r/ballpython • u/CodeXred_924 • 11h ago
HELP - URGENT I need help
I feel so horrible for this, I believe this was my fault. She was stuck in a cramped spot and I must have tried to pull her and the tight space caught her skin. Please tell me what I can do. I don’t have the funds to take to a vet right now, so I’m just trying to figure out the best I personally can do for her. I just feel horrible this looks painful..
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10h ago
[deleted]
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u/FunUpstairs9769 10h ago
Just bc the op doesn't have the funds " right now " doesn't mean they cant afford their animal. If one of mine needed a vet right now I couldn't afford it. Two trips to north Arkansas from Texas to say goodbye and pay for my wife's grandmother's funeral Friday, takes a lot out of a bank account. You dont know the op's financial situation and to assume they cant afford a vet at this very moment is ignorant at best.
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u/Idk_nor_do_I_care 10h ago
Ummmmmmm, you should already have at least 50k saved up JUST for your snake???? Like, I think it’s SUPER IRRESPONSIBLE that you didn’t set aside enough money 🫤
Obviously this is sarcasm, people are ridiculous when it comes to vet stuff. People will also say that if you don’t have a reptile vet within 100 miles you shouldn’t be allowed to own any reptiles. If my guys needed actual vet care then yeah I would drive down, but I don’t need to go once every quarter for a reptile that is very active, eating well, pooping well, and looks well.
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u/infiltrating_enemies 10h ago
People genuinely get so insane about vets and vet costs. My local vet specialises in livestock (rural area), so local dog and cat owners have to make do with what we can. My household has an animal first aid kit to deal. My boy (cat, I don't have snakes) had to have an impromptu surgery after a routine procedure that I had the money for went wrong. I just put it on a payment plan with the surgery. Owners absolutely do not need to have vet funds, and while an emergency fund is 100% preferable, it isn't realistic for a lot of people in a lot of situations because if the current cost of living crises.
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u/TastyRiceMilk 10h ago
There’s a big difference between neglecting your pet and not being financially prepared for an unexpected emergency. Even responsible pet owners can fall on hard times.
Obviously the snake needs veterinary care, but telling someone they shouldn’t have pets when they’re already upset and asking for help is just unnecessary.
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u/Wooden_Initial_2472 10h ago
There are a billion reasons why someone would put aside vet money and still not have it when it suddenly comes up.
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u/DontBother777 10h ago
A vet visit would be ideal, but in the mean time you’re going to need to setup a quarantine tank. Paper towels for bedding and make sure there is nothing rough in the enclosure. To clean the area apply a bit of diluted iodine (should be the color of a weak tea) and follow with neosporin cream (must be free of pain relievers/numbing aid)
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u/TastyRiceMilk 10h ago
This is very helpful advice. I’d clean it with saline first then follow with diluted iodine
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u/TastyRiceMilk 10h ago
Keep the wound clean for now and just like the other comment mentioned, switch to paper towels so it doesn’t get irritated further. Gently rinse with sterile saline and avoid handling too much. We don’t want that wound getting infected. I can’t tell how deep the wound is, if it’s superficial or not
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u/Impressive_Umpire172 10h ago
Keep the wound clean for now. Rinse it with medical grade saline and set up a quarantine bin with paper towels. Change them once soilled (I do once a day anyways when I sent up a quarantine bin.)
They need heat to recover, so make sure it has a basking spot. Get it to the vet as soon as possible.
I'm sure it'll make a speedy recovery
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u/CosmicKyloRen 10h ago
You need to apply for care credit and take this snake to a vet. I'm sorry but this snake NEEDS a vet. This is the only way because the skin is literally coming off and you are looking at the muscle underneath. This absolutely requires stitches in the hopes the skin and scales will be in the right place and function correctly again. I'm sorry. There is no home remedy for this.
For future advice and to anyone else seeing this post, 99.99% of the time, your snake is not stuck. They puff up and squeeze themselves into little spaces to feel safe. If they want to get out, they'll exhale and leave. On the extremely rare case they are stuck, break the object and never force them out. They don't understand what's happening and hurt themselves because they think you're a predator trying to get them out of safety to eat them.
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u/Wooden_Initial_2472 10h ago
I dont have a snake, but my skink went through a similar issue when he saw my face in UVB and bolted under a wall.
What I did was rub a very tiny amount of iodine on the wound daily and set up a hospital tank with paper towels for substrate. He healed up like new on the next shed.
If someone can adjust this information for a ball python, that would be great
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u/CodeXred_924 10h ago
Thank you all for the advice! I’m taking her to the vet right now, they have payment plans I can sign up for so thank you all!
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u/AmbientBeans 10h ago
It looks like it's not bleeding so it may look worse than it is but you want to totally remove any substrate and keep them in a sterile and clean rub or quarantine enclosure. They can still have a hide as long as it's clean and doesn't have any rough edges, ideally a smooth plastic one would be best. Same with the water dish, nothing with rocky jagged edges. You want to just put paper towels down for comfort and cleanliness and change it out every day.
You just want to make sure there's nothing that can get into the injury and cause infection. I can't advise on the best thing to put on the wound but others here may advise.
It may be that you do have to go to the vet if it's too large to close up on its own or if it doesn't dry out and scab over, or if it gets red or swollen or bleeds. The best you can do immediately is remove anything that could irritate or infect it and don't touch it
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u/Leopard_Luver 10h ago
Unfortunately, a vet is really your only option. You can’t fix this at home