Question about a wound on rescue

[Arpolis]

Hello all!

first time posting so want to give a little background on me. I have been a culbrid keeper for many 10+ years and a few years back I was a professional corn snake breeder until I started having kids with my wife and I shut down the side business. So I know a few things about snakes but never have kept pythons.

I aquired today a fireball python as it was described to me. He seems pretty calm and nice. Had a very spotty and flaky shed right now. But looking him over he looks to have been left with a rat that messed up his side pretty good a while back. Here is a pic:

http://m.imgur.com/7t9CLqs

never had to deal with bad injuries before. I just never let rats get old enough to do that. Think I need to treat with neosporin? "Non-pain relieving" do something else? Or does this look old enough that there is no point in doing anything now?


Thanks for any insite into this.

[Lizardlicks]

Looks a bit more like a burn than a rat bite to me, unless the rat was left long enough to nibble a neat line down the snake. Either way it seems pretty well scabbed over right now, so I wouldn't worry about it too much. Just make sure to keep the enclosure clean and that you have your humidity on point when it sheds as the scab will likely pull off with the shed. Depending on how well healed it is underneath, you may be looking at healing scar tissue, or an open wound that will need antibiotic ointment (the kind WITHOUT pain reliever). Do you know how long ago the injury happened?

[Arpolis]

Thank you. I am not sure how old this is. I did not get him from the previous owner but from a third party. I will of course make sure everything stays clean and good humidity around 45-50%. Maybe after a shed or two things will clear up.

[Lizardlicks]

Humidity for a ball should be a scooch higher. Around 50 - 60%. During shed 75-80% since you want to scab to to not pull on anything as much as possible I would suggest aiming for the higher number.

[Arpolis]

Thank you for that. He has a large size water bowle taking up probably 1/4 of the 55 gallon tank but has a full screened top. I'll double check the humidity and look at covering the screen as needed. Thanks.