Reptile Forum, Reptile Classifieds - CaptiveBred

[sievehead]

Hello everyone - am new here and also pretty new to keeping snakes.

Can anyone help? We're soooo worried!

In the summer we found an escaped rat snake (Harry) in a tree in the back alley and, as we have a varied menagerie anyway, decided to keep him. In short, we totally fell in love with him and subsequently acquired 3 additional babies (a standard corn (Dave), a red albino (Elton) and a white-sided yellow rat snake (Barry)).

We built a new spacious vivarium cabinet for the new arrivals and (like fools) used some gaffer tape to cover edges on the doors to offer some protection in case of sharp edges.

Last night *cringes* little Barry *cringes more* got stuck on a bit of the gaffer tape and we literally had to cut him free and now he's sporting an inch long length of extra sticky ruddy tape. We're deathing because he's obviously traumatised. What can we do? We've bathed him but it's super sticky and we daren't try and pull it off. To make it worse he's also mid-shed and it's attached to new skin so it'll be a while before it comes away naturally. We've tried feeding him this morning and he just ran off and hid (normally a keen feeder).

If we take him to the vet will there be anything they can do? I'm worried about him absorbing nasty stuff through his skin from the adhesive and also not being able to eat because he can't push his pinkie down properly.

We're feeling really bad obviously so please be nice! Any advice would be gratefully recieved!!!

[Dan]

If he is normally keen to feed he should in theory be well fed. So lack of food for a while wont be an issue, no panic needed on that side just yet

I would try some form of alcohol to get the sticky off. Some research will be needed as to which to use, my instinct would be something like nail varnish remover but make sure you check around first. If you can't safely shift it then all you can do is trim the tape right down so none is flapping about or likelly to get caught on anything and then sit and hope he sheds it off in due time. His shed cycle will naturally increase anyway because of this so it shouldnt take too long.

Then what you do is get ANY and all tape well away from the animals you have. If the glass is sharp have it ground down, not expensive and will save all this hapenning again.
_________________
TFA

The future is bright, the future is a net like pattern.................

I'm NOT an expert, so if you don't want to know my opinion don't ask!!

[sievehead]

Hi Dan and thanks for that speedy response

To update you - he's just had his dinner so as long as he doesn't regurgitate it then that's a good sign eh?! RE: removing as much of the tape as possible.....it's clear gaffer tape and literally the same colour as Barry! This makes it really difficult to see what is tape and what is snake. We've tried to trim it as much as we can but it's a very dodgy process.

We though we'd try that plastic sheeting instead of glass for the doors but it leaves a really sharp edge even after sanding so we'll be going back to glass for sure.

It's a really stupid thing to have allowed to happen and we're mortified that he's suffering because he's ended up living with a bunch of idiots.
*hangs head in shame*

Thanks again Dan - hopefully he'll be ok, especially if his shedding speeds up.

[Mememe]

If you hadn't have taken him in, he would have died of the cold!
If he has eaten, he obviously isn't too worried, so I would wait until he shed, alcohol might work, but I would err on the side of caution.

[sievehead]

Thanks Mememe. It's not actually the big rat snake (Harry) that's in trouble, it's one of our new babies (Barry) but he's keeping his dinner down so far so fingers crossed.

I also keep horses (well away from gaffer tape!) and posted the same plea for help on one of the equestrian forums I visit and someone on there has suggested applying vaseline or similar to try and counteract the adhesive properties of the tape. What does anyone think of that? Do you think that might work?

My other half reckons that if he survives he's going to re-name him 'The Gaffer'

and I thought horses were a worry!

[Jim O]

Go to your local chemist,they will sell a product called 'Zoff' it comes in a liquid or as a wipe,it is used to remove surgical plasters,it should solve your problem.I used it years ago,on a customers flying snake,he had done the same as you. A link to zoff here;

http://www.bostockhealthcare.co.uk/item--Zoff-Plaster-Removal-Wipes--ZOFW20

[Mememe]

Harry, Barry, lol

The zoff stuff sounds okay, and more gentle than nail polish remover!

Also, I don't think vaseline would work on your snake!

[sievehead]

Oh wow! Thanks for that. I've sent Other Half off hunting at the chemist. I've told him to get the liquid as I'm thinking dabbing at it with a soaked cotton bud might do the trick! *feels hopeful*

Almost glad to know we're not alone in being dumb snake-keepers!
Thanks for all your help and I'll pop in soon to update you

[allyb]

hi,
the same thing happened with my grey rat snake (buffy)
my young brother made her a shelter out of a card board box and instead of useing selltape or glue he used gaffer tape(which we nick name bodge tapelol)
well i noticed one day she had got her self stuck
i managed to removed it but it took off a few scales too.

i usedvasline to remove the little bits that were left it seemed to work but buffy probley wasn`t as bad as your problem.
its a shame it wasn`t a horse as u can cut if off a horse .
nice to know theres another horsey person on here too.
i have a IDxTB,8 year old mare,17,3hh, KYRA

am sure he will be ok
KEEP US POSTED

ally

[Mwoxy]

Hope you found the Zoff.

I had a similar mishap several years ago. I used cooking oil... Sounds odd but it seems to counter the adhesive and is very gentle, if a tad tedious.

Hope you got it sorted.

Regards

Mark