FriendOfSnakes
09-09-2017, 07:25 PM
Hello, this is my first time posting on a reptile forum!
Here's the story. We have always had a few regular visitors in our backyard so I am used to seeing our garter snakes from late spring to fall. I even used to play and host them as temporary pets when I was a young child. One of my favorite visitors is the largest garter in our yard, he (I'm just assuming it's a he) is about 1.5' long and is quite docile. Today I found him out in the garden, which I thought was quite odd since it is overcast and a bit chilly. I was just going over to say hello when I noticed he had an injury.
A good portion of his tail is missing, a wound that has completely healed already. But about two inches up from the stump there is a kink in his tail. The tissue there is soft to the touch and there is what seems to be a small, fluid-filled sac or "bubble" under his skin. A few scales are missing in two spots near the wound and he does flinch slightly when touched near it. Sadly, I think his tail is broken. I've been looking everywhere for advice on what to do, but I've only seen info on open cuts/wounds. I believe in this case he might have been cut by a lawnmower or bitten by a cat, the skin around the break/wound closed and healed but an internal infection has occurred. Right now I have him in a decent sized tub with a flat towel, a heat lamp, a hide, and a water dish. He is pretty alert now that he has warmed up but I just want to make sure he is healthy and free of infection before I release him back into our yard. He's been around for about 3-4 years and I really don't want to lose him. Any help will be appreciated :)
Here's the story. We have always had a few regular visitors in our backyard so I am used to seeing our garter snakes from late spring to fall. I even used to play and host them as temporary pets when I was a young child. One of my favorite visitors is the largest garter in our yard, he (I'm just assuming it's a he) is about 1.5' long and is quite docile. Today I found him out in the garden, which I thought was quite odd since it is overcast and a bit chilly. I was just going over to say hello when I noticed he had an injury.
A good portion of his tail is missing, a wound that has completely healed already. But about two inches up from the stump there is a kink in his tail. The tissue there is soft to the touch and there is what seems to be a small, fluid-filled sac or "bubble" under his skin. A few scales are missing in two spots near the wound and he does flinch slightly when touched near it. Sadly, I think his tail is broken. I've been looking everywhere for advice on what to do, but I've only seen info on open cuts/wounds. I believe in this case he might have been cut by a lawnmower or bitten by a cat, the skin around the break/wound closed and healed but an internal infection has occurred. Right now I have him in a decent sized tub with a flat towel, a heat lamp, a hide, and a water dish. He is pretty alert now that he has warmed up but I just want to make sure he is healthy and free of infection before I release him back into our yard. He's been around for about 3-4 years and I really don't want to lose him. Any help will be appreciated :)