Paralyzed tail

[katach]

Our beautiful girl Blade has a paralyzed tail. She is having difficulty voiding because she can't lift her tail. She has some scale infection just under the vent that we are treating. She is still eating and drinking and active. She has trouble climbing and keeping her balance, but she tries her best. Has anyone dealt with this before? What did you do? What was the outcome? Any advise would be much appreciated! Thank you!

[chris-uk]

I'd say keep treating the infection, watch and wait.
Is there much swelling around the infection? Could it be pressing on nerves?

[guidofatherof5]

What are you treating with? Any chance we can get a photo?

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Are you 100% sure that there is not a partial shed on her tail that could be restricting the blood flow. I seen this happen with a friends snake before. Im with steve on this one a pic might help.

[katach]

Here is her owie. We've been treating with antibiotic ointment after it's cleaned and dry. She definitely doesn't have a retained shed, we watch her very carefully.

7165

[BLUESIRTALIS]

Strange! That just don't look bad enough to cause paralyzation. Does she have any feeling at all in her tail. Does she respond to you touching the tip of her tail. I hope this is something that will just clear up when the infection does. Maybe it's from the swelling and the infection.

[EasternGirl]

Have you tried doing betadine soaks? I've heard Steve recommend them. He can tell you how to do them.

[guidofatherof5]

I make a warm weak tea looking solution betadine/water. Soak the tail area for as long as you can. That is as long as the snake will allow.

[chris-uk]

When you say "paralysed" - is that there is no movement below a point, or that the tail has reduced movement? A reduction in movement could be due to the swelling, if there is a clear cut off point with absolutely no movement it's worth considering that it may not be related to the infection, or is possibly another infection pressing on the spine.

[twgrosmick]

I didn't think I needed to start my own thread for this but I recently was putting one of my 2012s in a feeding container and not thinking looked away and started to close the lid. The tail got stuck in the lip of the container and caused what looks like a blood blister. I have been monitoring him in a separate container and unlike this case he has full control/movement of his tail. Will try to get pictures of before and after. I can't imagine that he won't just shed it out. These guys are just too fast for me sometimes haha.

[Buck]

Is it possible that she has a blood clot or something that is blocking blood flow to her tail? How long has her tail been paralyzed? Also, let us know if her scales have any change in color below her vent.

[katach]

She has a strange bend in her tail and from that point down there is no response. I think I posted a pic on the old snakes thread. I think the infection is from not being able to lift her tail to void and it's irritated from stool and urates. I tried separating her from everyone, but she got depressed and stopped being active. All she did was lay around all day. The tail has been non responsive longer than the infection had been there. I'm just wondering now if after the infection clears would it be beneficial, for her, to do anything about the dead weight?

[chris-uk]

She has a strange bend in her tail and from that point down there is no response. I think I posted a pic on the old snakes thread.
It's almost certain that the odd bend in the tail is related. Perhaps an injury which broke her spine at that point. Perhaps inflammation which is compressing the spinal cord and also bending the spine. I suspect that the only way to know would be either expensive or fatal.


I think the infection is from not being able to lift her tail to void and it's irritated from stool and urates. I tried separating her from everyone, but she got depressed and stopped being active. All she did was lay around all day.

From this update I'd tend to agree with your assessment of cause and effect - fairly likely that the the paralysed tail has caused (or at least contributed to) the infection.


The tail has been non responsive longer than the infection had been there. I'm just wondering now if after the infection clears would it be beneficial, for her, to do anything about the dead weight?

Are you asking whether there would be any benefit to surgery to remove the paralysed tail (or part of it)? If the tissue in the tail is still live, viable tissue I wouldn't do anything to remove it. This is a relatively old snake isn't she? Perhaps the best course moving forward is periodic pre-emptive treatment, maybe weekly betadine baths?

She's still active and able to move (although not as easily as other snakes) so I'd just treat the symptoms.

One of my checkered girls has bumps on her spine, she's able to climb and move fairly normally it's just that her tail flops a little from side to side as she slithers. She does have movement in her tail though, although I'm sure she doesn't have full strength in it. She also has a lack of coordination when she strikes at food, almost as if she doesn't time closing her mouth, which means I need to hold her food still and she'll still sometime need a couple of attempts. She's climbs and is active so I'm not too concerned, although I do worry because I'm sure the spinal bumps are the same as her sister had (Bethan didn't eat though and had more severe kinks in her spine) - I know what the bumps were on Bethan because I did a partial dissection to investigate when she died.

I digress, but the point was that if she's active, eating, not in pain, and you are able to control future infections... if she's an old snake let her live her life out in comfort and don't do anything too drastic.

[katach]

Thanks Chris. That makes me feel better. She is just an old girl. We'll do whatever we can to keep her happy and comfortable until the end.

[EasternGirl]

I hope that she feels better soon. I will be thinking of her.

[ProXimuS]

Poor girl, I hope her tail gets better soon. Maybe in addition to the betadine baths, she might need a weekly(or daily?)plain water bath, or wipe down, to prevent the urates and stool from irritating it again.