Sooty Updates

[Snake lover 3-25]

o it is kind of coming off..... i was holding her for chin pics but it's really crused...... could it be blood??? not enough light for good pics..... can't even tell the snake from my hand..... my camera sucks..... but it seems to be crusted in between the scales under her skin but when she flattens her head to get away wile i'm holding her it's rubbing off.....

[jeanette]

the easiest way to tell if its blood is with a wet paper towel if the towel turns reddish brown with the flakes that are rubbing off then its probably blood

[Snake lover 3-25]

nope.... their black.......... o..... wait..... think it's dirt???? i forgot i tried to feed her a worm the other day...... could it be caked on worm poop?????


i give up on taking pics of her chin...... she won't cooperate and i don't to risk hurting her or her unborn young....

[Zephyr]

I don't see anything to worry about from the pics... Perhaps you're just a little hyped from the upcoming motherhood. :P

[Snake lover 3-25]

maybe..... but i'll be even more worried if she doesn't have them soon!!!!!!!

[Zephyr]

maybe..... but i'll be even more worried if she doesn't have them soon!!!!!!!

2 weeks off feed doesn't seem like much to me...
And if she's getting ready to shed or something, then it makes even more sense. My ribbon's been off feed for about 2 weeks and she just turned blue today, so I'm not concerned.

[infernalis]

OK I'm going to go out on a limb here, Trust me 100 percent please
I wanted to PM this, and you have PM messages blocked. I don't advocate nor encourage ANYONE to play doctor by reading this.

You may have to ask a vet, or even a human doctor to give the prescription to you, or get some from a friend, or maybe you have some already.

1 percent Silver sulfadiazine cream works miracles. It is an antibiotic cream used primarily for burn victims, and is completely safe for reptiles, it is not a controlled substance nor really a drug, its just a very effective antibiotic cream tested and proven on snakes.

The creams they sell over the counter at human pharmacies or ANY untested treatment intended for anything but reptiles can be fatal, so please do not go buy any creams from "human stores" unless it is known and proven to be effective treating a snake.

do not allow the snake to ingest any, it is poison if taken internally rub some very lightly over any missing scales, and if it is an injury it will prevent infection, if it is an infection, this will kill it. just a tiny dab on a q-tip, and apply to the skin where the scales used to be. do this each evening before you go to bed, the snake will bed down and not "wipe it off" crawling about.

Keep the enclosure as clean as possible, keep the water fresh, and keep the feedings down to a dull roar. Garters will gorge themselves if allowed to.

Zoo med also makes a snake spray called "repti wound healing aid" it's only about $5 a bottle and sold at petco or any bigger pet store.

Missing scales will take more than one shed cycle to return, and there may be some scars afterward, but I have caught snakes that looked like they were in a war, with a little TLC, they came back just fine.

Each and every time I go to see the vet, I keep all the paperwork, diagnosis, symptoms and treatment. That way (in todays economy anyways) when I encounter similar conditions, I know what to do.

The best thing to do is just go see a vet, I understand that unfortunately not everyone can afford to take a garter caught in the yard for a $100 vet visit.

Healthy appetite, and activity are good signs, restlessness is not, and may be an indication of pain.

My little male Puget had 2 blisters that looked like pimples, he suddenly went from Mr quiet, fun to hold to biting me every time I put my hand in his tank, once the pain meds started working, he stopped and returned to normal behavior. (vet prescribed for him, I bit the bullet and took him in)

Without knowing the weight of the snake, and the fact that forcing oral antibiotics is not an easy job, and if unnecessary would only add additional stress, and finally advice from a total stranger on an open forum is never a substitute for seeing a vet, I will not be discussing any oral antibiotics, treatments or pain meds on open forum.

Best of luck with sooty!

Kind regards,
Wayne A. Harvey

[Snake lover 3-25]

i think she's restless bc she wants to get out and have her babies... my other famale did the same 2 wks ago and she was wc as well.... but i'll try bacitracin..... i've used it to bring a snake bach from being so badly injured that you could literally see it's organs and it healed her perfect with only a scar to show but i think that i'll refrain from doing anything unless it gets worse.... it may just be my eyes playing tricks on me...... haven't gotten a full nights sleep in about 3 wks........