Baby Garter Mouth Injury

[infernalis]

I hope it is not as bad as it looks in the pictures.

So OK we have a flicking tongue, this is a good sign, it looks like it would be painful to eat, however snakes are wonderful healers.

I'd stop trying to feed it, keep handling to a very bare minimum and see what happens.

[dnovak1236]

Should I try to give him some water on my finger? It is pretty nasty but I feel like he has so much life in him. Thanks so much.

[infernalis]

Yes hydration is important for healing...

Please don't think I'm at all trying to be pessimistic or bring you down, I just don't want to get your hopes up too high, and then have your heart broken later.

Any food and or water is all good.

You and your snakie are in my thoughts.

WAIT Hold the press - Is this snake brown? It looks like it's brown in the photos.

[drache]

that looks pretty nasty
I second Wayne's recommendation - water, minimal handling
if you could get the little beast to a vet that would be great, but with something like that you'd need a vet who has experience with snakes I think
and Wayne - I think it's a dekayi

[Garter_Gertie]

Wayne, I was thinking it's a Dekayi, too... It's so little. But I'm no good at identifying snakes.

Maybe if a Dekayi it will take slugs????????

[crzy_kevo]

i agree id say it is a dekayi try getting some slugs to feed it

[jitami]

Awww, poor little guy. You've gotten some good advice already. Please keep us posted on his progress...

[dnovak1236]

Thank you all so much. I am not sure where to get slugs around here (we are in Illinois and the ground is pretty frosted over). Our pet store sells meal worms, wax worms, and night crawlers. Would a bait shop have them? I will look around in the morning to see what I can find. How long can a Dekayi go without food? Wilson does well and would eat all day if I let him (I will get a picture and post next time.... he is a handsome devil!) Again my many thanks and will keep you posted.

[tyflier]

Yea, I was thinking dekayi, too...

Anyhow...it doesn't look great, but it doesn't look fatal, either. It looks like there might be a cut on the back of the jaw. Is that true? If so, I would recommend getting him isolated and off of any substrate. You could use plain white paper towels, and it would help him heal cleaner.

It does look broken...this may require a vet to realign the lower jaw bone. You could try, but I don't recommend it unless you are familiar with recognizing the difference between a clean break and a jagged break by touch. If it's clean, it should go right in place. If it's jagged...it will take a qualified herp vet with a steady hand to get back in place. Either way...unless you're experienced it is best to go see a vet.

Until you can get to a vet, treat that cut, if it is a cut, and get him on clean, white papertowels with heat and hides. IF you can find some slugs, you could offer them to him. But a vet trip is definitely in this little guy's future...

[infernalis]

I sure wonder how this all turned out???