Help need answers cat got to my ball python!!!

[DandD]

Be logical. I already know I may have to go to the vets. I'm looking for possible experience that's the whole reason for the question. You know there was a time when humans were self taught. Smh that's how vets were born.... lots of trial and error.

There was also a time we consistently died from the flu or smallpox. Be logical it’s 2019 and we have specialists for this exact thing. Do your snake a favor and get it checked out.

[Jbabycsx]

You asked for an answer, here it is.

Yes a snake can live with a dislocated jaw just like a human can. How long would you wait to see a doctor with a dislocated jaw?

Me personally, I would take the snake to the vet and leave the front door of my house open while I was gone. When I came back, the snake would be checked out and so would the cat. Problem solved.


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[Treeman]

Any sort of traumatic experience, like being dragged around by the head by the cat, I'm sure can cause great stress on the snake, causing problems like going off feed. Let alone the medical problems like scratches, possibly broken/dislocated jaw, etc. I mean, I know you don't want to hear it, but you let one of your pets attack another one of your pets, "dragging him around" and causing him to "bleed from his head". I think you, as a reptile keeper, have a responsibility to have him looked at by a vet. Sorry, I know you wanted to hear something else, but everyone here has the best interest of the snake in mind right now.

[Bogertophis]

You asked for an answer, here it is.

Yes a snake can live with a dislocated jaw just like a human can. How long would you wait to see a doctor with a dislocated jaw?

Me personally, I would take the snake to the vet and leave the front door of my house open while I was gone. When I came back, the snake would be checked out and so would the cat. Problem solved.


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Except I don't agree with roaming cats preying on all our native wildlife either...cats are NOT 'native' & wreak havoc on birds, reptiles & other small mammals
that DO belong there. They also carry diseases & parasites everywhere. So please be responsible with your cat...get him a straight-jacket.

[zina10]

Be logical. I already know I may have to go to the vets. I'm looking for possible experience that's the whole reason for the question. You know there was a time when humans were self taught. Smh that's how vets were born.... lots of trial and error.

So...you want US to be logical but then you post such a thing??

First of all, yes, we were self taught. Over CENTURIES of trial and error (more error then trial). Used to be a simply scratch could kill you, too. Infection kills.

If you have time to teach yourself how to make antibiotics or penicillin (moldy bread, but only a certain mold) and test that out over years and on different animals, loosing just about all of them, by all means. Teach yourself.

If you want help for the animal that got into that bad situation due to your own error, then listen to reason and LOGIC and take it to the vet.

The cat "only" dragged it around a bit? And there was "only" a bit of blood?

Any cat bite can be lethal to small animals. That is why wildlife re-habbers ALWAYS treat with antibiotics when small animals are brought to them that were rescued from cats. Even if you see no injuries and not even any blood. Cats have extremely sharp teeth and claws. If they drag anything around, they use those weapons. Their teeth and claws are so thin and sharp that they often leave tiny but deep puncture wounds. The openings of those wounds close up almost immediately, leaving all that nasty bacteria sealed inside of that wound. Where it will fester and grow. Even washing and sanitizing those wounds often doesn't work, because the skin closes over the tiny but deep tear almost immediately.

And honestly, it doesn't matter what you do or do not want to hear when you post about an animal in need of help. We are all snake lovers here, and you will hear what you need to hear. There simply is no other way. No one is going to put your tender feelings over the needs of that animal. The snake got into the trouble because of you, that is just a fact. And yes, we ALL have made mistakes. No one is perfect. We all had to learn from our mistakes.

But if you ask for help, at least be open to the advice and suggestions you will get. This isn't about you and your wishes. Its about your snake. You can get offended and angry and leave, or simply do as you like. Sure. Or you could do the right thing. That is absolutely up to you.

[zina10]

Also, jaws do not dis locate on a snake. Not during feeding nor injury. Unlike human jaws, a snakes jaw isn't a single rigid structure that can unhook and reconnect.

Its two pieces connected by ligament. Ligaments can stretch, have small tears, tear completely.

Whatever is causing that jaw to look bad, its not a good thing and will not hook itself back into place.

[zina10]

You asked for an answer, here it is.

Yes a snake can live with a dislocated jaw just like a human can. How long would you wait to see a doctor with a dislocated jaw?

Me personally, I would take the snake to the vet and leave the front door of my house open while I was gone. When I came back, the snake would be checked out and so would the cat. Problem solved.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You are probably just kidding, but honestly, why punish another animal when there is only one at fault here? That is the owner. Owner needs to take responsibility. Keep your animals safe and away from one another. A dog would have/could have also messed with that snake. So could a toddler.

Making another animal suffer or subjecting it to danger does not make up for this happening in the first place.

[Treeman]

So...you want US to be logical but then you post such a thing??

First of all, yes, we were self taught. Over CENTURIES of trial and error (more error then trial). Used to be a simply scratch could kill you, too. Infection kills.

If you have time to teach yourself how to make antibiotics or penicillin (moldy bread, but only a certain mold) and test that out over years and on different animals, loosing just about all of them, by all means. Teach yourself.

If you want help for the animal that got into that bad situation due to your own error, then listen to reason and LOGIC and take it to the vet.

The cat "only" dragged it around a bit? And there was "only" a bit of blood?

Any cat bite can be lethal to small animals. That is why wildlife re-habbers ALWAYS treat with antibiotics when small animals are brought to them that were rescued from cats. Even if you see no injuries and not even any blood. Cats have extremely sharp teeth and claws. If they drag anything around, they use those weapons. Their teeth and claws are so thin and sharp that they often leave tiny but deep puncture wounds. The openings of those wounds close up almost immediately, leaving all that nasty bacteria sealed inside of that wound. Where it will fester and grow. Even washing and sanitizing those wounds often doesn't work, because the skin closes over the tiny but deep tear almost immediately.

And honestly, it doesn't matter what you do or do not want to hear when you post about an animal in need of help. We are all snake lovers here, and you will hear what you need to hear. There simply is no other way. No one is going to put your tender feelings over the needs of that animal. The snake got into the trouble because of you, that is just a fact. And yes, we ALL have made mistakes. No one is perfect. We all had to learn from our mistakes.

But if you ask for help, at least be open to the advice and suggestions you will get. This isn't about you and your wishes. Its about your snake. You can get offended and angry and leave, or simply do as you like. Sure. Or you could do the right thing. That is absolutely up to you.

The best advice you'll get all day.

One other thing, a family member of mine, who has kept cats for all of her 60-something years, was at one time hospitalized due to a bacterial infection from a cat bite. Anytime a cat draws blood, particularly on a small animal with an already stressed-out system due to a cat attack, its nothing to brush off. I'm sorry, but I think to ask a bunch of snake lovers to recommend something other than going to the vet, when we hear about an accident like this, is ridiculous.

[LavenderNoodle]

I'm having about as hard of a time swallowing this as the snake will probably have.

1) You say the snake was "dragged" around, not scratched or bitten? How is it bleeding? How did the cat manage to drag it around without using it's paws or mouth? Did the snake just get a free cat rodeo ride?

2) How was the snake in a position for you cat to get a hold of it? Was it just free roaming your house? Or did you consciously make the choice to let the snake and cat be near each other?

3) Go to the freaking vet. Part of the responsibility of owning a pet is insuring it's well-being. If you do not have the means to provide this then you probably shouldn't own a pet.

[dr del]

we haven't seen/ examined the snake - it might just be an unhinged jaw but those do not bleed. It could be a broken jaw, it will probably need anti-biotics to prevent infection making it far worse. It is a horrible situation but it still needs to be dealt with correctly.

There is no other answer possible under these circumstances aside from take it to an exotic qualified vet.

We do have a vet list that might list one near you other members have used in the past.