Dear Mods (and other experts)

[Archimedes]

Most of the normal injuries/illnesses we see on the forum are handled case-by-case, as the OP asks for advice and takes it to heart accordingly. Or if the keeper with the issue isn't concerned enough to make a thread, the search function on the site works quite well for most intents and purposes.

Obviously, if things are severe, the first thing most people say is "Time for a vet". None of us wants to be the guiding voice behind a potentially life-threatening situation without firsthand observation of the animal and experience with the situation. But for the most part, I think threads on injuries and illnesses are handled pretty well here.

I think the biggest issue with making a Masterpost on first aid is that invariably, there will be differences in the way particular folks handle certain injuries, and the severity of said injury has a lot to do with that.

It's sort of like the difference between the BP Husbandry and Advanced BP Husbandry topics. For the most part, all beginners are referred to the first topic, where it gives you the basics to get started; enclosure sizes, temps, temp control, and humidity control are all basically standard across the board. Then, as folks become more accustomed to proper husbandry tactics in the standard setup, they can seek out new and alternate ways of doing things over in the Advanced section. I think taking broad-spectrum care and narrowing it down case by case works well, but I see a lot of room for error and liability in making a first aid specific thread.

That being said, I think having a list of Snake First Aid kit items would be a really great idea. Betadine, paper towels, a soak bowl, etc would be a good start.

Is there anything like a triple antibiotic ointment that is safe to use on snakes? And I believe that diluted betadine is safe for disinfecting, but would like to double check.

Betadine is perfect and one of the most highly recommended wound disinfectants. 10 parts water to 1 part betadine is what I see again and again.

Also, I believe any ointment that DOES NOT have pain relief is technically animal-safe, but it's often deprioritized because it can soften the scales around the wound and allow for more pathogens. In the case of burns, etc, Silversulfadiazine is most widely recommended, because it treats the burn without as much softening of the scales.