Possible spine injury?

[Dracoluna]

Does he seem sensitive at all at that point on his back? It's very possible it's just a muscular strain of some form which would cause him to be moving a bit differently but if it's spinal, they tend to get very sensitive at the point of injury. They can also 'pop' their spines the way people would so it may be the popping noise you heard was just that.

If the Heal-X contains any sort of petroleum type base, it can actually erode the scales on a snake. That's why you never use human antibiotic creams and such on them and many people are wary of ones even made for animals. Betadine, a diluted version of iodine, is safer because it won't destroy healthy scales around it. Personally, unless the animal is bleeding, I don't treat with anything because within a shed or two, they will get rid of the roughed up scales with very little trouble.