This is
what happens when you feed snake live
rodents. But hey, we all do it. But if you
do, don't be surprised when this finally
does happen - to you.
There
are a couple reasons why this may have
happened, and a couple of ways to fix it or
aid in the healing process.
Why it
could have happened:
1.
The rodent was bought at a pet store and was
not fed for a while before feeding it to the
snake. Being very hungry, it saw the snake
as a giant sausage before the snake saw his
own meal.
2.
The snake was going into a shed and decided
not to eat and save the stress on it's body.
For the length of the time the rat was in
with the snake, its appetite grew, turning
the tables on its predator. This is the more
likely of the two reasons.
How to fix
the problem:
This all
depends on how bad the gashes are, but most
likely, they will always leave scars.
1.
Replace whatever bedding you are using with
paper towels. If you don't have enough, feel
free to use news paper.
2.
Change its water bowl to something smaller
that it CANNOT fit in.
3. Because
you are now using a substrate with will not
absorb enough water, you cannot risk the
spilling of the water. If the snake ever
does, only put the water bowl in about 3
times a week for only an hour, and watch
your snake to make sure it drinks as long as
possible.
4. Buy a
lot of Neosporin. This will only harm your
snake if you put it in its eyes, nostrils,
heat pits, or mouth. Otherwise, apply it
somewhat heavily, but be sure to allow the
wound to breathe. Allowing the snake to get
into its water dish can either remove the
Neosporin and/or spill the water. Apply
Neosporin twice a day and you should be set.
5.
Keep the temps on the warm side between
92-95 and 10 deg. cooler on the other.
There's not much else a vet can do other
than using a stronger triple anti-bacterial
substance, but that's pretty much it. It may
take months for your snake to heal, and it
may not even eat for those months. Do not
try to power feed it unless otherwise told
to do so, by preferably a breeder,
not a vet, and especially not a pet store
employee or even the owner.
Some snake can die with a less intense
attack, while some can withstand very lethal
looking gashes. There is one thing that will
determine whether the snake will live or die
ultimately: Stress. Stress has a huge impact
on every thing that goes on with the snake;
eating, defecating, level of activity, and
healing. Do everything in your power to keep
stress levels at a minimum.
With that said, good luck and I hope all
this helps.
-Nick
