Re: I have to disagree with some of this. And a note to Rob,....

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Posted by Rob Carmichael on April 18, 2003 at 22:30:29:

In Reply to: I have to disagree with some of this. And a note to Rob,.... posted by BrianSmith on April 17, 2003 at 16:10:48:

That is indeed a very strange turn of events and it just goes to show you that when dealing with wild animals you always have to be ready for the unexpected. I think you are right in that the Lysol may have caused a bite that would have normally not have occurred had this person not used this product. Or, perhaps the snake got some whiff of food on the owner...you just never know. Their keen sense of smell is something we oftentimes overlook or take too lightly. This was probably a once in a lifetime event and hopefully won't happen again.

I, too, just use peroxide to flush wounds out and apply neosporin or silvaden to the affected area...never had a problem yet.

:Hydrogen peroxide is about the best thing for flushing out open wounds that could have infection in them. Personaly, I have been bitten literally hundreds of times by pythons and boas and have never had a problem with infection, but these days I do take the precaution of always first flushing the bite out with peroxide. Then, if it's bleeding I allow it to bleed. Good blood flow will also flush out possible infection. It's good for it to bleed. Then I will wash the peroxide off and apply triple antibiotic to it. But I only do this with bad bites that are very deep, like Joes undoubtedly is. If it's from a python 8 feet or less I just let it bleed for a while and then wash it off with water.
: And Rob,.. I read what you wrote, and it all makes perfect sense. But this bite/wrap didn't occur while Joe was reaching into the cage. I spoke with him on the phone after this happened and he told me he was carrying her and was well away from the cage when she suddenly grabbed his arm and wrapped on him. This baffled the hell out of me for the longest time and I couldn't explain it. Usually, once they are being held, they "know" it is us and won't do this. I didn't have an answer for Joe why she would do this. But sometime through the night it hit me. I think that lysol is the culprit. He feeds her outside of the cage and always applies lysol to his arms so the snake associated lysol scent (very non-human smell) with food. Seems simple to me, tell me what you think. But also Rob, I mentioned that he was walking with her when it happened because in your post you said he was lucky she wasn't a 16 to 18 footer. Well, in this case that would have prevented this from happening as she would have been too heavy for one adult to carry. ;)
: So my advise to anyone reading this thread would be to NOT apply foreign smells to oneself in an attempt to ward off a python bite. The snakes are intelligent enough to distinguish human from usual prey animal scent, and some other scent can only confuse them.

::Put something else on that bite, H2o2 is not a disinfectant of any kind. all it does is break down red blood cells, causing them to clot. Put something with BNP, like neosporin, on it. Make sure to wash it with antibacterial soap, and if you have any xenodine, put that on there too. I would leave the wound open, too. (No bandaids, unless actively bleeding.)

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::::First off, the most conern is for your health. I would put h. peroxide on the bite and wrap it in a huge bandaid. I'm sure you feel very betrayed by your snake however snakes are like this, generally unpredictable. Snakes usually do not bite unless they feel threatened but since you said he was on you for 2 minutes and he was wrapping around your leg, he might have mistaking you for food or was extremely hungry. As for my snakes I usually soak the snake in a mild soap (Such as Herbal Essenses or Bath and Body Work Soaps.. some soap that is very mild) right after he/she sheds. Everytime I hold the snake or put my hand in the cage I use the same soap that is on the snake on my hands. The snake associates the smell with itself and is less likely to bite. If it bites your hand it will prob. bite itself. As for Lysol I would wash that off asap and from now keep a bottle of Whiskey or Gin close by so you can splash him on the face. For a 11 ft. Burmese I would rec. atleast 1 other adult when you hold the snake.
::::Besides that you should always have a bottle of Jack around, not just for the snake but for drinking. =)

:::
:::Kevin,

:::Thanks for the reply and the concerns about my arm. I did put peroxide on it ASAP or should I say my four year old did it. I was too shaken to get the top off. This was my first bite. And I'll tell you - it really scared the crap out of me... Now I know how to react and I hope I don�t have to use this knowledge in the future. I just don�t know why. She ate just five days ago� a full-grown rabbit, about 10 lbs. I was told that by spraying your arms with a disinfectant you avoid the chance of a strike because you are eliminating odors. And secondly the snake won�t bite you because it doesn�t like the smell� Probably the reason I reacted and thought of telling my son to get it. Well I'll tell you - that was a hell of a learning experience - I wont soon forget � Thanks again for the reply.

:::Joe�
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