Okay, my friend from NC has been going through hard times lately, and couldn't get a rat for her red tail boa. Well she finally got 2 rats for him, and accidentally put both in at the same time, not thinking. Well "Rob" killed the first, and then went to kill the second, the rat caught him with a back claw, and then clamped its jaws into Rob, until Rob could kill it. It was able to leave puncture wounds on Rob, leaving a bit of blood...she guesses 10-20 cc's of blood. She is wondering if a vet visit is in order or if she should just bathe him after he digests for a day or so and see how bad it is.

She also wanted to make sure that the rat's don't carry disease, and infect Rob with anything.

BTW, Rob is 3.5-4 feet long, quarter-around...so that lets you know the size of the rat...she said 2", not including tails.

She is awaiting my advice, from you, so swiftness would be appreciated.

She is also wondering how to thaw the rat they had to remove from the tank after he had decided he was full.

Is it a deep puncture? 10-20 cc's is quite a bit of blood to lose for that size snake. I would definitley clean it with iodine or peroxide right away and make a vet appointment. I am sure more will come quickly with better advice.

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MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

It's not a deep puncture, and when she talks about ccs, she means in terms as in like an insulin needle. She is an EMT, knows a bit about medicine...she is just mainly worried about infection...not so much the blood-loss. I am thinking the bleeding has stopped.

She would also like to point out he is not exactly TAME...he's not terribly bad, but not all that great, either.

Sorry - do you mean she fed her snake an alive rat?? I didn't think people live fed any more?? Excuse my ignorance, but I am not a snake keeper and don't know that much abuot them - can you clarify for me please

Adam 10-20 ccs is the same amount no matter what you measure. And thats the equivalent of 1-2 tablespoons! As Marsha said 2 tablespoons of blood with a 3 ft snake is quite a bit of blood. Infection is a definate concern. Rodent teeth are pretty sharp and can go very deeply. It may not be immediately apparent just how deep the bite was. And feeder rodents are often kept in conditions that are not the most sanitary. Where on the snake is the bite located? If it isn't in a vital area and the bleeding is stopped just swab the area with neosporin and keep the cage bery clean. I would avoid the Hydrogen peroxide as it burns the good tissue as well as the infection. But keep a close eye out for any sign of infection.

And if you are asking how to freeze the other rat, just kill it and then put it in a baggie in the freezer. This should serve to let your friend see how important it is to not feed a snake live prey. Getting the snake on prekilled should also help reduce the snake's aggression

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

mad_professor99

Although I am very new to keeping snakes, it is extremely important that you advise your friend that it is not in the snakes best interest to feed it live food. In the wild a snake is going to stalk and ambush a mouse or rat, but when you drop a live rat into an enclosed area, of course it will come out fighting.
Also rats can carry parasites which could harm the snake. You are always best to either buy frozen, or kill your own and freeze it first, this way it will kill off any parasites. When it comes time to feed, either thaw out your rat at room temp, or place in a double ziplock and soak in warm water. Use a hair dryer to warm up some more if needed.
Good luck in the future and PLEASE get Rob to a vet and make sure he is alright.

Steve