What are the prevention and treatment methods for snake external injuries?
Due to limited rearing conditions, people inevitably cause minor external injuries when catching or transporting snakes. Most snakes can heal on their own, but some individual snakes develop abscesses due to reduced immunity. If the wound surface becomes infected with bacteria and is not treated in time, the snake will be unable to shed its skin, and when the abscess enlarges to a certain extent, death can occur. If pythons are being raised, mites often parasitize the gaps between the scales; after the mites are removed, external injuries sometimes result, and once the wound is infected by bacteria and becomes ulcerated, it directly affects the python's normal growth and development.
Treatment of external injuries is very simple. During treatment, first rinse the wound with a disinfectant solution, then apply gentian violet solution to the affected area, or apply 1%-2% iodine tincture, 2-3 times a day, until healed. If the wound is found to have already suppurated, crushed oxytetracycline or midecamycin powder can be sprinkled on the affected area, and pressed lightly with the hand so that the powder sticks to the wound, preventing the snake from rubbing it off while crawling. If some wounds are deeply ulcerated, it is best to take the snake out separately, debride the wound, and then bandage it with an adhesive bandage.
After routine treatment, external injuries generally recover completely within 2-5 days. To eliminate incidents of human-caused external injuries to snakes, scrap iron wire, steel wire, and broken glass in the snake enclosure must be cleared out. In addition, when feeding staff enter the snake enclosure, they must watch for snakes crawling underfoot to avoid accidental trampling. Autumn is the season for cutting weeds in the enclosure; for some wild plants with thick sturdy stalks, it is best to pull them out by the roots. If a sickle is used to cut them, the sharp stubble is also a major "culprit" that punctures the skin and causes ulceration. As long as the above factors are eliminated, external injuries in snakes rarely occur.