in the past and I do enjoy them as pets. I wouldn’t trust one around defenseless and expensive snakes, no matter how many precautions are taken. It’s not the fault of the cat for being a cat. It’s just not a risk I would take.


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Guys ( and gals ),

No point in dogpiling - the info is there and the reasons explained. I'm sure the OP feels bad enough about what happened to his pet and, hopefully, will do the right thing by the animal. Animosity rarely works in getting to a good ending so lets just give them the time to see a vet and keep the snakes wellbeing as a positive focus.

Honestly I think most have overreacted a bit. From what the OP has said I feel they know a visit to the vet may be required and that's why they don't need everyone telling them that. OP just wants to know if there is anything else they can do, possibly in addition to going to the vet.

Of course I could be wrong but that's how I read things. I know I wouldn't need everyone telling me that, just like most of you wouldn't.

The short answer is YES a snake can survive a bite from a cat. It depends on how severe the bite is and what kind of damage has been done. IF you are able to very carefully check out the snake and you know that there isn't much damage then you may not need a vet trip. You're the only person here that knows what actually happened. You don't go to the hospital for every scratch or cut or bruise and your pets don't need to either.

ALL THAT SAID if you don't know if the snake was damaged much or how the cat actually treated the snake then it's best to have a vet check the snake out.

I don't go to the hospital for every scratch. But in all fairness IF I was drug around by a much larger animal that is using its teeth and claws and it would leave me with a minimum of my mouth hanging open and bleeding from the head. I probably would LOL [emoji6]


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My point was, I think OP already knew a trip to the vet may be necessary. ;)

This is pretty unbelievable. If they had a protective agency for pets (Pet Services), they would take your pets away since you have made it so obvious that you won't do what it takes to care for an animal. And just how in the heck was the snake left out with a cat??? I know that question will go unanswered as the OP has gone awol. It really disturbs me as I discover the level of unresponsible pet owners that are out there.

Good wishes going out to the snake. Hope it finds a new home.

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Originally Posted by LavenderNoodle

I'm having about as hard of a time swallowing this as the snake will probably have.

1) You say the snake was "dragged" around, not scratched or bitten? How is it bleeding? How did the cat manage to drag it around without using it's paws or mouth? Did the snake just get a free cat rodeo ride?

2) How was the snake in a position for you cat to get a hold of it? Was it just free roaming your house? Or did you consciously make the choice to let the snake and cat be near each other?

3) Go to the freaking vet. Part of the responsibility of owning a pet is insuring it's well-being. If you do not have the means to provide this then you probably shouldn't own a pet.

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And the majority of humans cannot afford healthcare. :)
I guess the majority just shouldn't have been born like you and millions of others.
Meanwhile thousands of people need animal companionship because perhaps that's all that they have?
You and anyone else who thinks that JUST because you cannot afford a vet bill shouldn't have animals MAKE ME SICK TO MY STOMACH!
You should feel ashamed of yourself!

Anyway now I know who needs to be put up on my ignore list. ^_^ Thank you for replying everyone!

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Originally Posted by Anns

And the majority of humans cannot afford healthcare. :)
I guess the majority just shouldn't have been born like you and millions of others.
Meanwhile thousands of people need animal companionship because perhaps that's all that they have?
You and anyone else who thinks that JUST because you cannot afford a vet bill shouldn't have animals MAKE ME SICK TO MY STOMACH!
You should feel ashamed of yourself!

Anyway now I know who needs to be put up on my ignore list. ^_^ Thank you for replying everyone!

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If you buy a puppy, knowing you can't afford the shots that puppies need to get in order to be healthy, should you have bought that puppy?

I know that vet visits are expensive and can take a huge toll on people's wallets, believe me I do. But the animal's health needs to be a constant consideration. No one wants their animal to go through something that makes them need to go to a vet (RI, accidents like this, etc.) and no one wants to have to shell out the large amounts of money it costs. But... needs to happen sometimes when accidents like this occur.

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Originally Posted by Anns

And the majority of humans cannot afford healthcare. :)
I guess the majority just shouldn't have been born like you and millions of others.
Meanwhile thousands of people need animal companionship because perhaps that's all that they have?
You and anyone else who thinks that JUST because you cannot afford a vet bill shouldn't have animals MAKE ME SICK TO MY STOMACH!
You should feel ashamed of yourself!

Anyway now I know who needs to be put up on my ignore list. ^_^ Thank you for replying everyone!

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You couldn’t be farther from the truth.The bottom line is, if you can’t afford a vet visit for emergencies then the answer is NO you should not buy that animal. It’s your responsibility you can go to the hospital for help even if u can’t afford it. Your snake has no choice but to lay there after a cat attack while you decide if he’s hurt enough.

Take it to a vet asap

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Originally Posted by Anns

And the majority of humans cannot afford healthcare. :)
I guess the majority just shouldn't have been born like you and millions of others.
Meanwhile thousands of people need animal companionship because perhaps that's all that they have?
You and anyone else who thinks that JUST because you cannot afford a vet bill shouldn't have animals MAKE ME SICK TO MY STOMACH!
You should feel ashamed of yourself!

Anyway now I know who needs to be put up on my ignore list. ^_^ Thank you for replying everyone!

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Wow, just wow. If can't afford healthcare you DEFINITELY should not own pets! Let alone multiple pets. I'd hate to know what the husbandry conditions are for the poor snake. Do your snake a favor and find a good, caring home for it!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Anns

And the majority of humans cannot afford healthcare. :)
I guess the majority just shouldn't have been born like you and millions of others.
Meanwhile thousands of people need animal companionship because perhaps that's all that they have?
You and anyone else who thinks that JUST because you cannot afford a vet bill shouldn't have animals MAKE ME SICK TO MY STOMACH!
You should feel ashamed of yourself!

Anyway now I know who needs to be put up on my ignore list. ^_^ Thank you for replying everyone!

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Fortunately i live in a society where healthcare is free, vets are not free unfortunately and I agree unless you have vet insurance or can afford vet bills you should have a animal in your care.

The moment anyone purchases a animal that you are immediately responsible for it’s healthcare and it is completely irresponsible to purchase any animal if you cannot provide it any healthcare.


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So, OP, you think it's mean and selfish to say don't have animals if you can't afford the vet if needed?

I on the other hand think it's mean and selfish to have animals if you can't afford a vet.

Yes, most people don't have hundreds of dollars set aside for that. But...they have credit cards. Or they will make payments to the vet. Or they will borrow money from friends and family or they will sell stuff to pay the vet with.

But we are such a throwaway society. "I want what I want and that's that". Where is the responsibility? Those are LIVE beings. Feel pain. Get hurt or sick. Die.

Everywhere you look you see go fund me's. Oh my cat got stepped on. My dog has parvo. My fish is drowning. Pay my vet bill. Really? Some people may honestly need help, but most just don't want to shell out. Don't want to do the afore mentioned things. So much easier to just get a new pet when the other one dies or try to have other people pick up the tab.

Really makes me sick.

And I'm not saying that the OP asked for financial help. I'm talking about the general attitude about responsibility for pets. And the pure selfishness. Just blows me away. Really does. Not even so much the actual original post by itself. But the statements made in the follow-ups too!


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I think we have a better chance of convincing her to take her snake to the vet and encouraging her to be more cautious with her pets if we don’t all group up to harass her and tell her that she doesn’t deserve to have pets. One of my favorite things about this forum is the compassion of its members.

She already knew that the vet may be the best bet but she was coming on here first to see if anyone else had similar experiences or any additional advice. I appreciate that she took the initiative to comment on here first instead of just brushing it off and doing nothing.

With that being said, a vet is your best option. It’s been mentioned but cat scratches are ridden with bacteria that can become blood borne. Because snakes are smaller and don’t have much blood in their system, infections can take over quickly and lead to death. It’s better to get ahead of the probable infection because it’s much easier to treat it before symptoms than after. Please also try to not overwhelm your snake for a period of time. Small animals are susceptible to high stress levels and any extra stressors can endanger his health and immune system further.

Good of luck with you’re snake, and please be more cautious with your pets. They depend on you for their safety.

Not fair.

Most people did not harass. And the comments made by OP did not indicate a willingness to do what is needed, rather there were some outlandish remarks about why vet care isn't really all that much of a priority.

Yes this forum and it's members are great. If some members go overboard, the moderators will quickly take care of it.

But we are all animal lovers here and one can't help but get the dander up when reading sich posts and replies.

But the answers do need to be kept in check, that I agree with. But I do not see a OP that was listening to advice or good reason, even when presented in a rather gentle manner.

Let's hope the snake will be alright.


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I did not say most harassed her, but there was harassment that took place. OP did respond well with the first person who responded and was polite with her. Many of the comments at OP could’ve been taken as attacks towards her, so she responded defensively.

Should she act irresponsibly or be unwilling to listen? No. But at this point, if we want to convince her to understand why a vet visit is necessary, we have a lot better chance of trying to maintain calamity and explaining why it’s necessary than trying to tell her she doesn’t deserve pets.

Alright peeps like I always say you can lead the horse to the water but you can't make it drink, so on that last word.


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