Rescued ball python with hole in her neck

[bcr229]

could the wound just be a sign that she wasnt eating due to an infection all ready there in her throat? i mean if he never got her checked out who knows how long she was fighting off an infection.

That is a possibility. If she had an abscess which put her off food, the assist feeding attempt could have ruptured it.

I'd also like to know how an assist feed could even cause a tear in the snake's neck. I've done it for non-feeding babies successfully and by the time the feeder gets past the mouth the snake usually starts swallowing it.

[Mada]

only thing i could think of that would cause a "healthy" snake who is not eating to get a hole in it from an assist would be how the rodent was killed (broken bone constricted and then becoming a sharp object in the neck) or that the rat's teeth were overly long and sticking out. i mean unless the meal is huge the snake shouldn't be stretched beyond it could handle but a pointy object could cause major damage.

[greco]

Well, regardless of how the injury originally happened, I'm glad that the snake is in better hands now. Good job on the rescue!

Hopefully she'll recover well. It does sound like she needs antibiotics to help her fight off that infection while the wound heals up. The site may need to be lanced or irrigated as well. I believe that with a vet's attention, she stands a very good chance of full recovery.

Luckily BPs are very resilient animals. I have a rescued normal male who came to me nearly starved, all skin and bones with 3+ layers of stuck shed and thick eye caps. When all of the old shed came off, his skin was in pretty bad shape underneath. He had a lot of scarring and about half a dozen open wounds on his back and sides where the old shed was so tight that it actually cutting into his body. I didn't have high hopes for his recovery but with proper care he bounced right back to full health.

Make sure to keep her in a clean tub with newspaper, paper towels, or some other kind of substrate that won't irritate her injury. Keep her quarantined away from any other reptiles you have, in case she develops an RI.

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[wolfy-hound]

With that more detailed description and the fact that she is now in a loving home that intends to care properly for the wound, I think she will do just fine. I've seen snakes of that size with wounds you couldn't cover with your palm that recovered with time and care.

Hopefully your new girl heals up fast and enjoys her new home. Keep us all posted, especially on what the vet says and does.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

Given the size of the animal and the fact that the injury is a week old and the snake is still alive, I would think that with proper antibiotic treatment the animal should heal and recover just fine.

I have rehabbed smaller wild snakes with holes and gash that were pretty large and they recovered fine.

All you can do is wait and see what the vet says and make a decision than.

Your main enemy in this type of situation is infection but those are very treatable, once infection is under control, healing can start.

[gaitedappy]

When I worked for Pacific Animal Productions, some of our animals came from rescue situations, especially the reptiles. Many of them pulled through with injuries more horrific than what you describe. With some tlc from you and the good home you'll give her I'm sure she'll pull through! Good luck it seems like you have things dialed in and she is in much better hands now


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[Zincubus]

Did you not read FAILED FORCE FEED??

Yeah ..

Seems unlikely that assist feeding would end up with the snake having a open wound ...... as a few others have also pointed out .

Bud , you criticise everything I post wether it's a question or a compliment or a bit of advice ....so I'm kinda over your waffling tbh.

[PitOnTheProwl]

Yeah ..

Seems unlikely that assist feeding would end up with the snake having a open wound ...... as a few others have also pointed out .

Bud , you criticise everything I post wether it's a question or a compliment or a bit of advice ....so I'm kinda over your waffling tbh.

Assisting and force are two totally different things.
Enjoy your breakfast.

[StillBP]

just wanted to update you all
The wound in her neck was much worse than I orginaly had suspected
after a deep cleaning and flushing of dead tissue (from the vet)
it left her with a hole the size of my pinky finger compleatly through her neck
you could look in one side and see out the other
I would have sworn she would die but she seams to be responding to the antibiotics and the wound has "scabbed" over (this is not right it is not truly a scab, but this is as close as i can figure)
I am keeping my fingers crossed that she does fully recover
she did have a bad bacterial infection that is far older than a week (so my vet says) in that area so I am now wondering if that was the cause and not the feeding

[gaitedappy]

Good luck. At least she's in good hands now and you can keep her comfortable no matter what.


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