a good pic of injury (finally got it)

[NetBSD]

well heres how the Jake (my garter) looks a little more the a month after his bicycle accident i saved him from

http://imnotmark.zapto.org:3030/Pics/Jake/S6300044.JPG


what do you guys think? will he ever shed that away or will he always have the scars. the first scar bout 4-5" from his head he cannot bend at all but the rest is fine

[drache]

he'll have scars, but it doesn't look like they'll bother him that much after a couple of sheds
nice little guy

[guidofatherof5]

Those areas are something to watch during a shed. He may need help since he will probably not have a complete shed. Sometimes I have to take my boy "Scar" out and soak him in warm water. Then I let him move through a damp hand towel. He's always been able to finish that way. I can also get a good look at the injury at that time. From time to time I've had to apply some ointment to those areas since the new skin has come off as well. Luckily his scars are on top. Do his injuries affect his movement? Great looking little guy. Good luck!

[Garter_Gertie]

He's looking really good, Net! I, myself, am not yet familiar with injured snigglettes and scaring so I can offer nothing.

But he's looking good and happy. Looks like he's getting ready to shed so I guess his appetite is good, huh?

Good job!

[jitami]

Just wanted to say great save Net. Jake is looking good despite the injuries :)

[NetBSD]

thanks everyone..

yes he has a hard time shedding at the scars, he shed once since i have him and he was in shed when i got him so he should be due again soon, ill try the towel trick and see if he likes it.

his movement is a little funny but he sure can move when im opening the cage. at the first scar he cannot bend that part of his body, i guess its that badly damaged that it will never move again but it doesnt seem to hurt him at all

[infernalis]

he's handi capable:D

[NetBSD]

well tonight im going to get him out and start to try and tame him, ill see if i cant get some better pics of his scaring if he calms down enough

[NetBSD]

well ive handled him 3 times since the pic and he is starting to get better. oh i also got a decent shed from him this time, i cranked his humidity up to 70% when he lost the eye caps and found this in the morning :D

http://imnotmark.zapto.org:3030/Pics/Jake/S6300114-1024.jpg


so i guess hes getting better

[Sid]

well ive handled him 3 times since the pic and he is starting to get better. oh i also got a decent shed from him this time, i cranked his humidity up to 70% when he lost the eye caps and found this in the morning :D

http://imnotmark.zapto.org:3030/Pics/Jake/S6300114-1024.jpg


so i guess hes getting better
Glad to hear that he is improving.:D

[guidofatherof5]

It's nice to see he's doing better. We worry so much about their welfar and comfort when in reality they are "tough as nails". Great job on his recovery.

[tyflier]

Nice save!

Watch the scars...they can cause issues, some that have already been mentioned. I rescued a ball python that had escaped her enclosure several times, and had "play days" with the family cat. She was also horribly malnourished, thin as a rail, and on the verge of death. With proper care and treatment...she healed up just fine in about a year's time. Most of the scarring disappeared, though some still remains.

She had been burned by a bare light bulb as well as being scarred up by the family cat. I always had a humid hide for her, and always checked her scars carefully for open wounds and such. Anytime I found a scar that was opening up(which sometimes happens when they shed), I applied a small bit of Neosporin(with NO anesthetic...it can be fatal), and put her in a qurantine bin until the wound closed again.

Over the year that I had her, she gained weight to a normal level, lost 60% of the scarring, and regained movement in a section of her back that I believed to be broken by the cat at the time. I sold her with a complete setup (really cheap) to a young kid that came by my house regularly to help me with her about 2 years ago. Today, she is fat, healthy, and simply gorgeous. NO scarring left...

Just to be clear...I charged the kid $50 for a 20long Critter Cage enclosure with 3 bricks of substrate, heat pad, thermostat, HUGE water dish, 2 hides and tons of climbing/hiding branches, plus the snake. I only made him pay me $50 because he needed to prove that he was going to take proper care of her, and I knew he would have to save up the money...I talked to his mom about this transaction before talking to him about it and she agreed. If he could save up $50 from his weekly allowances, he could buy the setup. It took him 2 months to save $50, and I don't think I have ever seen a young kid(about 13) take such EXCELLENT care of a snake on their own before...

Anyhow...back to the topic...Great save on that little guy. The broken area of the spine(presumed broken...it doesn't move) *may* heal up with enough time. These animals are incredibly hardy. It may also fuse and be permanently "frozen", but it shouldn't be debilitating.

The scarring will almost definitely go away. Might have a bit of faintly noticeable scarring for the rest of his life, but for the most part it will slowly shrink and ultimately go away.

I have seen wild snakes with absolutely horrific injuries(being picked up and dropped by a hawk can wreak havoc on ribs, eyes, and ventral scutes...), brought them home and they heal up quickly under the right conditions. Even found a sidewinder that had it's tail area run over by a car. Brought him to a friend's house where we monitored him in a sterile quarantine environment, and he eventually shed whatever tissue was hanging out of his cloaca(presumably sex organs), and turned out just fine. You'd be surprised what they can recover from if you keep them clean and well fed...

Good Luck!

[guidofatherof5]

"Tough as nail":)