description pending picture !!

[snakems]

Im going to be posting pictures up of snakems "cat fight" battle scars probably later today, whenever I can get my computer to stop being so slow at some point. She really does seem to be healing so well from what I can tell.
By her actions now you'd never know she was ever bitten, but I am a little worried about the look of some of her scales where they were broken. Especially a few places along her ventral scales. Though they are not swollen anymore (which I see as a very good thing) and theres no leakage of blood or anything else from the wounds and hasnt been since the very first day, its just that they seem to be tinged with yellow or even a light brown color. This might just be the healing process and be what happens when the scales are shedding so that she can be all fresh and new and I know that reptiles heal slowly but in general this worries me, I think because of the color and my associating it with being "dirty". If I look at her underside up close in the daylight I can see a muttled appearance along the broken scales and I'd like to just WIPE it away and clean it, however its not that it actually has anything ON it lol
I have severe ocd & find it mostly comes out in fear of contaminants and things I consider "dirty"
I KNOW for a fact it hasnt a THING to do with the condition of her tank, as I keep it the cleanest literally POSSIBLE. and the bottom of her tank is lined with paper towels so I can see any mess AT ALL she makes and promptly clean it. I also change the water twice daily and clean her little den(where she mostly hides) once a day just in case theres an excrement that I wouldnt see inside of that. As far as stressors go, she is still quite active yet not jumpy or shifty so I dont think she's under any stress than she's ever been before. She acts as normal as she always has and I've been cleaning her still once a day with q-tips with iodine. A few minutes afterwards I gently rinse her in warm water only because I get the feeling iodine probably isnt something she should really come into much contact with in its concentrated form and Im scared to let it dry on her. Yet I dont want to risk infection, so Im scared not to use it. I cant wait to hear what you guys think of what this looks like. It might sound silly but I feel so much better getting another's opinion, especially those who may be more educated on the subject than myself.
once again thanks for listening

[drache]

if there is no swelling or seepage, I wouldn't be concerned
it sounds like you are taking great care
I don't worry as much about using an ointment on a snake as I would on a mammal, because snakes don't lick themselves, and the only time they would pick up something from their surroundings, is if it's stuck to their food
don't remember why, but I never use anything alcohol based on them
instead I use hydrogen peroxide or chlor hexidine (nolvasan) for wound cleaning
given that she is recovering from an injury, you can expect her to shed some time soon

[snakems]

if there is no swelling or seepage, I wouldn't be concerned
it sounds like you are taking great care
I don't worry as much about using an ointment on a snake as I would on a mammal, because snakes don't lick themselves, and the only time they would pick up something from their surroundings, is if it's stuck to their food
don't remember why, but I never use anything alcohol based on them
instead I use hydrogen peroxide or chlor hexidine (nolvasan) for wound cleaning
given that she is recovering from an injury, you can expect her to shed some time soon

thanks for your input!
I've always loved snakes my whole life and had many an encounter with snakes of all kinds in the wild, but this whole pet snake thing is new to me. I want to be sure to take good care of her until i release her in the spring.
I get the feeling she is old, because of the scars she had when I found her and the wearing of her scales, but other than those things she has always seemed very healthy, with a good appetite and quite active, so the marks ive always credited to her possibly being elderly lol ... either that or she was very unlucky in the wild with encountering predators and lived to tell about the incidents.

[adamanteus]

I'm looking forward to seeing those pictures, Sayra. Here's how to post them....
http://www.thamnophis.com/forum/site...-pictures.html
It sounds as though you're doing a great job in caring for Snakems.

[snakems]

so im wondering.... I dont know how many people will even look in this thread again but is betadine (iodine) the right thing to be using on her wounds?
I did research immediately after this happened and it was what I saw people recommending the most so I went with it =/

[Snake lover 3-25]

um i don't know.... i know it's good for dogs............ i know bacitracin and neosporin work wonders and are easily obtained....

[reptile3]

so im wondering.... I dont know how many people will even look in this thread again but is betadine (iodine) the right thing to be using on her wounds?
I did research immediately after this happened and it was what I saw people recommending the most so I went with it =/

this is from Melissa Kaplan's site
Garter Snakes

Injuries, such as cuts, burns and scrapes can be prevented by assuring there are no sharp objects in the enclosure and that all heating equipment is properly shielded from contact. Injuries should be promptly treated to ensure against secondary bacterial infections. Topical applications of Betadine (povodine-iodine) and triple antibiotic ointment may be used and the causative conditions corrected. Bites may occur when more than one snake is housed together; they should be treated as any other cut or scrape, and the site watched for any signs of swelling. Crush injuries (caused by trying to escape or being caught trying to squeeze through a gap in the furnishings) should be seen by a vet as soon as possible to check for broken bones and other signs of internal injury.

[Snake lover 3-25]

yup looks good to me...... i just like bacitracin because it makes the cut heal from the inside out and doesn't let it scab..... which makes it heal faster and with less scaring.... but we're using betadine on my dog right now and it seems to be working too so i think they're both good....

[guidofatherof5]

This stuff work wonders on any injuries or infections my snakes have had.
Had my Vet. phone it into Sam's Club. Cost $4

[snakems]

This stuff work wonders on any injuries or infections my snakes have had.
Had my Vet. phone it into Sam's Club. Cost $4

thanks! as of right now I cannot afford to bring her to a vet =/
which makes me very sad but hopefully if it IS something thats going to need more than what Im doing now, she will be ok until I can in a couple of weeks.