Contact with tape = skin injury

I'm absolutely sick over this.

My girlfriend and I got a baby ball python in June. So far he has been great. He enthusiastically eats and has shed once with no problems. And he's just a very nice snake. Of course since he's my first snake I am constantly worried about him. I try to take excellent care of him and do everything I can for him.

Well last night after a short soak (I live in CO and it's very dry here) we were handling him on the couch. He was slithering around when all the sudden he came into contact with one of those pet rollers (tape on a roller to remove pet hair from clothing for those unfamiliar). We didn't know it was there. At first he just contacted it in a small spot the size of a dime. But he panicked and ended up getting stuck from the base of his head along the entire length of the roller (about 4" to 5"). He panicked more and was trying to get himself unstuck. I took him and the roller into the kitchen and ran them under some water to try and loosen the adhesive. In hindsight I wish I had tried cooking spray, soap or mineral oil but I think he'd have made things worse if I didn't act fast.

Well we were able to get him off the roller minus some scales. There was no bleeding or tearing of the skin, it's intact, but it seemed to have pulled the skin away from his body and there were air bubbles underneath that can be moved around with a finger. He still moves about his cage but he is obviously in pain.

I am horrified and feel terribly guilty for hurting him.

I guess I want to know:

1) Has anything like this happened to anyone else?
2) Is the injury itself life threatening?
3) Will this heal?
4) If it will heal how long will it take?
5) What steps can I take to help him heal?
6) Will he be deformed or have scarring?
7) He was due to eat on Saturday, should I wait? How long?

Take him to the Vet! There are no substitutions for online advice worth waiting for. Take him in as soon as possible.

Were you able to get him to a vet today?

We had a Valuable snake get loose at the Daytona beach reptile expo last year. We found him the next AM, but he also ended up stuck on someones Duct tape at the next table. Fortunately he only suffered about the same fate as yours. A few busted scales and A poor attitude. We did not however get the bubbles under the skin.. He healed perfectly but went off of food for a few weeks...
Do have him checked By a vet however for the air bubbles... Perhaps it'll go away but I would not risk it over a few dollars..

Personally I'd have him seen by a vet as soon as possible, I'd not feed until the vet said to do so or the skin lesions are healed and I'd put the snake on several layers of plain white paper towel as a substrate (Viva makes a very nice almost clothlike quality papertowel). If the vet says to feed I'd likely feed a smaller than normal prey item in order to not put much strain on the snake while it's skin condition is so abnormal. You don't want to risk a rodent nail scratch or a lot of stretching on skin that's already compromised, I would think.

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Originally Posted by littleindiangirl

Take him to the Vet! There are no substitutions for online advice worth waiting for. Take him in as soon as possible.

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I wanted to come back with an update...

All signs of the injury are gone, he ate a nice fuzzy on Saturday and he seems to be in the early phases of a shed cycle.

Now, as for what the vet had to say...

I've been doing a lot of reading on this forum and it seems "take him to the vet" is the trump card answer for just about everything. But in some cases it's bad advice. I called a herp vet in the area. Guess what he said? He said don't bother. He said use Neosporin, watch for infection- which would take time crop up anyway- and give it a shed or two. I tried to insist and he simply told me, "we're not going to do emergency snake surgery or anything like that, we're going to see him and tell you what I already told you."

You can't expect every vet to have that sort of integrity so by chiming in on topics which with you have no experience just to say, "TAKE HIM TO A VET," it could be inaccurate and costly advice. I know people here are passionate about their snakes but really, if you have no experience with the topic at hand then don't post just to say "take him to a vet," someone might think you know what you're talking about.

Hi,


Actually I do expect every vet to have that sort of integrity - and if they don't they'll never see me again.

You asked an expert and he gave you expert advice - I can't see how that's a bad thing. Now as long as you explained everything relevant accurately over the phone that's fine.

I would rather someone complained I cost them $50 having their pet checked out when the vet said it would have been fine than hear someone say their snake died because , without ever seeing the animal or knowing exactly whats wrong with it, I told them it didn't need to see a vet. Sometimes people don't explain things well over the net and, in anycase, it's a lousy way to diagnose anything.

It may be costly and innacurate advice from your perspective on this occasion but it's the advice least likely to kill your pet from our point of view.

You should understand we have had people say there was a slight discolouration on their snakes belly then, when prompted, post pictures of truly horrific burns or scale rot. It is far from common I hasten to add but then it doesn't have to be to leave an impression.

I'm glad your little guy is on the mend though - did the vet give you recomendations for lessening the chances of infection?

I'd also keep a closer eye on him for the next couple of shed's and make sure the humidity is spot on as damaged skin is more likely to tear again - the male I have had nasty scars when we first got him and if the shed went badly the scars had a tendency to tear slightly for months afterwards (they were large, wide burn scars though). You will probably be fine it's just worth paying a little extra attention.


dr del

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Originally Posted by dr del

I'm glad your little guy is on the mend though - did the vet give you recomendations for lessening the chances of infection?

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The Neosporin and then using paper towels as a substrate for cleanliness. That's about it. It has really healed very nicely and he is active and hungry.

As for humidity, that's been somewhat of a problem in our climate, especially now with the paper towels but normally I soak him (have not since the injury but may start as soon as shedding is more imminent). Otherwise his tank gets misted a couple times a day and most of the vents are covered to keep the humidity in. The enclosure I am building for him has a humidifier but it's not done.

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Originally Posted by jwarriner

I've been doing a lot of reading on this forum and it seems "take him to the vet" is the trump card answer for just about everything. But in some cases it's bad advice...

You can't expect every vet to have that sort of integrity so by chiming in on topics which with you have no experience just to say, "TAKE HIM TO A VET," it could be inaccurate and costly advice. I know people here are passionate about their snakes but really, if you have no experience with the topic at hand then don't post just to say "take him to a vet," someone might think you know what you're talking about.

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First I think it is in poor taste that you come back on here and insult the very people that tried to help you. Go reread your post...you very stressed, upset and wanted help. People related their experiences and told you to take him to the vet. Had someone said "just leave him alone and wait" and your snake died you would be screaming that someone told you to do nothing.

No one on here is an expert or vet and therefore NO ONE will diagnose a potential life threatening wound over the internet from a simple description. You are right we are passionate about the care of our animals and in 9 out of 10 times the best option is a vet visit. Ok this time the vet said wait...but how are we to have known that. The vet still said he could end up with an infection (which means a trip anyway) .

You can't come running to people for help then slap them because you didn't like the advise after the fact.

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Originally Posted by jwarriner

The Neosporin and then using paper towels as a substrate for cleanliness. That's about it. It has really healed very nicely and he is active and hungry.

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Cool - I'd possibly keep his meals a little on the small side but that may be over-cautious if he managed his normal meal already.

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Originally Posted by jwarriner

As for humidity, that's been somewhat of a problem in our climate, especially now with the paper towels but normally I soak him (have not since the injury but may start as soon as shedding is more imminent). Otherwise his tank gets misted a couple times a day and most of the vents are covered to keep the humidity in. The enclosure I am building for him has a humidifier but it's not done.

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Actually soaking before the shed can actually make it more likely to be a bad one according to some of the threads I've read. I would try adding a second waterbowl (shallow but large surface area works best) on the warm end if you haven't already tried that. How are you measuring the humidity at the moment? How low is it by the way?

Also have you considered using a humid hide? I use them with some of mine with good results.

dr del

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Originally Posted by lord jackel

No one on here is an expert or vet and therefore NO ONE will diagnose a potential life threatening wound over the internet from a simple description.

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I didn't ask for a diagnosis, I asked if anyone else had experience with the type of injury. Which one person did. But maybe I was a little harsh. I've just read "take him/her to the vet" so many times on these forums now that I wanted to say something. It's one thing to relay some experience and end it with "take him to the vet" like ballroom did and then it's another just to post "take him/her to the vet!" That's not going to stress people out more?

If the injury were fatal what could the vet do anyway? That was another point my vet was trying to get across. As :cens0r::cens0r::cens0r::cens0r:ty as it sounds, they aren't going to perform emergency surgery/procedures on a baby ball python. Basically no matter how severe or life threatening it was, he was still going to say the same thing: "neosporin, paper towels, watch for infection, wait it out." I was as shocked as anyone about what he had to say. Had the snake not improved so rapidly I might have gotten a second opinion after a couple days but the vet was right.

I have to agree with the OP here... Obviously everyone knows that if theres a problem then you can take your animal whatever it is to the vet... to just state take them to the vet is common sense. Just the other week my dog got stung or bit by something and his face was swollen up and my mom wanted to rush him to the emergency vet... thats 100$ just to walk through thr doors... luckily I convinced her not to take him in and wait a day... the next morning she took him to the vet and they gave him a shot of benedryl (the same thing we have him pills of)... either way I think the OP was looking for a little more information than just "take em to the vet" ... Hopefully were all smart enough to know that vets are their to help out our animals but they arnt always needed... Jwarriner just wanted to know if this was something he could take care of on his own or if it needed vet attention... I understand everyone is just trying to help but saying "take em to the vet" isnt doing much of anything... Either way... best of luck with the lil fella and I hope everything is OK with him.

And what if your dog had gotten bitten in the face by a rattlesnake and had passed away that night? Or what if he had acute organ or heart failure and it was actually edema in his face?

This is why (most)vets are important. They are at least trained for 6-8 years on what could possibly be wrong with your pet and how to treat it. If I had called my vet(not that it matters because I'm a tech anyway), but if I was a normal dog/cat/snake/ferret owner, and I called my vet concerned about the very same thing, she would say to come in just in case. She doesn't like to take chances, especially if infection is possible.

It's just the responsible thing to do.

Vet's are fine. I'm not anti-vet, I've had some nice vet bills in the past. Whether or not one should consult a vet when an animal is injured is not in dispute. We're all adults here, with common sense and a love for animals. Point is that it's such an overused answer on these interweb forums.

What I was more interested in is actual experience. The thing about doctors and vets is they will rarely tell you what the day-to-day of recovery will be like, they neither want to give false hopes or scare you so they're intentionally vague. So what I wanted was insight from people who may have had similar experiences. A vet can say, "it'll heal, use Neosporin" but a person who went through it can say, "it took six weeks, it was difficult, I did this this this and that, etc."

Anyway, discussion over.

The difference here is between an emergency vet and a normal vet... Just like for humans... does it need immediate attention where you need to cough up some serious cash to walk through the door or is it something that can wait and can be attended to by your regular vet? I live in Syracuse, NY... we dont have anything along those lines that would cause serious injury to my dog... He was acting normal and was showing no signs of pain or anything like that... Trust me I am an animal lover and actually started out my college career with the intentions of becoming a zoologist ...if I thought the emergency vet would have been able to do something for me on the spot to take care of him I wouldnt have hesitated to take him... I've taken him in there be4 for a small dog bite only to be jerked around for 4 hrs to walk out with 2 staples that took all of 5 mins to put in yet I was charged 350$... If i had known I would have gone through all that garbage I would have just did my best to stop the blood flow and taken him to our normal vet the next day which we did anyways... You say its the responsible thing to do but some things do not need immediate attention... especially if its going to cost you an arm and a leg for something as simple as a shot of benedryl.

My point was, you posted this thread at 9 in the morning. I read it at 3 and responded, and there were no other reponses till 9 that night.
You said he was obviously in pain, and bubbles under the skin. No, I've never had a snake run itself on tape, but to me, it sounded serious.
I would hope no one takes online "expert" advice over a qualified vet for a something you know nothing about. That's just not responsible in my opinion.
Now if the bubbles under skin was a common problem like stuck sheds, meaning it's nothing extreme or serious, I'm all for taking online advice. I've learned tons of great tricks on this forum.

If something sounds serious to me like that did at the time, I will always advise taking the animal to the vet over waiting for a "forums" advice. (and most responses said to do the same anyways)

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Originally Posted by JoshJP7

You say its the responsible thing to do but some things do not need immediate attention... especially if its going to cost you an arm and a leg for something as simple as a shot of benedryl.

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I agree with you...but WE (the forum members) are not qualified to make that determination about someone elses pet. A description like "my pet is moving around in pain" and "has air bubbles under the skin" sound serious, sound life threatening...at least to me. Only a vet is qualified to determine if an animal needs to be seen or not. (In this particular case he did not, but the OP wouldnt have known that for sure without the call)

In the future I guess the best response to these types of questions should be "CALL your vet" instead of "Take them to the vet" ?
But are we just splitting hairs?:confused:

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Originally Posted by lord jackel

In the future I guess the best response to these types of questions should be "CALL your vet" instead of "Take them to the vet" ?
But are we just splitting hairs?:confused:

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Still missing the point. I wanted to hear from people who may have had a similar unfortunate experience. I was looking for insight that might have been helpful before, during and after a vet visit. I didn't need to be told the obvious by every person who didn't have experience with this. I'm not sure what is so hard to understand.

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Originally Posted by jwarriner

Still missing the point. I wanted to hear from people who may have had a similar unfortunate experience. I was looking for insight that might have been helpful before, during and after a vet visit. I didn't need to be told the obvious by every person who didn't have experience with this. I'm not sure what is so hard to understand.

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I don't think it is hard to understand the question....but what you were looking for as an answer is what is hard to understand.

You asked for experience with what exactly? Being stuck to tape (but you said he was already off it...so any experience getting them off isn't what you wanted). You asked about him being in pain and having bubbles under the skin and the responses were that no one had seen bubbles under the skin but that the fact he was in pain meant you should take him to the vet.

I guess my question is what would an acceptable response have been to you? If you were looking for "my snake had the exact same symptoms, exact same trama and was acting exactly the same way as yours is and my vet said do this" well you will never get that type of response because every situation is different and again from "he is in pain and has bubbles under the skin" it just isn't enough to go on. Perhaps in the future pictures would help...then people could see the problem and go "oh yea I had something like that on one of my snakes before".

Don't get me wrong I am not trying to argue with you just help you understand that you are typing to people all over the country and trying to describe an injury in a couple of sentences and get a response...it is just too difficult in most cases to do. But we did try.:)

I don't even know what I was after. I was panicking when I wrote the original post. I called the vet and got the info I needed before I even read any replies here anyway. When I came back and read the replies it just made me mad thinking about how if I had read them that morning I'd have panicked even worse, took a vacation day from work and probably be out $300, which in hindsight was not necessary. Anyway. It doesn't matter. I'm over it and I'm sorry for offending anyone.