a good pic of injury (finally got it)

[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"