Please Help, lawnmower injury

[0TG]

A couple of hours ago I was mowing the lawn and hit an adult Garter snake. When I realized he was there it was too late to do anything about it. The blades ended up cutting the last four or five inches of his tail off. I had no choice but to decapitate him. I felt horrible.

But today I'm really batting a thousand. Not two hours after I hit the first one I hit a second one. This time a baby one, I'm guessing he just hatched this year.

After I saw that I hit him, I picked him up to inspect his injuries. I don't think it goes down into his guts, but it's a a decent gash, probably about the size of a dime and relatively deep, but like I said I don't see any organs or anything like that.

What can I do to help this snake? Can I cleanse the wound with hydrogen peroxide and then apply neosporin with a q-tip?

Does this snake have a chance or should I decapitate this one too? I'm familiar with snake care although I've never kept a garter snake before. I really want to help this guy out and would love to nurse him back to health. I'm assuming at such young age insects make up most of their diets.

If anyone can share any experiences with me or offer any advice I'd truly appreciate it it. I don't want this guy to die. Thanks.

[adamanteus]

Hi Nick. Sorry to hear about your accident, but at least you want to help the poor thing. It's difficult to say much about the injury without seeing it, but I would avoid the peroxide. Neosporin sounds like a good idea though. For now I wouldn't worry too much about feeding, the trauma of the injury and capture will most likely put it off eating for a while. Get him secure and warm, provide water and a hide and leave him in peace for a couple of days to see how he goes on. Just keep him really clean and treat the wound as you suggested.

[CrazyHedgehog]

If you do try to feed him though, he won't eat insects, try nightcrawlers..

[0TG]

Thank you for the quick reply.

Right now I have him in a 10 gallon tank with some bark and some small, leafy weeds as a hide.

I'm going to have to to take him out though, because the tank I have him in has been sitting outside for months and it's too dirty to bring in the house. I will try to snap a few shots of his injury when I clean the tank out. Can I use dirt as a substrate? Or should I use newspaper or papertowels?

[adamanteus]

Cleaning the tank thoroughly is a good idea, because of the injury. Also I would consider using kitchen paper towels or newspaper as a substrate until the wound heals. Infection could get in there pretty easily. This is also why I wouldn't try feeding him just yet....you don't want nightcrawlers getting dirt/slime in that wound. A clean plant pot or the middle out of a toilet roll might make a more hygenic hide for now.

[0TG]

Excellent advice, I appreciate it greatly.

I'm gonna go try and snap some pics. I'll post them within a half an hour.

[adamanteus]

No problem. Hygiene is the key here, I think.

You may find you can't drop a picture into the thread just yet, not until you've posted a couple more times. It's the forums automatic anti-spam defenses!

[0TG]

Will I be able to send them to you via PM?

[adamanteus]

See if you can upload them yet, Nick. If you can upload, you can post.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/site-feedback-suggestions-questions/1008-guide-posting-pictures.html

[Lulu Bennett]

hi Nick i am so sorry to hear about the accident. i know james has given you some excelent advise so i wont interupt but i hope it all works out and he can pull through. cant wait to see these pics though xxx

[0TG]

See if you can upload them yet, Nick. If you can upload, you can post.
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/site-feedback-suggestions-questions/1008-guide-posting-pictures.html

I cannot upload yet.

I will just post the direct links:

Here is the enclosure he is in right now. I put a small heating pad on the left side and put the halved paper towel tube along the back. I tried to provide hides all over to maximize his use of the heat gradient. I will check the temperature in a few hours. What temperature should I try to aim for on the warm side?
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/101_3436.jpg


And here is the wound:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/101_3437.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/101B3440.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/101B3460.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/101B3470.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/101B3480.jpg

I rinsed out the wound with lukewarm water and applied a liberal amount of neosporin. Please be honest and tell me if it's no use as I'd rather euthanize than to keep him alive suffering with no hope.

[0TG]

Oh and I also covered the entire tank with a towel to make him feel more secure.

[adamanteus]

The tank looks great for this situation, Nick, but don't forget the water bowl. Maybe aim for mid to high 80s at the warm end.

The wound does look pretty grim, and I thought the worst untill I saw the close-up where you're holding him.....it might not be so bad. Don't euthanize him just yet, give a couple of days and see how he goes. He's not so small, so forget about feeding him at all for the time being. I feel pretty optimistic, you obviously care and I think you'll be able to turn things around for him. Good luck, Nick, and thanks for sharing the experience and photos with us.

Oh, and welcome to the forum!:) If he does pull through, why not keep him and join our little community? You're more than welcome.

[0TG]

Thanks for all your help, man.

I made a water dish out of an empty mealworm container that you get in the petstores and stuck it right in the middle of the enclosure to make it easier to find. I really hope this guy pulls through and I just may keep him if he heals!

I'm already the owner of three corn snakes, a green tree python, and I've actually got six more corns making their way here on Wednesday so really what's one more snake? :)

Thanks for the welcome and again thank you for your help. I'll definitely stick around and keep you all updated.

[adamanteus]

Wow! Chonropython is a fantastic snake, I've kept Corallus caninus but never had a Chrondro. I'd like to see pictures of that.

[0TG]

I'll post some pics maybe later tonight. I have to go finish mowing the lawn. And I swear to God if I run over one more snake I'm going to play the lotto because WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?!??!

[GarterGuy]

Looks like you've gotten some really good advice from James so far Nick. He's very right as far as the big thing here is going to be cleanliness. The wound looks like it's just the skin has been torn away and you're seeing muscle below it. This should heal and I would definitely give him some time (and it will take SOME time) to see how he does. The big thing now is to watch for any infection and just keep things as clean as possible. Very good idea with the towel too......it'll be good to give him some time to settle down from the injury. I know I've found some garters in the wild with some pretty horrific, healed, injuries....so there is hope for your little guy yet. Good luck with him.

Roy

[adamanteus]

Mow slow!!:eek: I think you could post pics now...your posts are coming straight into the forum now, rather than into the "moderation queue".

[Lulu Bennett]

I'll post some pics maybe later tonight. I have to go finish mowing the lawn. And I swear to God if I run over one more snake I'm going to play the lotto because WHAT ARE THE CHANCES?!??!
lol you might be best just going over the lawn and makeing sure there is no more lol

[CrazyHedgehog]

Thats where having kids is useful... send them out, if there were any snakes..theyed be long gone!

[0TG]

Mow slow!!:eek: I think you could post pics now...your posts are coming straight into the forum now, rather than into the "moderation queue".

OK the pics are now in my gallery. Hope you enjoy them.

As for my little patient, it's hard not to check in on him constantly but I've been being good. Right now he's sitting over on the heated side of the tank. I'm going to check the temp in a few minutes and add a rheostat if necessary.

[stonyloam]

Heck that don't look so bad to me.:D I found one this spring that had a much nastier wound that had just about finished healing. My opinion, keep him warm dry gooped up with a little neosporin and offer him a worm every now and then and he will be fine. This is coming from someone that knows nothing about snake care, but knows how incredibly tough wild creatures can be. OH! Raise your lawnmower blade a couple of notches.;)

[0TG]

lol, I already have it raised up to the second highest setting!!

[Josh]

it must have benn a worry to behead him....:(

[Josh]

astroturf my friend:rolleyes:

[0TG]

it must have benn a worry to behead him....:(

Oh it was horrible. But it needed to be done. His guts were coming out and he was squirming and trying to get away in what I'm guessing was a lethal combination of fear and pain. :( Horrible stuff. I hate to see things suffering.

[ssssnakeluvr]

that does look like a nasty wound....as long as it doesn't really interfere with his movement, for example injury to the spinal cord, he should do fine...it will take a number of sheds to completely heal over...will leave a nasty scar. As for feeding, get some feeder fish, guppies, minnows. worms are fine, but aren't overly nutritional....you would need to dust a couple with vitamin powder every other week or so...also, worms are mostly water, so they will mess up the cage real fast!!! good luck and keep us posted!!!

[Gijs & Sabine]

I understand you feel horrible about this, but didn't do it on purpose. It's great you wanna take care of the juvenile garter.
Although the wound does look very nasty, I think he has a good change surviving it. I once had a garter with a bad wound from badly bitten by an other garter and I thought he wouldn't survive. But after cleaning it and put him in a clean tank, it actually did heal after a few weeks:)
I think it's important to save him from a lot of stress, so the towel is a very good idea! And to keep the wound as dry as possible, ofcourse it's good to clean it, but keep it dry after that.
It's suprising how garters can heal from a bad injury. Of course this is no quarantee, but only speaking from our own experience.

Good luck with the young garter.

And btw, welcome to this forum ;)

[drache]

welcome to the forum, Nick
very nice to meet you
and I think also that the little guy has an excellent chance of recovery with your care

[Odie]

Hi, from Oregon, Nick :)
I also think that the little guy has an excellent chance of recovery:D

[KITKAT]

Great save thus far!

WC garters are sometimes stressed for a few days by being held captive, and in this case, you have the injury as a stressor too.

The tank looks fine to me, but a little bare. You might want to take some paper towels and shred them into strips, then sprinkle the strips around on the floor of the tank, to simulate substrate. Having something to burrow in will make him feel more secure.

Good luck with him/her!

[0TG]

Good idea. Although I'll probably use newspaper as I have a lot laying around.

Thanks for the encouragement, folks.

[0TG]

He's still doing fine, I apply the neosporin three times a day and will continue to do so for the next couple of days or so, then I'll probably only add it once a day as I want to give the wound a chance to dry out a little. But for right now I think the antibiotic is the most important thing.

He's very alert and is cautious about his surroundings, which is a good thing. He actually doesn't use his hides much, he's kind of always trying to look out of the tank to see what's going on. lol

[Howler]

Curious little bugger then huh? X3 At least he's active and alert, a very good thing indeed.

It's a bad fleshwound but I think other than that that's all it is as everyone else has been saying. He has a good chance of survival in your care I think and you're doing a good thing taking care of him.

Kudos. I hope to read up more down the line on how this baby ends up and see progress pictures perhaps? -grin-

--Nick

[0TG]

Curious little bugger then huh? X3 At least he's active and alert, a very good thing indeed.

It's a bad fleshwound but I think other than that that's all it is as everyone else has been saying. He has a good chance of survival in your care I think and you're doing a good thing taking care of him.

Kudos. I hope to read up more down the line on how this baby ends up and see progress pictures perhaps? -grin-

--Nick

I'll take pics as things progress, yes. The wound is still pretty raw, but not quite as red as it was on Saturday so that's a good sign.

Question: when I go to feed this guy (will probably try a worm in another two or three days) should I try and hold the worm in front of his face using tweezers or should I take the bunched up newspapers and hides out and leave the worm in there with him for an hour or so?

[adamanteus]

It must be easier all round if he accepts food from the tweezers, so you got to try it. If not, leave it in with him.

[Howler]

I'll take pics as things progress, yes. The wound is still pretty raw, but not quite as red as it was on Saturday so that's a good sign.

Question: when I go to feed this guy (will probably try a worm in another two or three days) should I try and hold the worm in front of his face using tweezers or should I take the bunched up newspapers and hides out and leave the worm in there with him for an hour or so?

I agree with James. Try it with tweezers but if it will not accept it try to avoid stressing him out by aggitating him with it. Though it sometimes gets the garter to strike at it as it would most snakes the stress would deffinatly not be good for it. perhaps try to get a little dish for it and place it in there, it will of course wander sometimes but most of the time my worms end up staying in the little dishes I put them on, this would keep the cage a bit less messy too if it works for you, for my babies it just all around keeps them from eating the dried E-Earth their on. XD

Here's hoping the snake does well and eats for you. You thinking about names for it or are you planning on releasing it once it's finished healing here in a while?

Just curious
--Nick and Sam

[0TG]

I agree with James. Try it with tweezers but if it will not accept it try to avoid stressing him out by aggitating him with it. Though it sometimes gets the garter to strike at it as it would most snakes the stress would deffinatly not be good for it. perhaps try to get a little dish for it and place it in there, it will of course wander sometimes but most of the time my worms end up staying in the little dishes I put them on, this would keep the cage a bit less messy too if it works for you, for my babies it just all around keeps them from eating the dried E-Earth their on. XD

Here's hoping the snake does well and eats for you. You thinking about names for it or are you planning on releasing it once it's finished healing here in a while?

Just curious
--Nick and Sam

I think I want to name him Chuck Norris. :p

I'm leaning towards keeping him but I'm not 100% sure yet. I know that if I decided to let him go and then somehow managed to run him over again and kill him I'd probably want to jump off a bridge. lol

[0TG]

Took a couple of other pictures today, but I deleted one of them by accident and didn't want to stress him out anymore with another photo session so one will have to suffice. I think it's coming along quite nicely.

Day 4:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/Day4a.jpg

And a comparison shot, the day of the dreaded event:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/101B3460.jpg

As you can see it is much more pink now than it is red. It also has a much smoother look to it.

My plan is to try and get him to eat tomorrow as I think he's coming along nicely and it would make me feel much better if he had a meal in him. So that is my next worry, getting him to eat.

[adamanteus]

It does look quite a bit better. Might be a bit early to feed him yet...is he 'cruising' round his tank yet? Does he seem alert and interested?

[Lulu Bennett]

i was just wondering if you could use sudacrem or an antiseptic cream on them with a small bandage? or even that spray on antiseptic barrier stuff. it works like a plaster but still lets the air get to it to help it heal quicker. dont know if it would be a good idea but some feedback would be nice :)
nick he is looking alot better and i hope you manage to get him over this next hurdle. i send my love hun xxx

[KITKAT]

i was just wondering if you could use sudacrem or an antiseptic cream on them with a small bandage? or even that spray on antiseptic barrier stuff. it works like a plaster but still lets the air get to it to help it heal quicker. dont know if it would be a good idea but some feedback would be nice :)
nick he is looking alot better and i hope you manage to get him over this next hurdle. i send my love hun xxx

I believe he said he is using Neosporin ointment (antibiotic). When it gets to the point where it is granulating in, he might want to try liquid skin - the spray on sealer.:confused:

[0TG]

It does look quite a bit better. Might be a bit early to feed him yet...is he 'cruising' round his tank yet? Does he seem alert and interested?

What do you mean by cruising? He's fairly active, he spends most of his time on the warm side but I also see him on the cooler side at least twice a day. I'd say that 95% of the time he's got his head poking out of whatever hide he has chosen and is looking around.

I took the towel off his cage so that I could observe him more often as I think the initial shock of being hit by the lawnmower/captured has worn off.

However, if you think I should wait I'll wait.

How old do you think this guy is? Hatchling? Yearling? I have no idea how big Garters are when they are born nor how fast they grow.

[Lulu Bennett]

I believe he said he is using Neosporin ointment (antibiotic). When it gets to the point where it is granulating in, he might want to try liquid skin - the spray on sealer.:confused:
oh..sorry i missed that bit lol. i thought i was onto something then aswell lol :rolleyes:

[Elliot]

How old do you think this guy is? Hatchling? Yearling? I have no idea how big Garters are when they are born nor how fast they grow.

He's probably last year's baby. :)

[adamanteus]

It sounds like it might be time to try him then, Nick, but if he doesn't eat don't push the point. He'll be fine for a good while yet.

He's obviously quite young, but not a baby. Hard to guess just how old.

[0TG]

It sounds like it might be time to try him then, Nick, but if he doesn't eat don't push the point. He'll be fine for a good while yet.

He's obviously quite young, but not a baby. Hard to guess just how old.

Sounds about right.

I plan on spending not more than a couple of minutes tops trying to get him to eat. If he isn't having it, I'll leave it alone until perhaps Saturday and then try again. I just figure if he's hungry and wants to eat it will only help him in the long run.

[0TG]

Well he didn't eat. I tried the tweezers for half a minute and then tried putting it down right in front of him. He sniffed it but didn't seem very interested. The worm might have been a little big for him, though. How big of a worm should I try next time? I'll probably try again on Saturday.

[Elliot]

Give him a piece a couple of inches long and see what happens.

[Cazador]

Looks like you're doing really well, Nick, and you've gotten good advice so far. After a week to about 10 days, you should decrease the frequency of Neosporin applications in order to let it start drying out... twice daily for a week, then once daily. You might also consider getting a bottle of Betadyne (or similar) from a pet store, in case you find yourself going through the Neosporin too quickly. There's no need for a change, though. It's up to you. Good job,
Rick

[KITKAT]

Well he didn't eat. I tried the tweezers for half a minute and then tried putting it down right in front of him. He sniffed it but didn't seem very interested. The worm might have been a little big for him, though. How big of a worm should I try next time? I'll probably try again on Saturday.

Try putting a half dozen guppies or rosey reds in his water dish. Count them. If one disappears, he is eating!:rolleyes:

[0TG]

Looks like you're doing really well, Nick, and you've gotten good advice so far. After a week to about 10 days, you should decrease the frequency of Neosporin applications in order to let it start drying out... twice daily for a week, then once daily. You might also consider getting a bottle of Betadyne (or similar) from a pet store, in case you find yourself going through the Neosporin too quickly. There's no need for a change, though. It's up to you. Good job,
Rick

Thanks Rick, the wound is looking even better than it was two days ago, I'll snap some pics later on. I've already decreased the frequency of neosporin to twice a day which I'll do for the next four or five days and then reduce it down to just once. It seems to be working, though, the wound is barely red anymore. :)

[0TG]

Try putting a half dozen guppies or rosey reds in his water dish. Count them. If one disappears, he is eating!:rolleyes:

That is my next option if he doesn't eat the worm I give him tomorrow.

[GarterGuy]

Glad to hear the little trama victim is doing well!

Roy

[0TG]

Still no successful feeds. Just tried another small worm but he wasn't having it. It looks like he's due for a shed, though, as his eyes have clouded over so that could very well be the reason for the lack of interest in food. It will be interesting to see how this shed turns out with an open wound on his body. I'll not bother him again while he's getting ready to shed except to apply the neosporin.

I'm not overly concerned yet about him not eating but I'd hate to have gone through all this only for him to starve himself.

Here is the latest shot of the wound followed by comparative shots:

Day 7:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/Day7a.jpg

Day 4:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/Day4a.jpg

Day1:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/101B3460.jpg

As you can see it's continues to look better and better.

Here is a shot of his head. The camera didn't really pick it up but there is an obvious bluish tone to his eyes.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/Day7b.jpg

[adamanteus]

He's certainly healing quickly, Nick.

[Josh]

very nice nick.
your doin great.

[GarterGuy]

Eeeek that still looks nasty, but good to see it's on the mend. My sister just called me today, she had hit a garter with the mower. Had to go through this all over the phone with her. Hopefully her's will do as well as yours is doing. She's not really a snake person though, but she's going to give it a go. She hit hers not only on the body, but the head too. She said the wounds don't look too bad, so keeping fingers crossed for the little guy.

Roy

[0TG]

Eeeek that still looks nasty, but good to see it's on the mend. My sister just called me today, she had hit a garter with the mower. Had to go through this all over the phone with her. Hopefully her's will do as well as yours is doing. She's not really a snake person though, but she's going to give it a go. She hit hers not only on the body, but the head too. She said the wounds don't look too bad, so keeping fingers crossed for the little guy.

Roy

Aww poor little guy. Hope he pulls through.

As for my wee little man, he's still kicking He shed and pooped last night (that's his second poo since I've had him). The shed was very spotty and broken up. Actually the shed stopped at the wound. I helped a bit but didn't want to force it too much so I may try a wet q-tip tomorrow to remove any more loose skin that comes off easily.

[0TG]

OK well I'm going to go and find him another worm to try, I'm really very nervous as if he refuses this meal it will be his third refused meal.

[0TG]

No luck so far. :(

I hate this, he just doesn't seem to be interested at all. I've left two small night crawlers in his tank and have removed everything in his enclosure, including all hides and paper towels, and covered the entire tank up with a towel. I'll check on him in a couple of hours.

[adamanteus]

It's not been two weeks since the accident, Nick. Stress levels may still be pretty high. Don't be surprised by his reluctance to eat just yet.

[0TG]

How long before I should really start to worry?

[adamanteus]

Another couple of weeks at least, Nick. Of course it would be great if he ate before that, but don't worry if he doesn't.

[0TG]

Ok, thanks. :) I guess I was just worried about his size. I know that older/larger snakes can go for months without food but I guess the fact that he's small make me worry a bit more. He doesn't look overly skinny so I suppose that's a good thing.

[KITKAT]

Ok, thanks. :) I guess I was just worried about his size. I know that older/larger snakes can go for months without food but I guess the fact that he's small make me worry a bit more. He doesn't look overly skinny so I suppose that's a good thing.

When he is losing weight, you will notice that his skin looks "loose". It will get a kind of wrinkle in it here and there, or may have a few rows of scales that are kind of folded together in a line that parallels his body length.

[0TG]

When he is losing weight, you will notice that his skin looks "loose". It will get a kind of wrinkle in it here and there, or may have a few rows of scales that are kind of folded together in a line that parallels his body length.

Thanks for the tip, no signs of that yet so that's a good thing.

The wound is really starting to heal up nicely. Yesterday was the first day I didn't put any neosporin on it and within that 24 hours it's dried up significantly. I did put it on again today, though.

I'll be going away for the weekend (leave Saturday, come back Monday) so I'll probably put it on before I leave on Saturday and then let it dry out for a couple of days.

Would it be worth it to catch two or three earthworms and put them in a clear, plastic deli cup and leave them in there for the weekend? Would he even eat out of a dish or should I just assume that they'll crawl out anyway and put them in the tank with him? My concern is that if and when they crawled out they'd just burrow underneath the paper towels.

I'll take some updated shots of the wound and post them up tonight.

[GarterGuy]

Your probably best off just leaving him be while you're away for the weekend. Right now, he's more concentrating on healing, and may really not have an appetite for a bit yet. Just a thought, but once the wound has really dried out and looks like it's healed over a bit, it might be a good idea to let him go. At that point, there's little risk of infection and he's probably better off that way as well.

Roy

[0TG]

I think you're right.

I contemplated on keeping him at least until spring but I think I'd probably rather let him free. There is a place where I go fishing, nice and secluded and very rarely any people around (and no lawn mowers either) where I think he'll be able to thrive.

Hopefully by next week his wound will be healed enough so that I'll be able to let him go. I want him to have enough time before it starts to get cold to get a few meals in him before brumation.

[Cazador]

Hey Nick,

At this point, I'd be less worried about its lack of feeding and more about the partial shed. After a few days, the unshed portion becomes stiff and restricts the snake's movement. It time, it can even cut off the blood supply and usually causes the snake to lose a portion of its tail. I know you're going away, so you could try to soak the snake in lukewarm water (~80-90F) for about 30 seconds. Then you can try to gently pinch/peal the dead skin toward the tail. Peel it slowly, and you'll see that the snake attempts to crawl out of it as you help it along.

Another popular and successful technique is to put the snake in a "wet bag." You just dampen a cloth bag, put the snake in it, close the top of the bag, and put the bag in the snake's enclosure (to keep it at a comfortable temperature). The moisture and abrasion helps to remove the snake's skin overnight. I realize this may not be a viable option if you won't be home for a few days.

Put a fresh dose of Neosporin on the wound first, though. Also, dont' get too worried if the snake hasn't eaten for a month or so, even though it's probably last year's young. They're well-adapted for lack of food. Just make sure its ribs aren't protruding, and its skin isn't wrinkled (like Kitkat described).

Rick

[0TG]

Hey Nick,

At this point, I'd be less worried about its lack of feeding and more about the partial shed. After a few days, the unshed portion becomes stiff and restricts the snake's movement. It time, it can even cut off the blood supply and usually causes the snake to lose a portion of its tail. I know you're going away, so you could try to soak the snake in lukewarm water (~80-90F) for about 30 seconds. Then you can try to gently pinch/peal the dead skin toward the tail. Peel it slowly, and you'll see that the snake attempts to crawl out of it as you help it along.

Another popular and successful technique is to put the snake in a "wet bag." You just dampen a cloth bag, put the snake in it, close the top of the bag, and put the bag in the snake's enclosure (to keep it at a comfortable temperature). The moisture and abrasion helps to remove the snake's skin overnight. I realize this may not be a viable option if you won't be home for a few days.

Put a fresh dose of Neosporin on the wound first, though. Also, dont' get too worried if the snake hasn't eaten for a month or so, even though it's probably last year's young. They're well-adapted for lack of food. Just make sure its ribs aren't protruding, and its skin isn't wrinkled (like Kitkat described).

Rick

I appreciate your advice. Actually I think I got a good 95% of his unshed skin off. I've had a few corns in my day that were pesky shedders so I'm familiar with the lukewarm bath idea. There remain a few unshed patches around the wound that I don't really want to mess with at this time but I did manage to successfully rid the old skin off from about four inches from his tail down to the tip.

[KITKAT]

I appreciate your advice. Actually I think I got a good 95% of his unshed skin off. I've had a few corns in my day that were pesky shedders so I'm familiar with the lukewarm bath idea. There remain a few unshed patches around the wound that I don't really want to mess with at this time but I did manage to successfully rid the old skin off from about four inches from his tail down to the tip.

That sounds adequate, if you are still using the neosporin. The ointment will keep the unshed patches soft, and eventually he may rub them off.

[Cazador]

Nice job, Nick. It sounds like your snake is well on the road to recovery.

Rick

[0TG]

Weird. I put a couple of worms in there today with him and he looked very interested, went up to one of them and smelled it, looked like he was about to strike but then instantaneously lost interest and went and burrowed underneath the newspaper. Very odd. But I'm glad he's showing an interest in food.

Also, on Friday I threw a worm in there and on Saturday when I looked, I saw the remains of a worm in the tank. I don't know if he ate him and then regurged or what. I also don't know how long it takes to digest a worm but I'm guessing it wasn't feces.

Another concern I'm having is his body is somewhat thinner where the wound is. He also looked a bit awkward when I put him on my carpet to let him crawl around. I don't know if he looked awkward because he couldn't get a good grip on the rug or what. I don't know if it's possible to be partly paraylized at that part of his body? To test I put my finger next to his tail while holding the front part of his body up. He wrapped his tail around my finger and held himself up with his tail, so that back part of his body is not. Do you think it's possible for the middle part to be? I'll probably let him try to roam around in the grass tomorrow, perhaps even take a video to see if you guys see anything abnormal about his slithering.

[ScimitarX]

Hes probably still sore and uncomfortable around the wound, it probably stings when he moves, hopefully you'll see him move better as his wound continues to heal.

[drache]

it may just be a bit of stiffness
0r he may have sustained some local nerve damage

[MoJo]

I would suspect some local nerve injury. Wounds like that can easily be associated with nerve damage. There is also the possibility that he had muscular damage and the way it is healing and scarring is causing the abnormal movements. Both could potentially resolve. Of course it is possible the carpet was hard to crawl on!

I do not believe that snakes express or show pain in a way we humans can see or appreciate. We had a lovely checkered boy that had a hide fall on him accidentally. Unfortunately it was a heavy hide and it was clear that he had his spine severely injured and was paralyzed below where the injury was. You would never have known he was in pain or that something catastrophic had happened to him! He even did well for a short time eating and defectaing. He had trouble shedding only. We finally put him down when it became clear by the smell from his enclosure that he had developed an infection that worked it's way out from the inside of his body. When my husband brought him to the vet to put him down he was still flicking his tongue. There was no way he could have survived this and yet you could not tell that he was sick.

Good luck to our guy. You have done a wonderful thing trying to help him heal and recover.

[0TG]

Thank you MoJo.

Update:

The wound is completely closed up/dry and I actually just switched the paper towels over to dirt and a nice fern; I think the risk of infection is gone at this point in time.

As I type this I can see him struggling a bit as he's managed to get the last half of his body wrapped around a a bunch of twigs that I just put in there and he wants to go forward but can't seem to manage to unravel himself from the twigs, which is very annoying because it makes me want to go back to the original set up I had.

Again, I don't know if this is nerve damage or if the part of the body with the wound on it is just really sore and he's favoring it. If it's nerve damage and is destined to be an awkward "slitherer" for the rest of his life, then he's probably as good as dead if I ever let him go.

I took a video of him crawling around to see if anyone else notices anything slightly off that I'll upload later in the day.

He still hasn't eaten, at least I think he hasn't. Like I said last weekend I put a worm in with him and he either ate it and regurged or he pooped it out within a day. I plan on getting a bigger water bowl and putting some guppies in there over the weekend as well as switching back to my original set up. He's crawling around a lot in his new set up but it just seems to be a ton of work.

I don't know what to do with him. :?

[0TG]

I should also mention that he seems much more active within the last week, almost like he's looking for something although I can't imagine what. It's still too early for him to be looking for a nest to brumate for the winter, right? He's pretty much always on the move now it seems.

[0TG]

Here is the video: you can see at one point where he is in the dirt trying to go up hill that the front part of his body is doing all the work, while the last part (starting right around the wound) is sort of just being dragged.

YouTube - garter (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWrxCLH8nVs)

[drache]

I see what you mean
you know - that's a pretty major injury he sustained
even though the wound is healed on the surface, there is still some deep trauma mending going on
my guess is that the snake will be fine, but not for a while yet
his roaming the cage could mean that he's looking for food though

[adamanteus]

I can't remember if you mentioned....had he pooped yet? If not, I would be quite concerned. The way he moves looks like he has serious spinal or nervous damage. As you say, if you let him go, he's dead.

[0TG]

I see what you mean
you know - that's a pretty major injury he sustained
even though the wound is healed on the surface, there is still some deep trauma mending going on
my guess is that the snake will be fine, but not for a while yet
his roaming the cage could mean that he's looking for food though

Like I said I'll be trying the fish thing tomorrow, hopefully he'll take one of them. He's pretty much constantly moving around.


I can't remember if you mentioned....had he pooped yet? If not, I would be quite concerned. The way he moves looks like he has serious spinal or nervous damage. As you say, if you let him go, he's dead.

:(

Looks like I'll be keeping him forever, then, as I'll not have his early death weigh on my conscious if I have anything to do with it. You can definitely see how his movements are awkward, right? I just want to make sure it's not me being paranoid.

To answer your question, yes, he has pooped several times: at least three or four (which is weird because he hasn't eaten anything). I'll see how the guppy thing goes and if he doesn't eat any of them within the next week, I guess I'll have to start asking you guys about force feeding, something I'm not looking forward to.

[0TG]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/101_3921.jpg

You can see in this next one that the area around his wound is visibly skinnier than the rest of his body:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v220/0scarTheGrouch/Snake/101B3945.jpg

[drache]

the site looks so much better
the fact that he is moving with some force makes for a good prognosis, even if there is some nerve or spinal damage
they can be amazingly tough

there is some evidence that movement can restore neural pathways
we witnessed something like this happening with Mikhaila's late hamster
he suddenly lost complete function of his hind llegs
when taken to the vet was diagnosed with a traumatic injury to the spine, resulting in paralysis
he seemed okay in other ways, so she recommended to just leave him alone and see what would happen
he ran on the wheel a lot
he really ran with his front legs mostly, dragging his body along sort of hanging out of the wheel at a diagonal
but eventually some of the functioning of one leg came back and he could drag around pretty well
eventually he could get his whole body in the wheel
I think one side recovered completely and the other somewhat

I have a snake with a nasty scar
it's old and completely healed, but there's a dent there

I think with your care this snake is healing nicely, but definitely not ready to go "out there" and probably not ready to brumate this winter
thank you for doing this

[0TG]

And thank you for sharing your experiences and for your encouragement. :)

My short term plan for now is to get him to eat. My long term plan is to keep him through the winter; if by the time Spring rolls around I feel he's well enough to be out on his own, I'll set him free. If not, he'll always have a home in my home.

[MoJo]

His movements are definitely not normal but if you can get him to eat and he poops normally then hopefully he will be just fine - only time will tell. I think you have done everything you could for him in the acute phase and now it remains to be seen if he will eat.

Good luck to both of you!

[0TG]

Thanks.

Just got finished putting some minnows in his water dish. I put five in there right now, hopefully by the end of the day that number will be lower.

[adamanteus]

Good news that he's pooped since his trauma, had the answer to that one been 'no' I would have recommended euthanasia. As it is I'm guessing you have a new pet for life! Good luck getting him feeding.

[0TG]

Still no luck. Frustration is starting to get the best of me as I just don't know what else I can do. The fish remain in the bowl untouched (except for one that died and one that jumped out). I tried holding one of them in his face and proceeded to try and 'tease feed' him, hoping that the continued pestering of a fish in his face would tick him off enough to bite at it. No such luck. He still seems to be curious and alert.

It's been three weeks since the event took place, and I'll assume that he had a meal within 7 days of the accident, so that means his last meal was probably about a month ago. Not horrible, but not great either. At what point would I have no other option but to force feed? I've read the article in the Wiki discussions and the following discussion that took place and I'm left with many questions:

Is this snake destined to die? Am I trying to combat mother nature's plan for a snake that has no chance at life? If he were in the wild he would no doubt have been eaten by a wild animal by now, am I just actually making the rest of his life miserable and drawing it out longer than necessary? If a snake sustains an injury such as this, does a certain bodily mechanism kick in to disregard all previous instincts to make it slowly get weaker and thereby making it easier for a bird to swoop down and put it out of it's misery? What about if I successfully forcefeed and I encounter the same problem the next time I try to get him to eat voluntarily?

Mother nature has no sympathy for the weak and that's what this snake is right now. These are all questions that are, quite frankly, driving me a bit crazy at the moment. I'd hate to have to euthanize him at this point in time, it would have been much 'easier' to do it when it happened, before I got to actually know him as a pet. :(

[adamanteus]

Nick, the crazyness is all part of the game! There are no easy answers....Yes, in the wild he would most certainly be dead by now...but he isn't in the wild. Prolonging his suffering...who really knows, you can only do what you think is best. You already saved him, so no need for guilt. If you feel it would help, force feed him, this might not cause him to start eating straight away, but after a few forced feedings he may well start to do it for himself.

If this was my situation I would do this...

Leave him alone for the next five days, no contact at all. Then offer an easy to swallow meal. If he doesn't take it within a few hours I would force feed him. I would then offer food every third or fourth day, forcing if he doesn't take it for himself. After two weeks of this (if he survives the stress) I would re-assess the situation. It's not easy, but hard choices need to be made. Others might have different ideas of where to go from here, but that is what I would do.

[drache]

If this was my situation I would do this...

Leave him alone for the next five days, no contact at all. Then offer an easy to swallow meal. If he doesn't take it within a few hours I would force feed him. I would then offer food every third or fourth day, forcing if he doesn't take it for himself. After two weeks of this (if he survives the stress) I would re-assess the situation.

that sounds like an excellent course of action

[Lori P]

Oh my gosh, I just read this post. And I'm sitting here all dewey eyed and snivelly. (Hubby may just decide I've really lost it if he comes by and asks me what's wrong, and I blurt out "The lawnmower snake won't eeeaaaaaaatttttt!!!!") Ok, Chuck, you have got a whole fan club here rooting for you-- you have GOT to pull it together and bite the next thing you see!!!!

Nick, you are awesome. You've done everything possible to help this guy. The video of him was so sad... so obvious he has lost a lot of range of motion... but like others have said, he may get it back. And I'm fairly new to snakes, so I'm not sure I understand their pain responses and tolerance yet, but he was so active and curious I would think he wouldn't be hurting too bad... altho I know most wild animals are experts at masking pain and illness.

Anyway, keep up the good work and lots of good Karma coming Chuck's way!!!!!!

Lori

[0TG]

lol, Thanks Lori!

I will follow James advice and leave him alone until Friday or Saturday and try a worm again. In the mean time looks like I've got a lot of reading to do on forcefeeding.

[Odie]

Nick, you just need to get a really long really short wheel chair :D
A snake wheel chair :D
Hope it turns out well :)

[enigma200316]

Best of luck to ya Nick we all hope it turn out well........:)

[Lori P]

Nick, you just need to get a really long really short wheel chair :D
A snake wheel chair :D
Hope it turns out well :)

ROFL... we'll all chip in, Nick, and get a tiny skateboard all outfitted for Chuck... Can you see us standing in front of grocery stores with a banner, "Fundraising today! Help Chuck roll again!" Hi, ma'am, can you donate today to help an unfortunate er, snake get on his--- er--- feet-- again? Ma'am? Omg, she's fainted...."

:D Yeah. Coffee's kicking in.

[Lulu Bennett]

PMSL lori. i think it might be a good idea to cut down on the coffee lol

Nice i believe you have done an amazing job so far. i dont really believe in fate but i think if this snake is going to pass then it will nomatter what you do. all you can do is what you have been doing and that is all you can to keep it happy. I am sending my love and prayers in the next post! xxx

[0TG]

Well, that's that. I left him alone for five days and then offered him a small frog and left them together for 24 hours. He did not eat the frog. I forcefed him a pinky.

All in all, it went rather smoothly and was not as difficult or stressful as I had anticipated. I got all my materials and laid them out on the table, having each one easily accessible. I laid a towel down and put the snake on that and then put another towel on top of his body, allowing only his head to stick out.

I grabbed the base of his head and held it firmly. I then opened his mouth with a toothpick (I cut the sharp points of both ends) and laid it across his mouth to keep it open. Here was my one mistake: I found the smallest pinky out of my 100's of pinks and figured he was large enough to eat it, not taking into account that they turn into absolute mush. During the process I actually had to cut the pinky in half and just fed the head to him. I forced the pink down his throat with the head of a nail. I then held his mouth closed firmly and gently massaged the pinks head down to his stomach.

I've put him in a container with paper towels as a substrate, a hide, and a water dish. This way it will be easy to tell if he regurges. I'll keep you all posted.

[enigma200316]

sorry you had to force him ,but its for the best and I hope all turns out for you..........

[drache]

it's a good thing you're so methodical
we'll see . . .
hopefully there won't be any kind of blockage

[0TG]

it's a good thing you're so methodical
we'll see . . .
hopefully there won't be any kind of blockage

Ha, you should see my room, what a mess! :D

What's puzzling is that he's pooped four or five times since I've had him, and then again whilst I force fed him. What could he possibly be defecating?

[KITKAT]

Ha, you should see my room, what a mess! :D

What's puzzling is that he's pooped four or five times since I've had him, and then again whilst I force fed him. What could he possibly be defecating?

It can take as much as two weeks to empty the gut of a garter for brumation. He is just pooping previous meals.

But the fact that he is pooping is a great sign! Blocked (impacted) animals usually don't poop.;)

[0TG]

He just gobbled down three worms. :D

[drache]

congrats
looks like he's well on his way to recovery then
kudos to you and your care

[0TG]

Thank you, sir. And thanks to everyone who helped me out with his little guy. I couldn't have done it without you all. And a special thanks to James, this snake owes his life to you buddy. Cheers.

I'll still pop in from time to time. :)

[adamanteus]

Thankyou, Nick.:o But I think the credit's all yours! Great news, should be plain sailing from here on in.:)

[0TG]

Sure I deserve some of the credit but if it weren't for you I probably would have just taken a shovel to his head from the very beginning.

Now for my next trick: getting him on pinkies.

[MoJo]

Congratulations! I am very impressed with your patience and perseverance. how did you finally get him to eat?

Joanna

[enigma200316]

Congrats, sounds good, glad all is well......................:)

[Odie]

Way :cool:

[0TG]

Congratulations! I am very impressed with your patience and perseverance. how did you finally get him to eat?

Joanna


Thanks. I just stuck the worms in a container with him and left him alone for an hour. When I checked on him the worms were gone and he had worm guts on his face. :)

[adamanteus]

When I checked on him he had worm guts on his face. :)

Cute...bless!:rolleyes:

[GarterGuy]

Congrats on getting him to eat something...that's great!

[Lori P]

I'm SO glad he's eating!! Way to go!!!!!

[Odie]

Way :cool:
How is the movement :confused:

[0TG]

Way :cool:
How is the movement :confused:

Better, actually.

What do you all feed your snakes during the winter time? I tried getting him on to f/t pinks but he just wouldn't take it. :confused: Should I brumate him?

[anji1971]

I used to fill buckets with nightcrawlers and keep them in the basement all winter for the snakes, but just recently my little one decided she liked salmon strips, so you could try those. I don't think you need to hibernate him as long as he is eating well, but I'll let the pros give you more info on that!!:)

[brandon0133]

i read somewhere to take a feeder fish and rub it on the pinkie,,,so i tried it,,and now my snakes eat pinkies,,well now they eat fuzzies but u get the idea,,worked very first time i tried it,,and fast to,,guess he thought it was a fish,,then it got to the point i did not have to do that anymore,,i would get the feeder fish,,rub it on the pinkie and then put it back in the water and get the pinkie and drop him in the snake tank and boom,,,what state are u in cause that garter looks just like the ones i have,,,got mine at a petstore in NC

[0TG]

i read somewhere to take a feeder fish and rub it on the pinkie,,,so i tried it,,and now my snakes eat pinkies,,well now they eat fuzzies but u get the idea,,worked very first time i tried it,,and fast to,,guess he thought it was a fish,,then it got to the point i did not have to do that anymore,,i would get the feeder fish,,rub it on the pinkie and then put it back in the water and get the pinkie and drop him in the snake tank and boom,,,what state are u in cause that garter looks just like the ones i have,,,got mine at a petstore in NC

I'm in New York. We are due for our first frost tonight so I'd imagine all the worms will be digging much deeper in the coming week.

I'll try and offer him a fish again. He didn't accept it the first time I offered. I already tried rubbing worms on a pinky but he wasn't falling for it.

[drache]

if you really can't get him to eat anything other than worms, you might just want to bite the bullet and get an all winter supply from NY worms
you can keep them in a garage or basement in a large tub or a cooler
Cabelas sells a worm kit for anglers (no worms, but bedding and food), but you can just use a cheap styro box
the minimum order from NY worms is 500 . . .
where in NY are you?

[0TG]

if you really can't get him to eat anything other than worms, you might just want to bite the bullet and get an all winter supply from NY worms
you can keep them in a garage or basement in a large tub or a cooler
Cabelas sells a worm kit for anglers (no worms, but bedding and food), but you can just use a cheap styro box
the minimum order from NY worms is 500 . . .
where in NY are you?


I may just do that. Checked them out and it seems cheap enough.

I'm about 15 miles east of Poughkeepsie NY.

[Cazador]

Nick,

I wanted to add my congratulations for your success and perseverance. Try slipping some small pinkie parts (e.g. tail, legs, small meat strips) on top of worm pieces. Add the pinkie parts after the garter has already eaten a small piece of worm to stimulate his feeding behavior. Sometimes a hungry garter will take a small piece by mistake and then decide it's not too bad afterall. That's usually the first step.

Also, I wouldn't brumate him unless he absolutely refuses to eat. He's suffered a traumatic event and needs to rebuild his energy reserves/nutrients in order to continue healing. Again, way to go,

Rick

[0TG]

Hey thanks man, I will try your technique.

We've had some cold nights here already so I'd wager to guess that worms are gone. I'll check tomorrow and if I can't find any, I'll order some from online. Hopefully I'll be able to get him on pinks though.

This snake would be dead already if it weren't for the advice you all have offered.

[Lori P]

What is the yellow snake in your avatar? It's SO cool looking. :-)

[zooplan]

looks like a young tree python, isn´t it?

[adamanteus]

Chondropython viridis juvenile.:D

[Lori P]

English, James. :-)

[adamanteus]

English, James. :-)

Sorry :o. Green Tree Python.:)

[Lori P]

Thank you!! :-) Wow, what an awesome looking snake. Nick, is it yours????

[Lulu Bennett]

Ahh GTP . When they are babys they are a yellow and only when the get older do they change to the viberant green i love sooooo much.
I would love a ETB but they get a bit toooo big for me but i do love the colouration on them though

[adamanteus]

I would love a ETB but they get a bit toooo big for me

Not as big as your two Common Boas, Lulu!:D

[Lulu Bennett]

james Boo isn't mine and as soon as taurus is rid of his mites i am selling him. he doesn't like me remember lol.
besides i never wanted him i just wanted to help him.
but if anybody offered me an ETB for my boa, or even a hognose (held one at the petstore yesterday and loved it lol like an overgrown worm lol) i would not think twice. trust me lol

[adamanteus]

I had an Emerald Boa once. It was really sick when I got it... looked like an old grey rag, and it had no teeth! It took a lot of work to nurse that one back to health. It was alright in the end though.:)

[Lulu Bennett]

awww bless ya james, lol. do you know what was wrong with it? and why it had no teeth? poor thing!

[adamanteus]

It had been kept in shocking conditions for a long time. It had half a dozen incomplete sloughs hanging off it, and hadn't eaten since God was a boy! Some people should be taken out and shot!

[Lulu Bennett]

It had been kept in shocking conditions for a long time. It had half a dozen incomplete sloughs hanging off it, and hadn't eaten since God was a boy! Some people should be taken out and shot!

That was discusting!!! i agree 100% shot on site. poor begger. how did it eat without its teath? did it effect its feeding?

[adamanteus]

how did it eat without its teath? did it effect its feeding?

I tube fed it on liquidized pinkies for months. I had to do this in the dark, as it was so weakened I thought the stress might just kill it in my hands.

[Lulu Bennett]

that is horrid, my eyes are welling up just thinking about it. words cannot express how i feel when hearing stories like that. it makes me feel sooo angry!!!:mad:

[brandon0133]

people should just give there snakes away if there going to let that happen,,,sell it or give it away if u cant take care of it

[Lori P]

My thoughts exactly, makes me crazy to hear these things... but then we see it every day. We get in so many horses that have been allowed to starve down to nothing... I'll never understand why people don't just give them away when they can no longer care for the animal. You're awesome, James, for helpng that fella.

On a brighter note, I held a hognose today too and was totally taken with him... he kept trying to burrow into my hand!!

[adamanteus]

I held a hognose today... he kept trying to burrow into my hand!!

Problem solving isn't really their forte, is it!:rolleyes:

[Lori P]

LOL!!!!! Well, maybe not, but endearing themselves to prospective adopters is!! He tempted me sooo bad, but, I am trying to behave myself as I did back Jamie's truck into a tree yesterday. :eek: D'OH!!!!!!!!! How blonde do you have to be to hit a TREE?????? (Well, about this blonde, apparently!) LOL

[drache]

Lori
I highly recommend the hognose
Jeff's always been just tolerant of our herp proliferation
the hognose changed all that
he loves him
he even takes him out and let's him burrow in his armpit (ugh)
and he never questions the acquisition of new pets any more (as long as they're not furry)
get the hognose - really

[Lori P]

LOL Rhea... stop encouraging me!!!!! BAD RHEA!!!! LOL I really did like the little guy and kept going back and looking at him. That little upturned nose... well, I am going to stay where I am for a good while. I feel like I'm at a good comfort level.

[Lulu Bennett]

lol rhea your just making me want one all the more now lol.
how big do they get? have you been bitten by yours?? thats the only thing i am worried about. i understand it is just like a bee sting but i don't like that much and i have heard of bad reactions to a hoggie bite. but this fella i held did seem quite placid lol and just soooooooooooo cute!!! i want him :(

[0TG]

Thank you!! :-) Wow, what an awesome looking snake. Nick, is it yours????

Yep, it's mine. My pride and joy actually. An absolute sweetheart too, I really lucked out with this one. Hasn't struck at me once. :)

[Lori P]

Can you send more pics??? I saw several of these at the expo I went to last Sunday but they were all green. Yours is such a brilliant yellow. :)

[drache]

lol rhea your just making me want one all the more now lol.
how big do they get? have you been bitten by yours?? thats the only thing i am worried about. i understand it is just like a bee sting but i don't like that much and i have heard of bad reactions to a hoggie bite. but this fella i held did seem quite placid lol and just soooooooooooo cute!!! i want him :(

ours has never tried to bite anyone, although when he's in shed he gets insecure and sometimes puts on a fearsome show with hissing and flattening and all that
the worst pain ours causes us is when he uses that bony nose shovel to try to burrow in body parts (armpits and ellbow crooks)
I think 2' lengthis max for females - a 20G long tank is ample for an adult to stretch out in
from what I understand the reactions to bites only occur when people permit the snake to chew on them for several minutes

[brandon0133]

how is the snake doing?

[adamanteus]

how is the snake doing?

Good call, Brandon. How's the Lawnmower Snake doing, Nick?:)

[Lori P]

And does he still have a kink in his back??

[0TG]

The Lawnmower snake is doing just fine. :D As for the kink, it does look like there was some nerve damage but not as bad as I had originally thought. It's tough to judge, though, as most snakes movements look very unnatural on carpeted flooring. And since it's too cold to let him outside now, I'll wait until the spring and let him crawl around on the grass to see if I think he's well enough to be let out on his own.

He ate a big juicy worm about 10 days ago so I'm set to feed him again soon. Still haven't ordered those worms, though.

[brandon0133]

i need to start ordering food for mine off the net to sense i have like 13 snakes,,lol,,and of course they eat every weekend

[Cazador]

Hey Nick,

That's really great news. For what it's worth, my daughter did a science fair exhibit last year on snake movements. She compared snake movement patterns in water, on carpet, on coarse kitty litter, and on cardboard, and she found that coarse kitty litter provided the most naturalistic movement patterns. If you were really curious about your snake's movement patterns, you could spread some in a box and watch your snake crawl around on it.

Also, it might not be a bad idea to supplement your snake's diet with reptile vitamins or 10% Pedialyte in its water dish to provide more nutrients (Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, etc.) during recovery. You also might consider a higher protein diet during recovery, but I certainly understand sticking with what's working :). Cheers,

Rick

[anji1971]

You can give snakes Pedialyte???? In alternative to reptile vitamins or just when recovering from injury like Nick's? That could be an easy, cheap way to add nutrients.

[Cazador]

Sure. It doesn't offer all the amino acids that most reptile vitamins offer, but it's a healthy electrolyte solution, nonetheless. It's a great way of supplementing the diet and prevents imbalances that can occur when variety is lacking. Just dilute it to roughly 10% pedialyte : 90% water.

[anji1971]

How cool is that? Learn something new every day around here!:):)

[0TG]

Hey Nick,

That's really great news. For what it's worth, my daughter did a science fair exhibit last year on snake movements. She compared snake movement patterns in water, on carpet, on coarse kitty litter, and on cardboard, and she found that coarse kitty litter provided the most naturalistic movement patterns. If you were really curious about your snake's movement patterns, you could spread some in a box and watch your snake crawl around on it.

Also, it might not be a bad idea to supplement your snake's diet with reptile vitamins or 10% Pedialyte in its water dish to provide more nutrients (Calcium, Magnesium, Sodium, etc.) during recovery. You also might consider a higher protein diet during recovery, but I certainly understand sticking with what's working :). Cheers,

Rick

That's good stuff, man, I will try the kitty litter thing as well as the pedialyte. I'll probably go ahead and sprinkle some vitamins on the next worm I feed him.

[0TG]

Bad news, folks. :(

In the past week or so I noticed that he was acting very lethargic. His last meal was last week and when I went to feed him yesterday it was obvious there was something wrong as he just seemed so weak when I picked him up.

Found him dead this morning. :( Obviously it was something I did wrong, I should have taken my chances and let him go before it got too cold. After all that work into getting him back on his 'feet', he goes out like this.

The experience taught me a lot, though. Although I've only done it once, forcefeeding isn't so scary anymore and since I plan on keeping and breeding snakes for as long as I live, something tells me I will use the technique again in the future.

Thank you all again for your help.

RIP Chuck Norris.

[EdgyExoticReptiles]

awww that sucks and after all that :(:(

[adamanteus]

Oh Nick. I'm so sorry. After all the work you put in, you must feel very disappointed. I'm sure it was nothing you did wrong (apart from running him over with the lawnmower!) No one could have done more or tried harder than you have these past four months. So sorry.:(

[enigma200316]

sorry to here that Nick, chin-up you did all you could........:)

[jewel-dragons]

interested story,but no happy ending....

sorry for that...
and keep your head up ;-)

[Lori P]

Oooooh no Nick!! I am so sorry you lost Chuck... you really tried so hard... and he sure had a big fan club here pulling for him. Very sad to hear this. You did all you could tho, no regrets, ok?

[0TG]

Thanks peeps. It sucks too because the ground is frozen so I can't even give him a proper burial. Not sure what I'm going to do with him. But you guys were a wonderful help through all this, I'm very glad I found this site. I'll pop in from time to time. :)

[adamanteus]

I'll pop in from time to time. :)

Yes, please do, Nick. Maybe you might want to get yourself a couple of Garters next year, and stick around the forum.:)

[salzar]

I am so sorry for you loss of chuck, may he RIP bye
michelle

[Stefan-A]

Sorry for your loss. :(

[Lori P]

Nick, stick him in the freezer till spring. Just make sure he doesn't get chopped up for soup. :-)

[MoJo]

I'm so sorry that you lost Chuck. You did everything you could and I don't believe it was anything you did that caused his death. Some injuries are just too hard to survive.

Joanna

[anji1971]

Sorry to hear the sad news.:( Don't blame yourself-- you did so much for him, and he would have been a goner a long time ago without you. You worked VERY hard helping Chuck out, and don't you forget it!!

[tikichick]

I'm so sorry he didn't make it.

[Snaky]

Sad to hear... but you did everything you could, a lot of people wouldn't have given it that second chance...

[Odie]

Dang, total bummer man :(
I was pulling for the guy :)

[drache]

oh Nick
I'm so sorry
I was really hopeful for Chuck
with your great care he seemed well on his way to recovery
that was a really severe injury though . . .

[marty5150]

sorry for your loss. at least chuck was well taken care of till the end. if he had been left out he would have had a harder death. this thread has giving me the desire to breed garter's along with my milk snakes and geckos.