Snake got Burned - HELP!!!!

[gnarhimself]

A friend of mine has a female okeetee corn,its about a year and a half old.
She moved it to a new cage,and left it to "settle"for a few days.On saturday morning,she called me and asked me to come over QUICKLY -
Her snake had moved the substrate,and climbed direcltly onto the heating pad that she has in the tank..
As far as i can see...it did get a little bit burnt...the skin "feels" like a shed skin,and the skin is split in certain areas...the tail has about 1cm of a black tip,other than that there are NO other signs of strain or injury.

From what I have read with regards to the 'black-tip",it will eventually die and fall off,I'm a bit worried about that,and the burn's on the skin ..

(I gently let her snake move through a damp (clean) cloth,to try and remove as much of the burnt skin as possible.)
She's still incredibly active & friendsly as always,and except for the tail tip being black,it doesnt look too detremental to her health

Has this happenened to anyone else on the forums,and what would the BEST possible solution be ?? Will the skin heal by itself after a few shedding...

BTW: its back in the original cage where it cannot be burnt any further..


:sobstory:

[Tula_Montage]

The heat mat was obviously regulated with a thermostat... a small investment for the sake of the snake.

If it was, it would have never topped the 80-86 gradient therefore there would have not been a problem.

Suggest to you friend to buy one of these, I hear lamp dimmers do the same job but I have no experience with these.

I know theres some ointments you can buy from drug stores... the name slips my mind atm, but when someone older and wiser comes along im sure they can tell you.

[gnarhimself]

Hi Tula

Thanks for the help..
The heatmat wasnt regulated by a thermostat,I will personally be sorting that problem out for her this weekend.....but unfortunatly the damage has already been done.... :cry:

I hope that she pulls through though,im sure a couple of sheddings will also help with the healing process..(as will the ointment)

Many Thanks

[Tula_Montage]

also, what i find works wondering in vivs where the mat has to be inside, is an old sheet of photoframe glass on top of the mat. Means no direct contact with the mat. Of course many layers of newspaper also help

[gnarhimself]

Thanks Tula

In my own cages,i have regulators and thermostats,my heating pads are ALSO in the cage,but have "taped" it down,and have a 2mm sheet of perspex that i lay down over the heating pad..So there's NO way my critters can come into direct contact with the heat source..

Do you think that the damage done could be fatal??
Temps in the "mentioned" cage was 34' Celcius...Which is a bit higher than the usual...I have no idea how long the snake was on the heating pad for...

There's no "discharge" of any kind from the wounds,the best description i would be able to give is it looks like it "melted"
I have spoken to some people here in south africa,and explained the situation to them,and they have suggested an ointment called "bactroban",which is non toxic,or letal to snakes.It has also been mentioned to me that Pythons are usauly the only critters that pull through from burns....
I will try get some pictures and post them (of the damage).

I really am hoping she pulls through.. :shrugs:

[Oobie Doobie Noobie]

Did you test the temps with a thermometer??

[gnarhimself]

Did you test the temps with a thermometer??

Yes i did,when it happened,i tested with a normal thermometer & a temp gun...both were around 34' Ceclius....
Which as far as i know wouldnt be hot enough to do any serious damage.....
The only thing that i can even think of is that the heating pad is faulty,and maybe a heat increase was produced by a short..

Snakes are thermoregulatory so obviously they need some kind of heat source,but wouldnt this also act in reverse as well...if you're getting too hot,find a cooler spot??
Surely if the snake was getting hot it would "simply" move off the heat source and move to a cooler gradient??

I have been given some advice from the local forums,and my friend has place the snake back into its original (now sterilized cage),with multiple layers of newspaper as the substrate,and a dosage of "bactroban" (suggested on the local forums"

http://www.intekom.com/pharm/smith_kb/bban_ung.html
:-offtopic

:shrugs:

[:..becca..:]

Now do you understand what i am trying to say in my threads that the snake can stick to the heating pad? Well sorry to hear about the snake.

~becca

[Daeraelle]

Now do you understand what i am trying to say in my threads that the snake can stick to the heating pad? Well sorry to hear about the snake.

~becca

Just because the snake was burned doesn't mean it ever "stuck" to anything.

[:..becca..:]

Just because the snake was burned doesn't mean it ever "stuck" to anything.
Lol, I just checked. That was my sister's thread. I guess i looked at it to much. Lol, Well i suppose you are right. It probably never "stuck" to anything. Maybe the heating pad got a little to hot and he got burned. Sorry again about the snake.
~becca

[gnarhimself]

Well I opened the heating pad last night,and the wiring had also melted,so seems that might have been the problem..

She' NOT an okeetee as I first stated (my apologies for that... :-offtopic )

Here's her burn pics
Her black tip tail
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/EPSN0003.jpg

Some burns on her belly
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/EPSN0013.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/EPSN0006.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/EPSN0010.jpg

i have also noticed that she seems to be going into "blue".Could this be due to the burns?

[Oobie Doobie Noobie]

Nice clear pictures GnarlHimself :-offtopic

The burns dont look too bad IMHO,a couple of shed's and she should be good as new...
The picture of the tail looks like a shedding gone bad,so worst case scenario i would assume that the tip will probably fall off..

[gnarhimself]

Thanks Oobie Doobie Newbie.

She's getting a twice daily treatment of Bactroban,and is safe and sound in a sterilized cage,with "non printed" newspaper (didnt want to risk even the slightest bit of ink getting into those wounds)

The wounds actually do look a lot less worse than they did over the weekend,and like I said: she seems to be going into "blue" in an attemp to try and heal as quick as possible.. (i could be wrong)

The tail is actually (even though it may look like it) not a result of poor shedding,as she always seems to shed in one piece,and i cannot recall her tail tip ever looking like that....

:shrugs:

[MegF.]

It may be that you didn't notice the tail tip was bad until she started to go blue and get ready to shed. I have to really check my corns tail in indirect lighting to see if there's still a shed on there sometimes. It looks like a stuck shed to me too. In the meantime, you can place her on clean paper towels and treat the burn with neosporin if needed. She might shed it off immediately if you're lucky and have no further problems.

[gnarhimself]

Thanks MegF

Thats what I have been thinking lately,chances are I just didnt notice here tail tip...
She's still in her cage,getting the usual dosage (twice daily)of bactroban,and her wounds seem to be healing very nicely so far...

Unfortunatly she's not shed...YET,so I'm hoping that it will shed off (like you said)..
:shrugs:

[gnarhimself]

Hi all..

She seems to be healing from the burns,she's no longer in blue,but does seem like her belly is still milky.
I tried feeding her on saturday,and she refused,now I'm not sure if this is because of her injuries or if this is due to her being in blue for the last couple of days...
I will try feeding her again on Thurday or Friday,but just wanted to keep you all in the loop


:crazy02:

[dawnrenee2000]

Thanks for the update. It is so sad when any of our animals get injured because we dont want them to be stressed or suffer in any way. It sounds like your taking good care of the situation. Best wishes to you

[gnarhimself]

Thanks Dawnrenee2000..

All i can do is try... :shrugs:

[gnarhimself]

Had a look at her again last night,the wounds still seem to be the same as a few days ago,another dose of bactroban was administered.I changed the unprinted newpaper again last night,which im doing every 2-3 days.(trying to disturb her as little as possible)

She's looking even more "milky" than she did 3 nights ago,so I'm not sure if the bactroban is going to be effective enough...??

She should be shedding soon,so as soon as she does,i should be able to take more pics,and do a better assessment of her injuries.
If the tail-tip doesnt come off in her next shedding,is there anything I should/could do to "assist" with it coming off...?? Or should i just leave it to fall off by itself?

[dawnrenee2000]

Just leave it to fall off by itself and when it does apply antibiotic ointment directly to the area. Sadly enough many snakes lose the tip of their tails due to bad sheds. Your snake's issue is a bit worse than that right now, but I feel he will be fine.

[kathylove]

It doesn't actually look as bad as I thought it might from the email you sent me. The tail looks kind of bad, but tails are expendable if necessary. I would think the ointment will keep it moist to assist in shedding.

I have used a cream with silver in it for burns - seems to work well in people. There was also an ointment many years ago called Furacin, or something similar. I don't know if they still make it or if it would have a different brand name in another country. It worked great on burns in people too. If you can find either one, you might alternate it with what you are using.

As I mentioned in the email, don't be surprised if it goes into one shed after another to heal the injury. Just try to feed in between sheds.

Good luck!

[gnarhimself]

It doesn't actually look as bad as I thought it might from the email you sent me. The tail looks kind of bad, but tails are expendable if necessary. I would think the ointment will keep it moist to assist in shedding.
They burns looked severe when I first saw them,and that when the "panic" set in,the pics i posted were taken about 2days later,and there was great improvement.

I have used a cream with silver in it for burns - seems to work well in people. There was also an ointment many years ago called Furacin, or something similar. I don't know if they still make it or if it would have a different brand name in another country. It worked great on burns in people too. If you can find either one, you might alternate it with what you are using..
I'll contact the local pharmacy & see if they have Furacin,or something similar,I know that we have band-aids with silver in it,so I'm convinced we should have a cream available as well...
Thanks again for all the help Kathy.
I will keep this thread updated constantly. :cheers:

[diamondlil]

looks like you are doing a good job, will you be keeping this snake or giving it back to the original owner?

[gnarhimself]

looks like you are doing a good job, will you be keeping this snake or giving it back to the original owner?

Hi Janine,I'm honestly thinking about keeping her,I've only been looking after her for about 2 weeks now,but have grown quite attached.
I have already fixed the owners cage up with a new heating pad,thermometers & regulators,so if i do give her back,I am convinced that she wont get burnt again..

PS: I WANNA KEEP HER!

[diamondlil]

somehow I'm not surprised, Bryan! I can't believe the heatpad shorted out like that, the owner must be so upset even though it was a total accident

[gnarhimself]

somehow I'm not surprised, Bryan! I can't believe the heatpad shorted out like that, the owner must be so upset even though it was a total accident

Low quality heat pad,maybe just a "dud",who know,I replaced it with one if the top brands here in SA,so the chances are slim to none for that happening again.Accidents do happen,and I think I was more upset with the owner that anything else. :grin01:

[gnarhimself]

There was also an ointment many years ago called Furacin, or something similar. I don't know if they still make it or if it would have a different brand name in another country. It worked great on burns in people too. If you can find either one, you might alternate it with what you are using.

Hi Kathy,I have found a pharmacy close to home that does still stock furacin,so i will be collecting a tube or two tonight after work.

(I think the pharmacist thinks I'm nuts.He asked what I would be using it for,and after telling him....there was a long awkward silence before he said "riiiiigggghhhht") :crazy02:

[Oobie Doobie Noobie]

Thanks for the update Gnarl

Could you maybe get some more pics of the little guy?

[gnarhimself]

She finally shed,and has also had a meal.
The burns dont look as bad as they did,here's some pictures
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/HEAL/EPSN0029.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/HEAL/EPSN0028.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/HEAL/EPSN0027.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/HEAL/EPSN0026.jpg

BUT:
there's concern on her tail,she didnt shed all the way,and on closer inspection,i could see that there were still some "raw" injuries
Here's some pictures
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/HEAL/EPSN0025.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/HEAL/EPSN0024.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/HEAL/EPSN0020.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/HEAL/CopyofEPSN0020.jpg

On the local forums it was suggested using a toothpick and remove as much of the excess skin as possible,but the black part of the tail is too small,and with the injury on the tip of her tail,I didnt wanna risk hurting her any more.
I did try soaking the tail in some water to try and soften the black tip,but have had no luck.
I have also put on another small dose of Bacroban and Furacin (alternating),and she is back in her cage.

:shrugs:

[Oobie Doobie Noobie]

He looks a lot better Gnarl
The burns dont look so bad.
I would also use a toothpic or something sharp to try get rid of the shedded skin

[gnarhimself]

Thanks Oobie Doobie Noobie.

I am not going to try anything with the tail just yet,for now I am applying Furacin and Bactroban twice daily on alternating days.

I'm choosing not to irritate the open wounds by trying to fix the tail,if the wound wasnt there,then I would have contemplated using the toothpick idea to remove the skin.
I'm also still applying the ointment to the tail tip,in the hopes of softning it before her next shed.
Since she is eating,I am relieved that the burns obviously could not have caused an internal injuries. (I assume).
All i can do is hope that the wound heals and that her tail will be right as rain before her next shed.

:cheers:

[gnarhimself]

Have been using the Bactroban & the Furacin,so far so good.
The tip of the tail hasnt come off yet.
The pics I'm posting shows that there's still some discolouration,and some disfiguration,from the extent of the injuries.

I have no unprinted newpaper left so I am using normal newspaper (for the meantime)
She's eating well,and ate a mouse on saturday with no problems at all
All the wounds except for her tail have mended quite nicely.

Here's the latest pics of her tail

http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/EPSN0028.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/EPSN0027.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/EPSN0026.jpg

@ Janine (Diamondlil)
She's become a member of my collection.
:cheers:

[diamondlil]

:cheers: I thought she might!

[gnarhimself]

:cheers: I thought she might!

LOL,I couldnt help it...
I'm just hoping that the tail heals...

[gnarhimself]

Last night when I got home,and took her out of her cage to give her another dosage of bactoban and Furacin saw that she's going into "blue" again,her last shed was just over a week ago,so Im guessing that the shedding is still due to the injury and the fact that she is eating healthy.



:crazy02:

[Infinite]

Sorry to hear about your snakes burns, but it looks like they are all healing nicely, apart from the tail tip but by what other members have said that doesn't seem to be life threatening.

Plus she is eating still so she doesn't seem stressed at all. Good job with your healing process

[gnarhimself]

Thanks for the compliment Infinite.
I will be updating (with pics) again on Monday or Tuesday hopefully.My Camera is on loan.. :shrugs:

She's looking really amazing,even while in blue.

[diamondlil]

Looking forwards to the new pics, she's doing great in your care

[gnarhimself]

Thanks Janine,
She is doing so well,for obvious reasons there's still some concern about the tip of her tail,but that seems to be the ONLY remaining problem from the burns.
She's putting on some weight (not sure how much),but it IS clealy visible.She's on the mend,and that's just great. :crazy02:

[Okeetee_Corn_Snakes]

Wow, thats some tail. I am glad to hear that you are taking as much care of her as you can, she'll thank you for it ^^. I am also happy that she is now part of your collection. Many congratulations to you and I hope that she continues to improve! :wavey:

-Grace

[gnarhimself]

Wow, thats some tail. I am glad to hear that you are taking as much care of her as you can, she'll thank you for it ^^. I am also happy that she is now part of your collection. Many congratulations to you and I hope that she continues to improve! :wavey:

-Grace

Thanks Grace.
:cheers:

[gnarhimself]

Got home last night,and she had shed during the day.She's also lost the tip of her tail as well,about 1,5cm of it in total.

Here's the latest pics.
These were taken on Saturday
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/5th%20September/EPSN0040.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/5th%20September/EPSN0039.jpg

These were taken last night
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/5th%20September/EPSN0054.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/5th%20September/EPSN0051.jpg
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/5th%20September/EPSN0049.jpg

Here's the tip of the tail that came off
http://i83.photobucket.com/albums/j303/gnarhimself/burnt/5th%20September/EPSN0053.jpg

[Lore]

:eek1: OMG... that looks TERRIBLE :cry: This is a great thread to use to emphasize how important using rheostats and thermostats is. :uhoh:

[gnarhimself]

Hi SilentLore,
She does look terrible :cry: ,but i believe she's on the mend,and she did look much worse when I "adopted" her,my only hope is that this heals ASAP.

Its been a long road,and although she looks to be in pretty bad shape,she was in a hectically bad state to start off with.. :sobstory:

[Traikun]

Wow, that's terrifying. Glad to see you've taken such good care of her.

More than ever, this makes me want to be sure that when I set up my first viv, that its done to the max, for sure. Had no intention of skimping on it, but now having seen what can come of it, I want to make 100% Ive taken every necessary precaution.

[gnarhimself]

Thanks Traikun
Yeah,make sure that everythings 100% fully operational and that all temps are correct...
Good luck with your viv :cheers:

[Oobie Doobie Noobie]

Hey Gnarl
Hows the little guy doing,I see its been a while since you posted on this thread.
:shrugs:

[gnarhimself]

Hey Gnarl
Hows the little guy doing,I see its been a while since you posted on this thread.
:shrugs:

Hi oobie,yeah,I have had to give her back to the owner,but i have been monitoring her well being quite carefully.Next time im at my friend's place I will try and get you guys some new pics and give you an update.

:crazy02:

[KJUN]

If you do use something from thestore instead of a proper cream, do NOT get one with pain-killer. The amount of pain-killer in those creams is designed for a human (large and mammal). It could bean OD for a small snake. We've seen it kill a chameleon with minor burns on its hands because the owner didn't listen to the advice given. Stupid owner.

[gnarhimself]

If you do use something from thestore instead of a proper cream, do NOT get one with pain-killer. The amount of pain-killer in those creams is designed for a human (large and mammal). It could bean OD for a small snake. We've seen it kill a chameleon with minor burns on its hands because the owner didn't listen to the advice given. Stupid owner.

Yeah,I used an ointment with NO Pain killer at all,it was suggested that the pain killer could be fatal to the snake.
She's healed up very nicely,and is doing great.
:cheers:

[diamondlil]

I'm glad she's done so well, and it's really nice of you to give her back. If I remember it correctly it was all a mistake and not due to the owner at all?

[gnarhimself]

Hey Janine,
Yeah it was all just a mistake,she's doing great,and I must actually make a turn there sometime,and get some updated pics.
I didnt want to give it back,because for obvious reasons,I became very attached...so that was aweful giving it back.
:cry: