Had an interesting patient yesterday

I got a call from a DNR education officer yesterday, he has a 6' King snake that he's been using for educational seminars for the last ten years. Recently he developed a mass on his side and the guy wanted me to check it out. Well, x-rays were inconclusive, but since the snake wasn't eating anymore we decided to try to surgically remove it.




Turns out that the mass was actually a huge wad of hair and God-knows-what else that was occluding his colon. It had actually herniated through the abdominal wall. This was about the time that we lost a hearbeat and the snake quit breathing. Don't ask me why, but I went ahead and finshed up the surgery anyway and closed the hernia and the skin.





Well, we got busy doing other things and just left what we thought was a dead snake on the table. Thirty minutes later my tech was getting ready to bag him up and put him in the freezer when she noticed that he took a breath. Evidently he had gone into self-preservation mode during the surgery and warmed up on the heating pad and beneath the light. An hour after that he was moving around pretty well and he looked even better this morning. In a week or so I think we'll try to feed him and see what he does.....

This morning...

Good work there Doc.

Good to hear.

Thats why I shoot them twice,, One hole doesn't seem to do it..

I know I know snakes are not bad, ect. Just not a fan of them. Its cool you saved his pet..

would have been a dead sob here !

WOW !!

You just don't hear a story like that every day!!

king snakes are good, never kill one, only kill the diamond back copper moccason

Wow Nathan. That is one cool story. I am glad the snake made it. Now you look like the MAN!!!!!

Cool!!!

That's awesome! I never kill a good snake around the farm or on the trail.

Good job

nice,,, a pets a pet. good job buddy