Mouse bit my snake :(

[Edbean]

Well i just got my first bp a week ago today. The breeder said hes fed her live mice since she was born (she is a year and a half old).

Anyway, the first time i fed her (saturday) she grabbed the mouse and it looked like she got bit while strangling it. I didnt see anything at the time, put her in the tank, and let her sit for 48 hours. Well, I finally got to take her out today and I noticed little imperfections in her skin. They arent deep bites or anything, but it looks like it got through a layer or two of scales.

Is there any technique for this not to happen (Please do NOT tell me to buy frozen) ....and will the skin heal after she sheds.



The second question I have is that her skin is getting cloudy and her eyes are no longer clear or glossy. How long until she sheds and what should I do besides increase humidity to help her shed.

Thanks!
-Ed-

[lps2]

I don't know anything about how long it will take to heal but as a way to avoid it you could pre-kill the mice, thats what I do and Aldous loves it.

[Nae]

You can treat the cuts with an antibiotic ointment (betadine, iodine, peroxide) and neosporin - you may want to do this a few times a day and definitely if your BP should get wet or crawl through urine/feces. They should heal up before a shed and any scars left over will gradually fade depending on the severity. Always keep a close eye on your BP when there's live prey in the enclosure and never leave the prey in the enclosure unattended.

That sounds like it may be the first stage of a shed. The process may take longer depending on the snake but generally when the eyes go blue you'll have a week or less before shedding time.

Edit: Why the aversion to F/T? IMHO it's way easier for a smaller collection and no mice to feed/clean up after!

[Elise.m]

Pretty much the only thing you can do to insure that the mouse/rat doesn't bite your snake is to supervise the feeding. Be ready with a pair of tongs or hemostats to grab the mouth of the rodent. I always sit about a foot away from Snicket's tub with the tongs in my hand to make sure the rodent doesn't scratch or bite her.

[MsPrada]

From what Ive heard, and dont quote me on this, but in the wild they get pretty beat up by prey, so if you treat it initially and watch for infection or signs of major discomfort then you'll prevent anything major from happening. I feed live and like everyone else said I watch both of my snakes when they are eating and when they constrict if I have to insert something into the mouse/rats mouth then I have feeding tongs ready. You could also use a pencil.

[tbowman]

While what everyone else has said is good information. The only way to be sure to prevent injury 100% OF THE TIME is the not feed live food. According to some I am a "Live feeding zealot" and I don't really care. Remember that the methods mentioned will work but anything can happen. That is all I'm going to say. If your snake is cut you can put neosporin without pain releiver on it. That should help in the healing process.

[blackcrystal22]

Well i just got my first bp a week ago today. The breeder said hes fed her live mice since she was born (she is a year and a half old).

Anyway, the first time i fed her (saturday) she grabbed the mouse and it looked like she got bit while strangling it. I didnt see anything at the time, put her in the tank, and let her sit for 48 hours. Well, I finally got to take her out today and I noticed little imperfections in her skin. They arent deep bites or anything, but it looks like it got through a layer or two of scales.

Is there any technique for this not to happen (Please do NOT tell me to buy frozen) ....and will the skin heal after she sheds.



The second question I have is that her skin is getting cloudy and her eyes are no longer clear or glossy. How long until she sheds and what should I do besides increase humidity to help her shed.

Thanks!
-Ed-

Though many breeders feed hundreds of snakes with zero problems, the only real effective way to avoid it is frozen or pre-killed. To be honest, I doubt they're actual bites and are just crevices in his scales from his cage or items in it.
Why are you so against f/t? Frozen is commonly used by breeders and is probably the most convenient and safest way to feed.

[Edbean]

Thanks for the helpful info, when I fed her I was about a foot away watching carefully but didnt notice any threatening problems. I was also scared that my interference would make her stop feeding.

As to answer the frozen mice statement. I am not against frozen, but ive read it is extremely hard to get a snake to feed on frozen once they have had live for so long. Considering shes been fed live for a year and a half (her entire life) id say the chances of her eating frozen are slim to none. Also, both of us get more enjoyment watching the little critters run around and get swooped on hahaha

Thanks for the tips,
-Ed-

[MsPrada]

I'm all for feeding live but I do have to say that if you want her to eat F/T (im not sure if youre open to it in general or just dont want to try because of what you read) then its probably not really that hard. My girl was almost a year when I got her and she ate F/T for the first few weeks fine. Ate it even the first time I fed her. Ive since decided that feeding live was more for me, but If you'd like to give it a try it might take a while but I'm sure you could do it

[blackcrystal22]

Thanks for the helpful info, when I fed her I was about a foot away watching carefully but didnt notice any threatening problems. I was also scared that my interference would make her stop feeding.

As to answer the frozen mice statement. I am not against frozen, but ive read it is extremely hard to get a snake to feed on frozen once they have had live for so long. Considering shes been fed live for a year and a half (her entire life) id say the chances of her eating frozen are slim to none. Also, both of us get more enjoyment watching the little critters run around and get swooped on hahaha

Thanks for the tips,
-Ed-

Well then what you heard was incorrect.
Many strong live-feeding snakes will easily take f/t. 19 of my snakes will take either, one is more of a live, and one is only live. Really it depends on the animal, if it's a strong feeder, chances are it will take f/t right away.