Emergency!

[Phoenixphire55]

Ugh, my 20 inch long kingsnake was slithering up on the ledge at the top of his cage where the lid meets the screen, and my awful cat scratched him through the screen and cut him open. He slithered down and went into his hide area and I don't know what to do. The cut is probably about half a centimeter long and its right by his cloaca. What can I do? :(:(:(:(:(

[wade]

Half a centimeter is not very long, is it deep? I think if it is not too deep you will be ok. Can you take a picture so we can see it?

[wade]

Some people will tell you to put Neosporin on it. My vet so no, he thinks it makes the wound collect junk. Snakes are tough, I think you will be all right. Need to figure out a solution to the cat however. Do you have a gunnysack and a river near by?

[bitsy]

You need to find out how deep it is. If it's just surface damage to scales then you'll be fine. If it's scratched the skin underneath, you might want to switch to a newspaper substrate (if you're not already using one) to prevent the wound collecting dust & grit as it dries.

If you think the cat has actually managed to stick a claw deeper into the snake, then you may be in trouble if he has internal damage. Trouble is, there's not much you can do about that other than keep watch. Cats' claws are notorious for harbouring bacteria.

Sounds odd, but keep sniffing the wound - if it starts to smell bad, then it's infected and you need antibiotics. Vet time.

A photo would help.

[Susan]

I concur with what has already been said, and I will also suggest that you clean the wound every day. A nice daily wash with a good rinsing can do wonders in preventing infection.

[Lennycorn]

I concur with what has already been said, and I will also suggest that you clean the wound every day. A nice daily wash with a good rinsing can do wonders in preventing infection.

Do you mind explaining more? Wash with what?? ivory soap and rince with water. Your in the field that why I ask.

[Roy Munson]

Don't forget the brick. A gunnysack alone (unweighted) is inhumane.

[ForkedTung]

Do you mind explaining more? Wash with what?? ivory soap and rince with water. Your in the field that why I ask.

I would use a solution of water and antibacterial soap, and dry it thoroughly afterwords.

[Phoenixphire55]

well after taking my snake out and looking him over I can't find the wound anywhere. I may have been wrong when I thought the claw cut him open because I couldn't find any blood anywhere in the cage, I can't find a cut, and the snake is acting very normal, exploring his cage etc. I freaked out because when I saw the cat scratch the snake it looked like he was holding the snake there with his claw and the snake squirted out a straight stream of musk. Then when I grabbed the cat's paw away the snake fell back down to the substrate and it looked like his vent was open and I saw pink, however, maybe that was just what his vent looked like after squirting out a big stream of musk? Like I said, when I look for the wound I can't find anything.

[wade]

Well I'm glad you didn't over react. Actually, when a snakes musks you his little who who does come out a little. That must have been what you saw. Good for you.

[Carinata]

Ugh, my 20 inch long kingsnake was slithering up on the ledge at the top of his cage where the lid meets the screen, and my awful cat scratched him through the screen and cut him open. He slithered down and went into his hide area and I don't know what to do. The cut is probably about half a centimeter long and its right by his cloaca. What can I do? :(:(:(:(:(

Ok change the cage bedding to paper towl. Put JUST water and hides. Then swab the wound with peroxide 2x a day for 2 weeks or until the wound scabs over. Also if you up the heat by 1 or 2 degrees it will heat better. Just make sure the hmidity does not go up

[The_Thunderer]

Well I'm glad you didn't over react. Actually, when a snakes musks you his little who who does come out a little. That must have been what you saw. Good for you.

Yeah... I'm VERY sure that this is what happened. When catching wild snakes around here, I see how wide they "open up" to spray musk etc. at me...

Glad that your snake is okay. This kind of stuff is exactly why I'm not a cat fan... LOL.

[Carinata]

Actually kingsnake will often pop the cloaca. That means they pop small blood vesels in the colaca and will dribble bloods out of the cloaca

[LBoz]

Ok change the cage bedding to paper towl. Put JUST water and hides. Then swab the wound with peroxide 2x a day for 2 weeks or until the wound scabs over. Also if you up the heat by 1 or 2 degrees it will heat better. Just make sure the hmidity does not go upI respectfully disagree with the peroxide treatment. It's not even recommended for human abrasions anymore. HO3 can destroy healthy tissue which can be a portal for infection. I'd be more inclined to recommend the above poster who suggested soap and water. Good luck with him!

[Carinata]

Ok Lori, I did not know they reject that treatment. Kudos to you for updating me. I am gonna have to stop using/suggesting it.

[LBoz]

I mistakenly used H03. Should be H202.

[Susan]

Do you mind explaining more? Wash with what?? ivory soap and rince with water. Your in the field that why I ask.

Just about any soap would do. You don't have to go "all medical" with Betadine or Nolvasan scrub, an antibacterial hand soap is good, but not necessary, just something that will cleanse the wound and not be irritating. Ivory is just fine if that's what you have.

[Roy Munson]

I've mistakenly used C20H25N3O, so I guess you can be forgiven, Lori.

[Lennycorn]

Just about any soap would do. You don't have to go "all medical" with Betadine or Nolvasan scrub, an antibacterial hand soap is good, but not necessary, just something that will cleanse the wound and not be irritating. Ivory is just fine if that's what you have.

Thanks for your reply, I have Nolvasan, I use that for cleaning mostly.
thanks again.

[LBoz]

I've mistakenly used C20H25N3O, so I guess you can be forgiven, Lori.

As a freebase or a tartrate? :blowhead:

[Roy Munson]

Tartrate? I AM NOT from Havana!

[LBoz]

Perhaps that translates differently on Ganymede?

[alan]

I've mistakenly used C20H25N3O, so I guess you can be forgiven, Lori.

I used it on purpose, just once. Well, once for a whole summer.

[danielle]

You guys are just wrong;)

[Stars]

I don't think it's something to joke about. LSD is one of a specific set of harmless tryptamines that could change the world for good, however people would rather just use the brain-rotting drugs like alcohol and caffeine. Personally though I prefer mescaline and AMT for mind expansion.

[alan]

I wasn't joking.

[Roy Munson]

Well, check back with me at 40, and we can discuss what is and what is no longer appropriate to use for mind-expansion. You're still impervious and immortal...

[Nanci]

Glad to hear the snake is okay. Like everyone says, kingsnakes can expose a LOT of cloacal contents when they are musking!!!

AND I love cats, but there is no way I'd keep a cat and snakes. I'm not pushing my luck.

[snakemom1961]

I have my 2 snakes and 3 cats. The cat often are on the top of the snakes cages. I have yet to have them be able to put a claw on either snake. I don't think the screen top would allow the cats to really do any damage to the snakes. It would take a pretty long claw to do any damage through the screen the tops are made of.

[Asbit]

I have 2 snakes, 2 cats, 2 dogs, 2 Leopard Geckos, 2 children and 10 Daycare kids.

My cats don't even pay any mind to the snakes when they are in their tanks. One of the cats scared of the snakes when they are out and the other looks from a distance with mild interest and then walks away.

As for my dogs, one is blind so that ensures no trouble there and the other one is very playful so he is the only pet here that is a possible threat to the snakes. When we bring the snakes out he goes in his kennel, simple as that.