Foreign or Chemical Substances??? Odd objects??

[mtolypetsupply]

I was wondering if anyone uses anything foreign or unnatural or chemical etc. for any purpose with their snakes, and I mean this in a benign or beneficial way.

For example, if we get cut, we can superglue our skin back together, if a snake gets cut, can we do the same thing? (DON'T WORRY SHANNON, James and Ernestine are safe and have not been cut!)

Or if you have a bunch of babies, can you mark them with something? Nail polish? Sharpie Marker? (Don't worry Shannon, I am not graffitting your snakes.)

I know you can use tape on them with no ill effect, I saw the Leetle Lizard Halloween Costume!

Seriously, though, you experienced Herpers probably have a whole bunch of tricks up your sleeves, using things us newbies wouldn't even imagine to solve problems or enrich our snakes' lives. Share your secrets with us, great masters, so that we may be prepared for anything!

[infernalis]

I have mentioned this one before.

Silvadine SSD ointment was originally developed for human use to prevent infections in severe burns.

This ointment works wonders on snakes, it will shrink boils, prevent and treat infections, and help heal frostbite in tails.

We always keep a tube in the snake room.

There are several others, but I would prefer a qualified vet to prescribe those on a case by case basis, so I won't even discuss them.

[Garter_Gertie]

Dekay, could you just name them saying, "Ask your vet for XXXXX as it has to be prescribed"? Else how will we know what's out there and what it's good for?

[infernalis]

It's a tough call MK, but if I go and disclose what pain meds and antibiotics the vets use, then somewhere, somehow, someone will try and bypass the vet.

We have to understand, I have looked at the "who's on line" page more times than I can count, and at many times there can be say 6 of US on line and 60 visitors (Unregistered guests)

Some of these unregistered guests ultimately join the forum, but most are just looking for information, and we have to be responsible for what kind of information we are sending THEM.

[ssssnakeluvr]

Or if you have a bunch of babies, can you mark them with something? Nail polish? Sharpie Marker? (Don't worry Shannon, I am not graffitting your snakes.)

I wouldn't do it....nail polish could affect them...not sure on what chemicals would be in it that couild be a problem...sharpie probably wouldn't hurt them....but all these would only be temporary....as soon as they shed, it would be gone.
best thing to do if you need to id them is to keep them in separate smaller cages.

[drache]

I know you can use tape on them with no ill effect, I saw the Leetle Lizard Halloween Costume!

do not use tape on snakes and I don't think Kyle did
I'll look again, but I believe those lizard legs were just placed, not attached
tape can damage their scales and skin when you take it off
when we moved last year, one of my snakes escaped and was found dead, stuck to some packing tape
the gruesome part was that apparently she had struggled so hard to get loose that she had ripped herself open

[infernalis]

Somehow a small piece of packing tape got stuck on a ribbon snake here once. Oh yea the snake took off at feeding time.

Anyhow, it was a freaky 10 minutes here getting it back off.

Not good at all.

It's extremely hard to tell, but look at the angle of the rear right one.

[drache]

you're right
Kyle - what did you use?

[infernalis]

The front left is elevated also.

It looks like 2 pieces of tape face to face to make a strap, hopefully without any exposed adhesive.

Rhea, your comment about the snake tearing itself brought to mind this awful glue trap thing I found listed for home and garden.

It's intended to lure in snakes and trap them in glue, just like the mouse traps do.

[drache]

I've heard about them - barbaric!