Unique Rescue Help

Hey guys...first real post -

I've inherited a young female corn (probably a couple months old). I've searched the forums, but I think this is a bit of a unique case and I need some help.

The snake is roughly 11 grams and 12 to 14-inches long and by all accounts has been feeding regularly and appears healthy except for one major detail.

The snake was recently attacked by an adult leopard gecko...they were housed in the same tank with a divider...needless to say, the divider did not do it's job. The snake has what looks like a pretty substantial spinal injury roughly 3-inches from it's head. The kink is noticeable and movement below that point looks limited at best. I've had the snake for a week or so now and have cleaned the wound and handled the snake minimally to investigate the damage. It can move about, but obviously prefers not to when given the choice.

I figured we'd lost the snake, but to my surprise, it took a pinky (quite vigorously) last night.

What do I do? I think it's got a chance, but don't want to put the animal through unnecessary pain...but if it's eating, doesn't it at least deserve a chance?

Does anybody have some experience with a snake injured in this manner (or a birth defect snake)?

Thanks in advance!

ps - if we could focus on the remedy and not the cause of the injury, that would be awesome, the previous owner feels bad and it's understood that the housing arrangement was a mistake, now we have to determine what is best for the animal.

Somebody recently had a snake bitten by a rat. Wasn't bad husbandry so the thread is about the management.

Has it been taken to the vet?

Sounds like a smallish new hatchling at 11g. I think there's probably a limited amount of things that a vet could do, although it may be possible to administer antibiotics to help ward off any infection.

You can use over-the-counter treatments to keep the wound clean. Hopefully someone else will be able to advise shortly (I'm in the UK and we probably don't have the same trade names). I'd advise keeping it on paper towel if you're not already doing so, to avoid getting bits of substrate debris stuck to the wound as it heals.

I think the effect on movement is a bad sign. Generally they seem to cope with injuries quite well but if it's causing a loss of movement below the bite point, that would point to nerve damage and not just a muscular or skeletal impact. It could be that this will subside if any swelling/inflammation goes down - at least there's not complete paralysis.

Eating is a good sign, although if you're considering a vet visit, you should now delay until after digestion is underway - give it three days after feeding.

I would atleast keep neosporin on the wound to keep the risk of infection down.

Poor little snakie. A picture might help us tell you more. But like others said eating is a good sign, if it digests and poops well that's good too. how about shedding? Health issues are tricky with hatchlings, some start out strong but eventually don't make it. Hopefully your little one does.

Everyone is giving you good info here: paper towel substrate, neosporin, wait for food to digest before vet visit. Maybe call around and find out which vet takes snakes and make an appointment. Let us know what happens. Good luck.

Yep, keep all the stuff that you dont need in the viv out of it. Really, two hides and a water dish should be good. Paper towel as substrate to avoid anything getting into the wound. When using polysporin, or neosporin, make sure its the kind 'WITHOUT PAINKILLERS'. When your at the drugstore there will be two kinds one with numbing agents and one without. You do want antibiotic ointment, you do not want the painkiller as its harmful. Letting your snakey be, and keeping his envrionment clean are the best thing right now. Good luck!

Butch said:

I would atleast keep neosporin on the wound to keep the risk of infection down.

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That is what I was going to advise. If the snake is eating, give it a chance for now. Can it pass waste without any problems? Keep it on paper towels for now and see how things go. If it eats but can not go to the bathroom, so to speak, than you know what you have to do.

I have my fingers crossed for the lil one. Good Luck.

And a few pictures might help some of us around here with more solid advise.
PJ

Thanks for the all the advice...it's great to hear from experienced owners/breeders.

The snake has not been to a vet...but, that's a certainly a possibility.

The wound itself is very small and limited in terms of the surface, most of the damage was done structurally to the spine...I will work to get some pics up tonight. It looks like the spine has undergone a complete fracture and is almost severed, but the snake still has some movement below the injury...so it must not be as bad as it looks.

I will get it on a clean, hard substrate and use some neosporin (wasn't sure if that was okay...so I've only spot-cleaned the wound).

In my experience, reptiles can be amazingly hardy and durable in extraordinary circumstances, so I'll give this little girl every chance to recover...I agree with PJ, passing waste is the next major hurdle to determine just how badly the snake is injured.

Thanks again, I'll post pics as soon as I get them.

Snakes are tough. If this little gal can eat & poop, she has a fighting chance. So I would wait for poop, use all the good advice the experienced people gave you above, and keep your fingers crossed. I will keep mine crossed too.

Does the snake move her tail if you touch it? Can you tell if she has any sensation or movement down there? At least a gecko bite has got to be a heck of a lot cleaner than a cat bite.

I have a snake with kinks with limited movement, but she isn't affected till about the lower half of her body. She moves around and climbs just fine. She can even swim, although she rolls side to side instead of S-ing. She's three years old. I am _trying_ to keep her weight on the lighter side (but she's got a very efficient metabolism!) and I do more than the usual exercise to keep her muscles strong.

Of course, you have to give yours time to heal, and to make sure she can eat, digest and poop.

Nanci said:

Does the snake move her tail if you touch it? Can you tell if she has any sensation or movement down there? ...

I have a snake with kinks with limited movement, but she isn't affected till about the lower half of her body. She moves around and climbs just fine. She can even swim, although she rolls side to side instead of S-ing. She's three years old.

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Nah, no direct movement of the tail when it is touched...she seems to lose some sensation/movement at the injury and almost all sensation and movement in the lower half of the body - it's hard to tell whats moving what with a snake and their unique locomotion.

I'm encouraged that you have a 3-year old snake the has survived with limited mobility!

Everyone else who has responded pretty much said what I was going to say!
Good luck with her

My snake developed her kinks for no known reason, they weren't because of an injury. But she has a lot! At one time I was so horrified by her condition that I talked to the vet about euthing her, if things got worse, but once he said he would do that if it ever came to that, I just relaxed and accepted her condition and now she's just one of the gang.

But your snake is a baby, and there's always a chance for improvement. Look at how salamanders can regenerate a whole limb. You never know how much of her spinal injury can heal, with rest.

Failed to get some decent pics last night...between retro-fitting the viv with clean surface and applying some neosporin, I figured I'd stressed her out enough for one night...will try for pics again tonight.

Thanks again for all the advice.

Check that...she was out and roaming a little this morning - here are some blurry pics...

The first and second show the injury roughly 2.5 to 3-inches below the head...she seems to have movement below the injury but loses mobility in her lower 1/2 to 1/3. Apologies for the quality...

PJ@PJCReptiles said:

If it eats but can not go to the bathroom, so to speak, than you know what you have to do.

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Anybody got a guess on a waste passage time-frame for a snake of this age and size that is eating a pinky regularly on a 5-day schedule?

We rescued a snake that was beaten with a shovel and in the process had his back broken and his bone sticking out. We gave him a week with close supervision and the above care of the other posters. He is great now! A small attitude but I think thats understandable. Don't do anything yet see how he does digesting. Give him a little more time. Good job so far!

andypg3 said:

Anybody got a guess on a waste passage time-frame for a snake of this age and size that is eating a pinky regularly on a 5-day schedule?

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Anywhere from 2 to 5 days I would say with a young one like that.