Bit by a mouse

[Ineedtoborrowsweats]

Alright, here's the deal: Mojave Female about 200g, I've had for almost 2 weeks. During her second feeding, she was stalking a mouse in which she struck and missed, pinning down the mouse only by its tail. This is where the mouse got all "National Geographic" and tried running away to no avail in which it then turned around, climbed over the water bowl, and did a stage dive biting my snake on the back. I really can't say how severe the bite was because I was too bust lifting off the lid and getting ready to punish the mouse myself. It was just one of those things of bad timing. After knocking over the heat lamp and lifting the lid, I quickly noticed that my Mojave let go of the mouse and was repositioning herself for another strike. Instead of intervening, I waited for about 30 seconds where she then blasted away and subdued her meal.

Now here's my question: I've read that when snakes are injured or sense some type of infection, they will try to shed. My snake has been soaking in her water bowl for hours at a time within the last two days. She is either in her hide or in the water bowl (fulling soaking/only her head sticking out)Has anyone ever experienced anything like this or know of recommendations. I've haven't handled her mainly because I don't want her to regurgitate. From what I can see there doesn't seem to be any flesh wounds, but then again she is a Mojave. Unless I can examine her closely under some good lighting, it is pretty difficult to assess her injuries. Please help.

[frankykeno]

If it has been 48 hours or more since the feeding then by all means take the snake out. Under strong light examine the bite wound area visually and by touch. If there is a visible and open wound treat it with triple anti-biotic (the one without painkiller) and replace her loose bedding with layers of plain white paper towel until the wound is clean and closed. If the wound has already closed, keep a close eye on it for any signs that an infection is brewing under the bite area.

If there is any concern on your part that the snake is not right, give your herp vet a call. Realistically though if it was a small bite it's not likely to give the snake a great deal of trouble but be very watchful and check the area very carefully and often.

[Kaorte]

Wait 48 hours after feeding before messing with her. Give her a good look over and if you find any bites, put some neosporin or polysporin on it (the kind WITHOUT pain killer).

As for the soaking, I would check your cage and make sure there are no mites. Check the water bowl, check the snake with a damp paper towel and see if you can rub off any mites. Most BP's don't soak unless they have mites.

Either way, I would switch your substrate to paper towels so you can see any possible mites and if there are any mouse bites, to make sure no substrate gets in the bites.

[Ineedtoborrowsweats]

Thanks All! You guys are the BOMB! What do you know...I found a mite climbing in the water bowl and its 3:05am and I just finished cleaning the tank completely with diluted bleach and hot water. As for substrate, I've been using paper towels for both of my snake tanks, but have recently added handfuls of dampened Cypress mulch to boost the humidity. The tanks are heated with heat lamps and half of the screen tops are covered with plexiglass.

Here are my next questions :

1.) I was told that Cypress Mulch doesn't have mites. Its kind of funny because I've only added the Cypress mulch to the aquarium a few days ago. Is my local pet store owner full of sh_t and Cypress Mulch can be a carrier/breeder of mites? (By the way, I got my snake from a reputable breeder who you probably see at all the shows, however i know this doesn't guarantee the fact that the snake could have had mites before arriving to my home)

2.) I will be buying prevent-a-mite first thing tomorrow. How tough of a problem is this? Do I have to worry about mites setting up shop all over my apartment?

3.) Getting back to humidity. Eventually, I'll probably switch to plastic tubs, heat tape, Helix, and the whole sha-bang snake rack, but for now, whats the best way to boost the humidity without adding a substrate that will possibly have mites or grow mold? Should I just mist the paper towels everyday?

Thanks Again peeps!

[Kaorte]

1. Really, anything you buy has the potential to have mites in it. Personally I would ditch the cypress mulch. Once you get the problem cleared up, maybe you could try aspen (my personal fave).
2. I am pretty sure P-A-M will get rid of the problem completely but I would spray it once a month on cleaning day just to be safe. Not sure about them setting up shop, lol.
3. To help humidity the best thing you can do is ditch the heat lamps. They suck the humidity out of the tank like there is no tomorrow. If you haven't already you can try covering 80% of the screen top with plastic or aluminum foil. You could also try adding a little bit of sphagnum moss into the warm hide.

hope this helps!

[Ineedtoborrowsweats]

Thanks Kaorte! Will do! I just got back from 4 different pet stores including two Petcos. Strangely, no one had any Prevent-A-Mite so I ended up picking up Natural Chemistry's Reptile Spray (says it kills Mites on Reptiles). 8oz bottle for $10.99. Active ingredients: 2.1% Dioctyl Sodium Sulfosuccinate, 0.5% Undecyleniv Acid, and 97.4% OTHER INGREDIENTS (I bet you like that one). It says to spray directly onto the reptile avoiding eyes and facial areas, as well as spray and wipe cage with dry cloth. Well, we'll see how it works.

[Kaorte]

Get some provent a mite online. The reptile spray will not kill the eggs that the mites lay.

[frankykeno]

Remember Provent A Mite does NOT get sprayed on the snake. Follow the directions on the can exactly. It's the only thing I trust when it comes to mites.

[Ineedtoborrowsweats]

I just ordered it. I guess I'll be returning the water spray back to Petco. Much thanks again for all the info and help. I'm sure you'll see more of my rookie questions in future because the ball python addiction has already begun.