she attacked the side of the tub...

[cutemouse]

Hello all. You've all be so helpful to me so far with my new baby so here I come with a new question and I am extremely worried...

My ball is about 260g and I recently took her to a herp vet who assured me that she is healthy. She has never refused a live meal and, until the last week or two, she has been very friendly and was taming up nicely. But today after I fed her she did something that she had not done before. She finished her meal and as I was putting the lid back on her tub, she struck at the side very hard and hit her bottom jaw so hard it seems to have bent it. I think she might have still been hungry, because it was a smaller mouse than usual, but she's never mistaken me for food before.

I was so worried about her that, knowing this isn't the best thing to do because of regurge, I gently picked her up and examined her face. She did not seem to be in pain and I didn't see any blood or anything. She just kept acting like she was trying to reset her jaw...it really didn't look good. (A few hours later now and she still hasn't given back my mouse, so I think we're good on that front, but she still looks bent.)

Here's my husbandry stuff: 89-90F/79-80F (on a tstat) basking/cooler sides, 60% humidity, plastic tub with cypress mulch substrate, two identical well-sized hides that she uses regularly, fresh water ever day. I feed a very small, live mouse every 5 days and after today I was going to move her up to a larger mouse every 7 days.

Does anyone know if this is an injury that will work itself out, or do I need to take her to the vet? I'll take off work tomorrow and take her first thing in the morning if it is, but there is no 24hour/Sunday herp vet in my area that I was able to find...

Thanks for any and all help

[Beardedragon]

Sounds like she just took you as food if you had touched the mouse any, and when she hit the side of the tub her jaw went out of place. Unless she keeps it out of place, i would not worry.

[Mike Cavanaugh]

don't worry about it unless it is still jacked up in a few days.

Don't think there is anything a vet can do about something like that!

[Whittney32]

My snake missed the mouse Thursday night and hit the glass. He was doing the same thing.. hes perfectly fine now, and even managed to get the mouse down after hurting himself lol. Nothing to worry about unless it continues

[frankykeno]

She may not have still been hungry or even mistook you for a mouse, she may have just still been in the hyped manner of all hunting snakes. Some will stay hyper alert to heat or movement near them for awhile after they are done eating, some will go off immediately to their hides. We are fostering a young boa here that is sooooo hyper when she feeds that we use an old dark blue pillowcase to drape over her enclosure for feeding time and awhile afterwards. If not she'd knock her self silly against the side of her tub, striking at anything that comes near her home.

Watch the baby to make sure it does get that jaw back in it's proper place. If it hasn't by morning then you might want to at least call the vet and have a chat. Usually they will yawn repeatedly and pop everything back where it should be.

[cutemouse]

Okay, I feel a lot better after reading these posts. I've been worried all evening about her. I will check on her in the morning and see how she looks and if she's still weird I'll call up the vet and have a talk.

Thanks again everyone! I figured I might be overreacting but I cannot help it...I've become very attached to my little Squiggles and I couldn't stand it if there was something I could to do make her feel better and didn't do it. Y'all are awesome!

[kurgan]

They can really spazz out when in hunting mode (big pupils, hyperalert), striking at any heat signature or movement, especially when young. I hope his jaw realigns itself without any worry.