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Lotabob
Royal Python Moderator
United Kingdom
5008 Posts |
 Posted - 23/12/2015 : 23:08:34
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Snake First Aid
first of all it's extremely important to stress that this guide and any advice in it is not a replacement or substitute for Vetinary advice and treatment. Accidents can and do occur and it's important to know what to do immediately whilst also seeking Vetinary advice.
CUTS, SCALE DAMAGE
First thing is to not panic. Assess the cut, if the snake is bleeding please remember a hot snake or a bothered snake's heart beats faster than a cool and calm snake so turn off the heat source, and keep things as calm as possible, this on its own could be enough to stop most of the bleeding. If the bleeding is severe, your only option is compression and urgent Vetinary attention.
For most less severe cuts, scrapes or scale damage then a patch up may be all that's required.
As above cool and calm is the way to go. Having a bottle of Tamedine (iodine with less sting) or a pod of sterile saline solution (available for a few pence at all pharmacies) will help you to clean the wound. To use a saline pod twist off the top, point it at the wound and squeeze the pod, it will flush out any debris and you'll get a better idea of the depth of the wound (if it's deep enough to see muscle or bone seek Vetinary attention). Dry any saline that's around the wound but leave the wound to dry naturally.
To use Tamedine use a lint free sterile dressing to gently wipe the wound, this is not as effective at removing debris and assessing the wound but Tamedine is a powerful disinfectant and will help keep the wound from becoming infected.
In addition to direct treatment of the wound you should remove anything from the snakes enclosure that could cause problems while the snake is healing, switch out the substrate for kitchen roll and double your efforts when it comes to spot checks, keeping the enclosure as clean as humanly possible is key to a quick recovery.
As snakes heal they will shed their skin to repair the damage. They might not shed properly in the area of the wound but worry not, it should resolve itself over the next couple of sheds.
PROLAPSE
Prolapses are not a common occurrence but they can happen and it's always a good idea to know what to do, there are many myths and home remedies but the safest course of action is to simply keep the area from drying out, a warm bath can be beneficial, allow the snake to soak in warm water for 10 minutes, with a bit of luck the prolapse should right itself if not apply a moist lint-free dressing (kitchen roll will do if you've got nothing else) to the prolapse to keep it moist, be very gentle and seek Vetinary assistant. If a prolapse is left untreated there is a high chance that the part that is poking out will dry out and die which will result in surgery so it's always best to treat immediately while the tissue is still healthy. It's always advisable to have a vet examine your snake after a prolapse to check for any underlying causes.
MORE ADVICE COMING. JUST FINISHING OFF SOME RESEARCH. |
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Snake First Aid
