large cut

[snakegirl909]

Oh OK You got me worried!

[ConcinusMan]

I see him over by the water dish daily, but just drinking. Are you guys saying that my snake isn't healthy if he's not soaking?

My snakes don't soak unless they're brumating.

Are you guys saying that my snake isn't healthy if he's not soaking?

No, somebody said their snakes have only soaked when they had health problems. That doesn't mean the soaking was due to health problems. Whether a snake soaks or not has nothing to do with their health. There's no need to obsess over whether snake is soaking or not. They soak when and if they want to, for a variety of reasons. It doesn't necessarily mean anything.

How often do garter snakes go into shed?

Whenever they outgrow their skin they shed. It can only stretch so far before it becomes too tight. When they go cloudy it's a new skin forming under the old one. Once they shed, the new skin expands to fit better than the old one did.

Humidity helps with the shedding process. If conditions are too dry, shedding may be difficult. Humidity has nothing to do with how often they shed. They shed when they outgrow it. Therefore, young, rapidly growing snakes shed more often (as often as every 3-6 weeks) than adults.(older larger adults might shed only only once or twice a year)

The frequency is influenced by many environmental and physiological factors so the frequency does not remain regular and constant through their entire lives.

[snakegirl909]

Hello!
He's doing fine. He's is eating well. Not much else to say really. I've put in a bigger water dish. His colors look dull, so I'm thinking he's starting to go into shed. I'm very happy, and hoping I will be able to release him in spring.

[guidofatherof5]

Wonderful update. Glad to hear things are going well.
You're doing a great job.

[ConcinusMan]

Hello!
He's doing fine. He's is eating well. Not much else to say really. I've put in a bigger water dish. His colors look dull, so I'm thinking he's starting to go into shed. I'm very happy, and hoping I will be able to release him in spring.

Awesome. I kept expecting to get n update that it died but it appears it will probably live. Well done.

[guidofatherof5]

Awesome. I kept expecting to get n update that it died but it appears it will probably live. Well done.

Negative Nancy.

[snakegirl909]

bad news!!!
He is still alive (if that can be considered good news....?)
BUT....
His cut looks awful! The scales around it turned a yellow-brown color, and the cut is slimy looking. He has also refused to eat .
I'm really nervous!!!

[guidofatherof5]

Do you have any silver sulfadiazine? If not, a week betadine solution would be good.

When was the last shed?

[ConcinusMan]

Negative Nancy.

Not really. It's more to do with the odds and track record around here with injured rescues. We usually either hear nothing back, or if we do, it's to report the snake died. Most of the time that's just how it goes.

bad news!!!
He is still alive (if that can be considered good news....?)
BUT....
His cut looks awful! The scales around it turned a yellow-brown color, and the cut is slimy looking. He has also refused to eat .
I'm really nervous!!!

Well there you go, it's not over yet. Pics would help. Could just be a scab over has broken open or it could be infection / fungus. It would help if we could see it. And I'm not sure if youre aware of this or not, but you really shouldn't feed an injured snake until it has weeks of healing behind it unless it's really starving and weak. They heal faster if they don't have to deal with digestion because there is a metabolic cost. One that should be directed at healing and immunity, not digesting food. They aren't like us. Digesting food slows healing significantly.

[snakegirl909]

Well there you go, it's not over yet. Pics would help. Could just be a scab over has broken open or it could be infection / fungus. It would help if we could see it. And I'm not sure if youre aware of this or not, but you really shouldn't feed an injured snake until it has weeks of healing behind it unless it's really starving and weak. They heal faster if they don't have to deal with digestion because there is a metabolic cost. One that should be directed at healing and immunity, not digesting food. They aren't like us. Digesting food slows healing significantly.

Everyone else told me to feed him...
I will try to upload some pics soon...