Seriously Burned Ball Please Help!

Ok, so I feel absolutely wretched. My roommate's cat jumped on top of my snake cage on Sunday night, braking the screen, and letting my snake out. Looking for a dark warm place he decided to coil up in the heater. When we turned the heat on in the morning, I heard hissing and screaming from the heat vent. Instantly I knew what was going on, without even being able to see him, and turned the heat off as fast as I could. I ripped the heater off the wall and pulled him off the heating coil. It was not a pretty sight, a LARGE amount of skin damage had been afflicted. I scrambled for my phone and called the vet, threw him under my shirt against my body to keep him warm, and rushed him to the vet. The doctor took him in the back to clean him up and look at his wounds, when the doctor came back he said that the majority of the burns were second degree and the burns were over his entire belly and an entire side of his 5 foot body. The doctor gave the snake an injection of fluids, and instructed me to do the same every three days. He also gave me an antibacterial prescription soap, Nolvasan Skin and Wound Cleanser, to wash him with daily, and silver sulfadiazine also to be applied daily. The doctor to told me to change his substrate to newspaper and maybe a towel to keep him comfortable, and to replace with new paper every day. The vet said that the snake was burned very badly, but that he should be alright as long as I follow his instructions. I brought my snake home, and changed his tank appropriately and placed him inside it. He was barely moving at all. The next morning, I bathed as instructed, the snake felt very limp, but I seemed to sense a tiny bit of muscle resistance and I think he may have flicked his tongue at me (but maybe I was seeing/feeling what I wanted to feel). I put him back in his tank after changing his bedding, and he did not move at all yesterday. I began fearing last night that maybe he wasn't alive because of the lack of movement. I took him out of his cage this morning once again to bathe, clean, and cleanse his wounds, and once again very limp, I was holding his head from being underwater. Once again I feel like I felt some muscle resistance to my movements, but it might be in my imagination... My dilemma... Am I taking care of a dead snake? He was about to shed when he got burned, and I know that ball pythons become fairly immobile during this time, and I know reptiles can put themselves in a suspended state. If I were in his shoes, I wouldn't want to move or exert energy either. Any suggestions? Is he in a suspended state where breathing and heart beat are limited? or is he dead? God this is a terrible situation to be in. Thank you so for your help.

Hi, I need to ask why you don`t take the animal back to the vet, he/she could tell you immediately whether the snake is dead?
There`s a chance it`s just so traumatised and in so much physical pain, it won`t show much sign of life.
Edit: Will you put a photo up, even if it`s graphic, it might help to see if there`s still some life. Thanks.

The closest vet to me that deals with reptiles is not close to my house, about a 40 minute drive. If he's not dead, he won't live through that extra trauma with no heat lamps or anything. I am working on posting an image, but I need to borrow a digital camera from my friend. Have you ever heard of a snake becoming completely immobile after a burn? The burn is over a large area of his body, but in most places the skin in still intact. There aren't too many open wounds, just really hardened skin/scales and a VERY pink belly. Also it may be my imagination, but it seems as though his skin has healed a bit since the vet visit. He just seems so limp... if I got a stethoscope I could listen for signs of life...

You don`t need an exotics vet, they should ALL know what a dead animal looks like!
You only need to put a hot water bottle (warm water, not hot) with a towel on top inside a plastic/cardboard box, if the snake`s still alive thats worth a try, I think?
I`ve never owned a reptile that suffered a burn, let alone a serious one...
If the snake`s dead, it will soon start to smell, that`s a sure sign it`s too late...

Very true, when it starts to smell he will be dead. I also assume he will get very bloated if he is dead. I do feel like,at this point, if he were dead, even with the heat lamps on his cage, he would be much more stiff. Also like South Park said, before you die, you release your bowels, I don't know exactly how credible that information is, but he hasn't defecated since he last ate about a week ago. I really hope he pulls through I've had him for about 8 years now, it would be devastating to lose such a great friend under these terrible circumstances.

Originally Posted by professorcrettol

Very true, when it starts to smell he will be dead. I also assume he will get very bloated if he is dead. I do feel like,at this point, if he were dead, even with the heat lamps on his cage, he would be much more stiff. Also like South Park said, before you die, you release your bowels, I don't know exactly how credible that information is, but he hasn't defecated since he last ate about a week ago. I really hope he pulls through I've had him for about 8 years now, it would be devastating to lose such a great friend under these terrible circumstances.

Go to the vet, surely they can`t charge you much just to tell you if the snake`s still alive? If he is, you put every effort in continuing the care!
No, they don`t necessarily defaecate when they die...

I am surely not considering abandoning his treatment until I'm 100% certain that he is dead, but I don't think that in this critical state, if he is alive, that I want to move him more than the daily cleansing of his wounds, so taking him back to the vet at this juncture is out of the question.

If you're not giving up on him, TAKE HIM TO A VET...

My closest herp vet is an hour away, and that wouldn't stop me. You need to do something, for the well being of your snake.

I want you to congratulate you on doing your very best under extremely unfortunate circumstances. The fact that you got your snake to the vet as soon as you could is wonderful, and I really hope your poor guy isn't dead! I'd think, though, that if he was, rigor would have set in and he would not be limp.

Please keep us updated. Sending warming thoughts and prayers your way.

Don't give up, you would be amazed at how some reptiles can recovery from serious injuries!
Bless you for doing your best and taking him to the vet!
Here is an older thread of a rescue that did recover;
Terrible~another Sad Rescue GRAPHIC PICS