OMG! Need Help- Good News Bad News :(

3 days ago on feeding day, I had an escape. It was my favorite, Arrow. I was sick. We tried a few tricks I read about hear, flour, bottle trap, blocking all small cracks up. I gave it up as lost. Just now, I was walking through the living room and was gonna check a pinky under the couch I set out earlier today, and SAW HIM sticking out his tail from under a fishtank stand!! YAY I'm so happy to get him back!:dancer:

BUT- I got help to cover the other side if he fled that direction when I was going to grab his tail. We snyuck up on him, I grabbed him and said to my sis to grab him by his front half which I couldn't see. I tugged a tiny bit, he wasn't budging. My sis said STOP! he's stuck!" And OMG he is stuck in some duct tape that was taped on the stand for some reason.

We got him out with the tape on him, and its on his head. Its on his neck, not eyes or mouth, its all around like a scarf.
How can I get it off without hurting him? We put some olive oil with a Qtipon the tape(her idea), but I didn't try pulling at it. I wanted to see if anyone knows what I should do. I don't know if there is a vet open on Sunday. He is really scared and I put him in his house to get on here. Can I save him? I'm really scared too that if I try any solvent near him it'll kill him. Any help is good. Im a grown man and Im almost crying right now over this I don't know how he got out. I'm always checking them. OK not almost now I am kinda crying hes my favorite.

should I go get my camera to show how bad it is so you can tell me how to unstick him? Thanks anybody that can give me anyadvice.

Keep at it with the oil....rub it in real good between the tape and the snake. It will come off...I did that with my first corn waaay back when. I used vegetable Oil.

Glad and sad. Here's a recent similar thread, maybe some help
http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61732

I agree with everyone about the oil. If that isn't working I might even try a little WD40. Carefully. Don't tell anyone that I said that. WD40 is pretty safe and has great penetrating qualities.

I think you're going to be OK. If you can't get it all off, cut off all you can without risking hurting the snake. Cut off all the loose stuff. The rest will come of with the next shed.

Good luck.

Whew! Thanks, I didn't know about using oil or what. I used olive oil, couldnt find the vegetable oil. Mostly he tired out and letme swab him. We did get the tape off! we worked on him 10 min and then let him rest a few and then another few mins trying. It was pain for both him and us. It was almost off and I let him rest again, he got it off the last bit himself squirming around then.
I was careful not to tear his skin, and he looks like no injury, there are faint scale imprints on the tape, but he doesn't look bad. but I can't be sure so we're going to the vet asap tomorrow.
ok now, should put him on paper towels so he isn't scratched by the aspen?

I know I brought bad vibes on myself asking questions here and there on the net about things that are a little beyond what I know. I feel bad because of that plan to scope cells and test them. I had that plan just about 2 or 3 days ago and said something about it yesterday morning. I brought this on myself. Please don't hate me because I want to know things and push my study of pets past what is safe. I can't ever go through w/ that now. This is enough trauma for all my pets for the rest of my life. I have a fear of God and see this as call to me to just Stop what I do and settle down stop trying to be what I am not. I'm not any sort of doctor or even any professional academic...

I think I will ask Rich if he'll delete that thread, because it hurts now to think I would run lab tests on my Pets.

Thankyou people for helping and I will post how Arrow's getting on. I was scared more than anything else. I still am coming upon things that I've never seen all the time. I promise I'll be a better keeper and "stay in my own backyard".
Sorry for this epic-long post. ~Paul S.

If it were me, I would be inclined to put him on paper towels, at least untill he next sheds.

He could well enter his next shed cycle a bit earlier than usual, but this is nothing to worry about, it's his way of healing himself.
Putting him on paper towels will mean you will be able to monitor him more easily and guard against any irritation from loose substrate, to any sore spots that may appear.
If he does show signs of scale loss or it starts to look sore, you can use neosporin(sp?) to prevent infection.

The other thing you can do for him right now, is give him plenty of rest, with little or no handling, to allow him to get over the trauma of the escape and being stuck/removed from the tape.

May I also suggest you hold off on his next fed for a few days to a week, to give him time to settle back in his home again, as if he were a new aquisition.

I think you've done the best you can for him so far and I hope he gets over his little adventure without any problems. I'm sure he'll be fine with a little TLC.

Good luck and best wishes,

Update on Arrow- Just Fine!

He's doing really well I've kept him at 65-70% humidity in a really dim-lit tub w/ paper towels, temps raised to 85 on the hotside. I invited a local boa guy to come look at him and give me a ride to a vet near Cleveland. He looked Arrow over, and told me not to worry.
We rehoused him and he left to come back with Bacitrin ointment as a precaution against infection to be applied every other day for a week. I fed him slightly smaller meals until next shed than I would so his skin wouldn't be stretched too much, and no handling.

He's in pre-shed today, so in a few more days, he should be AOK.

I'm going to have to make a rack setup if I keep more than a couple corns. Elastic bands on the tubs aren't cutting it anymore(my males are getting restless now )

That's good to read. Nice thing about snakes, new skin.

That is so good to hear. I am glad Arrow is doing well after his scare.

Hey omni, I'm really pleased to hear Arrow is A-OK after his little adventure and I bet he'll look real good in his new skin!

Hopefully he won't try that again...lol...but you did good!

Best wishes,