So, i forgot to post it on here after i did on my IG. But one of my girls was able to pull the heat guard off her lamp and burnes herself good.
Im sure it comes as no surprise to most of you heat guards exist for a reason, mine was held in with screws (since changed to bolts after this event) and the PVC let go. I didnt notice she was burned right away, or even that the guard had let go, so she likely went some time untreated. Its been about 1 week since i noticed. It is scabbed up and i dont see any more raw flesh, however, i do notice some sections of her skin/scales look to have pale blotches. Im giving her a betadine bath (diluted obviously) today, so it came back to mind to post it here for others to learn from my mistakes.
The PSA is that they do not learn. Do not assume just because they burned themselves means they now know not to do it. They are awesome creatures, but i wouldnt accuse them of always being smart haha.
After fixing thr problem and putting her back in, the next day she was already hanging up on her light fixture again, and if i hadnt changed out the hardware, it could have been a repeat performance. She ate an ASF 3 days ago (prekilled and a size smaller than i normally would to give her nutrients to heal, but to try and avoid stretching her healing skin). The first 2 pictures are her not learning. The last 2 are her today before her betadine soak. I have been doing what i can to prevent infection, but if anyone with more experience notices something, please dont hesitate to let me know! She is alert and active with no lethargy.
Her in her bath. I didnt like how chunky the scabs appeared, and looks like i was right not to fully trust them. I am not picking them off or anything, this is purely from the bath with no intervention from me. My suspicion is stuck shed in the scab, but i could be wrong.
I hope she heals well.
Personally I prefer less intense and less concentrated focused heating sources so i don’t have to worry about guards.
Even with heat mats or heat cables i use the lowest power possible wattage (with a thermostat of course) to achieve the heat I want. And even then I prefer back heat to under heat.
With that set up, even if the thermostats fail, the snake can not get hot enough to burn.
Fair, for these enclosures it is 3/4 inch thick PVC, so i wasnt sure of heat matts penetrative power. My racks are all set up with heat mats, but the enclosures use CHEs with heat guards and thermostats. Obviously, any time you use inner tank heating, there will be risk of burns, and unfortunately, my protection wasnt up to par, and the snake paid for it.
It is definitely something people need to think about when getting their setups and determing risks and mitigating factors!
I am optimistic about her healing. She isnt lethargic, has enough of an apetite to eat, and i dont see direct signs of infection (though i am keeping a close eye on the scabbing because that can quickly change.)
There is such a large part of me that just wants to wipe it all down with betadine, but if its not diluted, it will disinfect, but also irritate the wound. So im hoping a dilute bath will have the best of both worlds. Some external cleaning without harming the healing process
Sorry, It wasn’t meant as a criticism of you, many people use that system, its just my own preference due to my paranoia and fears.
I am sure you are doing all you can to ensure safety and that health returns.
I wasnt offended at all haha. All methods have pros and cons. There is nothing wrong with you pointing out the risk of internal fixtures due to the risk that comes with them
Thanks for seeing my comments as just to try and encourage discussion without being judgemental. I am learning as all of us are.
Agreed. I don’t think heat mats would be as effective externally in your set up. Just an opinion, But here is Just an idea, for the purpose of me learning and discussion, what about internal low wattage heat mats internally on the back wall ?
Maybe as main heat source but if not maybe as just as just a background heat so the ceramic spot heater does not need to get so hot? (not sure what IG means but it looks like a ceramic heat source)
IG means instagram haha. The lights are CHEs (Ceramic Heat Emitters)
I also said the wrong thickness, emant 3 /8ths, not 3/4s haha. As for doing internal heat mats, im not sure if humidity would effect them as its bioactive. I also dont know how hot they get, if the snake were to lay vertically on them for heat.
Some of my low wattage heat mats struggle to get to ball python temperatures (depending on location temperatures.) you just need to have the lowest that cant quite reach the temps you need (with a thermostat of Corse) and your ceramic will do the rest and give the boost, and the ceramic doesn’t need to get so hot before the thermostat kicks in.
Then the mat is safe lower than optimal temperatures even if the snake lies on it. Especially if its on the back and not underneath.
Vetericyn will help a lot in the healing process if you’re not already using it. They heal incredibly slowly so that’s going to take some maintenece for a good while.
Ill have to give a look for it. Ive read aloe and Vaseline are good, but because i work full time and do college full time, i know i wont be able to change it out frequently enough to prevent it from getting too dirty, so a topical might just be the boost i need!
Vetericyn works miracles. I have working/hunting dogs and the wounds I’ve doctored with it are nothing short of amazing. As long as you don’t get one with a pain reliever you don’t really need the reptile specific product just the classic one will do.
With reptiles I’ve noticed that it seems best to keep scabs off the wounds. The more scabby they get the less the antibiotic can work it’s magic I’m assuming.
This is probably a case where I would also ask @mblaney to lend a little of her expertise on.
For burns scabs slow down wound healing alot, but they do protect from infection. If i had the time to give full attention to the snake, i would absolutely be trying to avoid scabbing and keep the area moist, but because of my schedule, the scab at least helps prevent infection for me even if it will take longer to heal. Since shes feeding, im not too worried about speed of healing as i am about preventing infection
I could be wrong though, thats just the reasoning for my decision to let it scab. If you go the other route, you are meant to use vasoline or aloe to keep it moist, but if you dont replace it 2-3 times a day, it can instead get soiled and cause more harm than good.
At least thats what ive been able to research, this is my first time dealing with it hands on.
While she’s healing what are you housing her in? I’d expect you’d be most likely to succeed in her healing, in a setup similar to what you’d find a burn ward to be like. Of course the extent of sterility will be impossible to match, but a basic clean bedding with adequate humidity and heat to keep her comfortable and from gunking up the wound.
She is in a tub now without an internal heat source, she is on reptizorb so i can ensure everything remains clean to help prevent risk of infection. She has a water dish big enough to soak if she desires, and a plastic hide big enough for her to go into fully if she wants to hide. Ive left it pretty bare as i want it to be fairly close to a clean-room. I can put up a pic of where i have her now after my class. Originally i had her in her enclosure still as it wasnt very dirty, however i noticed coco fibers in some areas of the scabs, so decided a tub with no substrate would be a better option.
It does have heat, the rack system uses external heat matts to keep temp
Oh, poor baby! It’s the kind of accident we all try to prevent but sometimes things happen. Sounds like you’re doing everything you can and getting good advice. Best wishes for a quick recovery to health.
Khigg, not sure why that got flagged. Never the less, a full ban would not be feasible, there are some setups where you cant escape its use due to size, but people definitely need to be extemely cautious with their use. Im under the umpression that if they cant be used externally, they should be a last resort. External use there is no issue as the snakes will never reach them.
