Thermal burn, advice please

[Bogertophis]

Her belly looks pretty severe to me & she may need vet help- their advice would be a good idea IMO- https://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

It's not just how red the burn is but how large the area it covers that makes it more severe. Drinking water with electrolytes might be helpful- burns take a lot out of the body & dehydration is a real danger to her health. You could use unflavored Pedialyte from local stores- diluted. I can't tell you about the "danger" from ingesting the (Silvadene- aka Silver Sulfadiazine?) cream but what I'd personally do is change her water bowl to one that's too small for her to bathe in, & keep water (pref. with electrolytes added) available at ALL times. Ingesting "the cream" should be avoided-prevented. Encourage her to drink when you can- remember that a snake in pain may not feel like moving around to get a drink.

I'd advise keeping her on clean dry paper towels while she's healing- and since snakes shed their skin to heal, you can be expecting her to shed more often for some time to come. That will also increase her needs for food as well- she needs all the good support (& perfect conditions) she can get to heal.

A vet would be better able to advise you about how often to soak (or apply) diluted betadine, & how often to reapply the cream- my guess is much more frequently that you've planned (ie. daily at least). Thermal burns can take a LONG time to heal, & are painful. If you see blisters or oozing, you should see a vet for sure, a.s.a.p..

https://reptilesmagazine.com/the-vet...s-in-reptiles/
Relevant excerpt: ..."Pain control and infection prevention using appropriate topical and systemic antibiotics, as well as supportive care with fluids and supplemental feeding are all necessary when treating a reptile that has suffered a burn injury."

Note: most of the time that I'm aware of, vets seem inclined to prescribe systemic antibiotics (injections) so it would be a good idea to see an experienced reptile vet for that reason, as that requires prescriptions & their expertise. You should not consider our advise as a substitute for veterinary care.

As already mentioned, probes & wires are better secured OUTSIDE the enclosures, because snakes have no hands, & love to grab anything that gives them traction- ie. wires & such. Re-gluing the probe inside is asking for a repeat performance that is best avoided & prevented.