Hurt Ball python with horizontal cuts.

[silverb]

Hi everyone new here. My Ball Python is kept at a highschool. When going to feed him today the teacher noticed the snake was hurt. We checked everything and can't find a cause for this, heating pad was normal, no sharp edges in the cage. Any ideas what could cause this? He's going to the vet in a few hours but i want to know if theres anything i can do until then. Thank you for all your help.



I don't know if the picture is showing so heres the drop box link

https://www.dropbox.com/s/hhj4qq0naq...2010.54.48.jpg

[MrLang]

HOLY CRAP


That looks like it was set in a fire. That looks very much like a severe burn. Unplug the heating pad (which it sounds like is not hooked up to a thermostat).

That's such a bad injury that I'd be considering the possibility that a student did something terrible to it. Either that or your heat pad freaked out pretty bad.

[Mrl249]

I can't see the pics !

[Kaorte]

You cooked your snake with an unregulated heat pad.

It looks exactly like a bad BAD burn. VET. NOW.

[TheSnakeGuy]

OMG! Yes, that is a very serious burn! Unplug that heating pad. If you have a substrate in the cage switch it out for paper towels to avoid and further infection once the vet visit is done. This is exactly why all heating pads MUST be regulated by a thermostat. I tell people at my PetSmart to not even buy one until they have a thermostat because it can literally cook your animal. I hope it isn't so severe that it damages muscle and recovery is still possible. PLEASE keep us updated.

"Unregulated UTHs are like house bowling balls, drilled for everyone but made to fit no one."

[silverb]

I checked the pad and its the normal temperature with no signs of it ever getting to the level of it being dangerously hot. and even more so the pads only on one side of the tank with a carboard box on top of it so there's no direct contact with the pad and if it was to hot wouldn't he just move to the other side? And he is going into the vet.

[silverb]

In addition thankfully he is acting fine with and is as active as normal

[Mrl249]

Wtf!!!!!!! That is not an injury that is a matter of life and death! That poor thing looks so horrible I can't imagine how it feels. Lets hope it makes a full recovery, it's going to be along one if so. I HIGHLY suggest that the snake does not stay at the HS while it is recovering or as a matter of fact AT ALL! Not everyone enjoys snakes as much as we do. As bad as it sounds, it is a possible that this was intentional.

[silverb]

Its not as bad as it looks and is only over a small section of the lower part of its body. And we were also thinking someone might have done this intentionally. It's staying with me from now on.

[Kaorte]

In addition thankfully he is acting fine with and is as active as normal

Since ball pythons can't scream or cry on pain, of course he will be acting normally...


That is a serious burn whether you think so or not. How are you "checking" the temp of the heat pad? If you aren't using a digital probed thermometer under the substrate, you aren't getting an accurate reading.

I've seen this many times before. People come in with a badly burned snake and wonder why, and it is because they aren't regulating the heat from the UTH with a THERMOSTAT (Note: Not a thermometer).

I'm glad the snake is going to the vet. In the meantime make sure your temps are correct, because that is indeed a burn. Use clean paper towels for substrate to keep the wound clean. The vet will most likely give you some silver sulfadiazine cream to put on the burn and they might give you antibiotics to prevent infection.

https://www.google.com/search?q=ball...OoiXyAHCmYHQAQ