Help ASAP, my ball python got attacked by cats

Hello all.
So I was setting up new shelves in my ball python enclosures and I had my snakes in little snap lid bins. for my bigger boy, he had a heavy container of sand on top to keep him out. But I didn't have much to weigh down the second one, my younger bp. I went out with my mom to do some grocery and general shopping and when I got back, axar (the younger one) was missing from his bin. It didn't take long to find him, he was about 4 feet away from the bin. I was thankful to find him so fast.
Though when I grabbed him, he was covered in red spots. I knew instantly that my cats got to him. Thankfully he's NOT bleeding and I only see a couple possible punctures. not sure what cat nail punctures would look like tbh.
anyway I set him up in a bigger bin with smooth hides, a water bowl, and paper towels. right after I noticed his little injuries, I stuck him in a warm bath (84 F ish degrees) with some first aid anticeptic providone iodine solution 10%. after that I took some cotton swabs and lightly dabbed his possible punctures with it.
tomorrow I'm going to the vet with him and I wanna know what you guys think. there's no blood on him honestly and I keep hearing that it means that the bacteria from the cat claws didn't get into his system. I'm still very worried though, and I'm so worried that I'll wake up to him dead or something. it probably wouldn't happen but I'm just super paranoid.
please please give me your feedback as soon as possible, I genuinely want to feel better about this.
BTW, please don't rag on about how "irresponsible" I was for putting him in an unsecure bin. I totally understand what happened was MY FAULT, not the snakes or cats and I will learn from this in the future.
Thanks in advance!

Vet trip. “If” the snake makes it 24 hours you still have to worry about infection. Cats an dogs are great at killing snakes. It’s what they do.

Good luck!

I’m actually not sure if snakes are susceptible to toxoplasmosis, but I assume they are, so you did the right thing with the antiseptic.

A vet appointment is definitely required, so it’s good that you scheduled one. They’ll be able to provide better feedback than us, considering we can’t physically inspect the snake.

Good luck!

It's important to see a vet that's experienced with snakes on a regular basis- hopefully yours is, but if not, if you need to find another one, & this (link below) can help: Good luck-:(

I suspect your snake will need to be on an antibiotic for a while to prevent infection that could kill him. Those initial "red spots" mean the cat's claws did break the skin, so even though the bleeding didn't continue, he's not "home free". Antibiotics are not a "sure thing"- to be effective, they have to correctly target the pathogens present. Personally, I'd ask your vet if you should bring the cat too, so they can do lab work to find out what's "on" his claws that may have been injected into your snake, in order to choose the antibiotic that's both safe for your snake and most effective.

https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

You did well with the fast intervention and treatment, but I will echo the advice about seeing a veterinarian, as cat claws are absolutely filthy with bacteria, and antibiotics would be a good idea. Only warm-blooded animals get toxoplasmosis, but infection from cat claw injuries is a serious risk for reptiles.

Don't hear this next as criticism. It's not. It's a plea straight from my heart. I worked as a veterinary tech in exotics practices for years, and we saw SO many beautiful snakes that were severely injured or killed because their keepers used heavy weights on enclosure lids rather than securing them properly with clips. The snakes would attempt to escape and would get caught under the lid, with terrible results.

Please ditch the heavy bag of sand and whatever else you are using to weigh down lids, and secure them in a way that is safe for your snakes. If you aren't sure how to go about that, ask here and we will be glad to help. Good luck with your snakes, and I hope they recover well.

I have 3 cats. My lap is covered in scars and cuts because my cat likes to sleep on my lap until she gets spooked by some imaginary things and jumps off. They use their claws for jumping, so that alone left me those cuts lol. I also had 'dot' like bleeding from their claws. Upon further review, the claws went straight in, instead of slashing across. In my opinion, this does more damage than across. You have to deal with bleeding inside, with obvious signs of bruising.

Due to my own error, I also lost a snake to my cats. It happened so quickly, and my cat Gizmo who is the hunter in the house, is quicker. The poor snake didn't survive after 24 hours.

Cats don't just use their claws when hunting. They stab, pull, bite, and do that some more until they are sure the prey it's dead. So your snake may also had been bitten. Cat bites are a serious concern for people too.

I never leave my snakes out for too long during cleaning and they are always placed in a spare lockable terrarium. You never know when you have to stop what you are doing, got distracted for a few hours and come back to no snake.

In the end, I understand the guilt you feel. Do what you can, let's see if the vet can confirm the injuries. Whatever happens, learn from it, and move on.

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Originally Posted by Cheesenugget

... I also had 'dot' like bleeding from their claws. Upon further review, the claws went straight in, instead of slashing across. In my opinion, this does more damage than across. You have to deal with bleeding inside, with obvious signs of bruising...

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In addition to internal bleeding, with any dirty puncture-type wound you run the risk of anaerobic bacteria being left behind to cause deeper infections. Tetanus & gangrene are examples of infections caused by anaerobic* bacteria. (*that is, bacteria that thrives where no oxygen is present, as in injured tissue where no oxygen rich blood is flowing- the opposite of an "open wound" that bleeds & drains freely) In general, these type infections can usually be fought with the "right" antibiotics, but sometimes that's easier said than done, especially for our pet snakes.

I just got some neosporin (with no pain killers) and I'll be applying it soon. I tried to take him to the vet yesterday, however no reptile vets were available. Soonest I can see one is on wednesday. I figured the best I can do so far is treat him.
there was no swelling on any of his red spots except for the neck and the swelling on the neck went down in about 5 hours of treating him with antiseptic. I'm hoping for the best

If you have reptiles it's good to keep Vetericyn antiseptic on hand. It's a water-based gel so it dries dry, not goopy so substrate doesn't stick to it. Also long-term use of petroleum-based ointments can cause scale damage.

see, there are no videos out there on how to apply neosporin on reptiles. especially none for cat scratches.
I wish I knew more details about this. how often I should be treating him, how long he'll survive if he does get infected, what kinds of behavioral changes? etc. none of these can be answered without reaching out far.

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Originally Posted by Kingdomall

see, there are no videos out there on how to apply neosporin on reptiles. especially none for cat scratches.
I wish I knew more details about this. how often I should be treating him, how long he'll survive if he does get infected, what kinds of behavioral changes? etc. none of these can be answered without reaching out far.

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I'd suggest applying it ONLY to the wounds themselves using a Q-tip, & only a little bit at a time. Neosporin is petroleum jelly (aka Vaseline) based, so it will stick to substrate & wipe off in cage, & it will also smear on your snake's nearby scales (causing more scale damage that turns into problematic future sheds)- Vetericyn is far better for snake use. Topical ointments can be reapplied as needed multiple times daily.

Keep in mind though that if your snake has puncture wounds from your cat's nails or teeth, the antiseptic ointment you apply won't really take care of the whole problem. See my post above- https://ball-pythons.net/forums/show...=1#post2754628

No one can tell you about his survival: just as humans have different abilities to withstand & fight off infections, so do snakes. Snakes are VERY stoic: they seldom seem sick until they're dying, so that's why we're recommending you get him proper vet care- being on an antibiotic for this might save his life.

despite the overwhelming amount of vets nearby, no reptile or exotic vets were available when we went out to take him to one and every vet I called responded with a blatant "no" when I asked if they took in reptiles. when my mom tried to find a vet for her bird, who seemingly broke her foot, no one was willing to take her no matter the urgency.
next available exotic vet is available on wednesday... an hour and a half away. maybe I just wanna know if I have to or not take him and I'm so worried about something going really wrong before I have the chance to fix it.
there's so little actual information on cat scratches in reptiles, aside from the sob stories I sometimes see. I hate how limited info there is on this!

it also doesn't help that when I went to a nearby reptile store (not petco or petsmart) and asked what vet they took their reptiles to and they responded to none. they don't take their reptiles to any vets. they also said that he'd be fine because it's only a few punctures and that snakes can handle cat bacteria. I didn't believe them, but my mom did. I really wish I knew whether or not I absolutely have to take him. I want what's best for the poor little guy.

it was already super stressful for him when we went to take him yesterday because of how many places we needed to stop by. I don't want to put him through that again if I don't have to. currently trying everything I can to help him...

Join a local (to you) reptile group on Facebook and ask for recommendations for veterinarians. Unfortunately many practices don't have someone on staff with the expertise to diagnose and treat exotic animals.

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Originally Posted by Kingdomall

it was already super stressful for him when we went to take him yesterday because of how many places we needed to stop by. I don't want to put him through that again if I don't have to. currently trying everything I can to help him...

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Do not take the snake out and about to random places in search of assistance. I hope you didn't bring it inside into all these places? Call and make a vet appt, then bring it in. The snake should be in a secure container during the trip and barely notice. If you own exotics, you need to find a vet before you have an emergency, having a relationship with a vet helps immensely, especially now as all vets are booked out way in advance and many aren't accepting new clients. I hope the vet you are seeing on Wed can help.

This ^ ^ ^ ! Call first to make an appointment, always. An insulated cooler makes a good temporary carrier for a securely bagged snake to travel in, so they aren't exposed to constantly changing temperatures (excess heat OR cold) & the stressful activity of travel.

I assume you tried using the site I posted earlier to find a vet, but if not, here it is again: https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

If you have a good relationship with a local vet (like for your cat), you can also try asking them if they'd be willing to CONSULT by phone with another (exotic specialist) vet to treat your snake. All you'd be asking of the vet you see is to accurately weigh your snake (he'll be in the secure cloth bag, then the weight of the bag is subtracted to find HIS weight, so IF you have 2 identical cloth bags or pillowcases, that would help, so he can stay in the bag if they prefer) to calculate an accurate dosage of a proper antibiotic to try. That last part is where their consultation with a herp vet comes in. Explain this & ask. As far as an antibiotic, it typically means you'll need to give him injections- the vet can show you how. I believe there's also a few YouTube videos that also show this.

The injuries done by your cat should have been quickly attended to for best results, as far as your snake being on an antibiotic- the longer you wait, IF there is a systemic infection brewing, it gets harder to treat. The topical first aid is only part of the story, it's more about what germs your cat put into your snake's body. No one can tell you he's fine now or that he isn't- without an antibiotic, he may seem fine for a while (while the infection grows) until he isn't- he may go septic & die*. I don't know, nor does anyone else. We're giving you our best suggestions to keep your snake healthy- whether you follow our advice, only time will tell what's going on. We aren't seeing your snake, but on the surface, he may appear to be fine anyway. He may even BE fine on his own, but you described what happened & asked for our help- so we're giving you our best advice here, it's up to you to take care of your pet.

https://vcahospitals.com/know-your-p...20near%20death.

*Septicemia is a condition in which bacteria and the toxins they produce proliferate in the blood stream and other body organs. Snakes with septicemia are critically ill and are often near death.

I will still try to get him to a vet as soon as I can. closest most available vet is on wednesday.
I think it's important to note that my cats aren't outside cats- so maybe the risk of my cats transferring nasty bacteria isn't as high as, say, an outside cat would. I also treated him with antiseptic the moment I found him.
thank you all for telling me about anything you guys know. I do appreciate it. somehow you guys are more active than a discord server I'm in, which is supposed to be more immediate.

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Originally Posted by Kingdomall

...
I think it's important to note that my cats aren't outside cats- so maybe the risk of my cats transferring nasty bacteria isn't as high as, say, an outside cat would...

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Cats carry a lot of bacteria either way- germs that don't belong in a snake's bloodstream, if any got there. :gj: for your first aid, just no way to know if it was enough.

I took the boy to the vet last wednesday and the vet said he'd be fine. he won't need any antibiotics either.
I fed him on friday and he's doing good now :)

Very glad to hear it!

May i suggest for future consideration, get your cats de-clawed, they don't need claws as long as they are "House" cats.......

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Originally Posted by Thomas S

May i suggest for future consideration, get your cats de-clawed, they don't need claws as long as they are "House" cats.......

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Declawing a cat can cause all sorts of issues for the cat. It's extremely painful for them, has a high risk of infections, and can cause a lot of behavioral issues including refusing to use the little box because it hurts their paws to go on the litter. It's essentially the same as having your fingers all cut off at the knuckles, except worse because they have to put pressure on them constantly to walk. Please do not do that.

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Originally Posted by Thomas S

May i suggest for future consideration, get your cats de-clawed, they don't need claws as long as they are "House" cats.......

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That seems a rather extreme measure to take unless I’m missing something here .. I did just skim read through the thread though


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

i never had a cat so i don't know either way, but the relatives i know, their cats never had issues after de-clawing their cats..then again they were de-clawed as kittens

I myself would not own a cat and B.P in the same house together. All it would take is 1 time to forget to fully close my B.Ps bedroom door, just even to go outside for a few minutes, and that cat would be on top the dresser trying to get into the B.Ps tank, or at the minimum, scaring the living day lights out of the B.P, not going to risk it, thats JUST ME...

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Originally Posted by Thomas S

I myself would not own a cat and B.P in the same house together. All it would take is 1 time to forget to fully close my B.Ps bedroom door, just even to go outside for a few minutes, and that cat would be on top the dresser trying to get into the B.Ps tank, or at the minimum, scaring the living day lights out of the B.P, not going to risk it, thats JUST ME...

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I get your concern, but it's just about being responsible and paying attention to what you're doing. We have two cats that live happily with 4 snakes, 3 geckos, a mean conure, and a ton of fish. If you're taking the same precautions that you take without a cat in the house, then having a cat isn't going to hurt anything.

Not suggesting anyone get a cat, they're terrible people and super shady. Ours owe me $30 that they got from me while they were running a pyramid scheme.

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Originally Posted by Thomas S

I myself would not own a cat and B.P in the same house together. All it would take is 1 time to forget to fully close my B.Ps bedroom door, just even to go outside for a few minutes, and that cat would be on top the dresser trying to get into the B.Ps tank, or at the minimum, scaring the living day lights out of the B.P, not going to risk it, thats JUST ME...

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I wouldn't either, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it can't be done safely by some either. We're all different, some of us are more distractible or forgetful, or just have too much "going on" to be successful. Having a room for snakes or other small pets that you can close off can make all the difference too. I have a number of snakes & 2 dogs, & there are some dogs that cannot be trusted either- we have to remain vigilant & never assume that our other pets will always behave when our back is turned. We're better off to assume that they won't, & make modifications accordingly.