what\'s this injury?

[calmprice]

i live a few doors down from a pet store that i visit almost everyday (just kinda look to see if they have anything new). they just got in a normal corn snake that they told me was verrrry mean. all you have to do is get in sight and it strikes the glass. i went to look at it and saw an injury near it's tail. there seems to be a "chunk" missing so i thought "stupid live feeders" then i noticed that the skin looked burned! i'm not sure what exactly happened to the poor thing. it lookes like it's mostly healed, so it didn't happen in the pet stores care. unfortunatly i don't have a dig camera so i can't take a pic. any ideas? i know the obvious answer is "take it to the vet" but you all well know it's like pulling teeth to get pet stores to take animals to the doc.

i know i didn't give you much to go on, but any ideas would be appreciated

also am i right in assuming that the injury has put him in constant "defense" mode? will he likely calm down once healed?
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	Corn Snake The Corn Snake or Red Rat Snake (Elaphe guttata) is a species of Rat Snake.

[eddie]

Did you see anything like a hot rock in the cage?

I doubt it would be a burn from one due to the small area but is still possible.

Almost sounds like either multiple retained sheds that have constricted the flesh to necrosis, which can appear dark, like a burn may look, OR....
Could be a smashed tail as corns being colubrids are very quick and sometimes very jumpy and may have gotten its tail caught in a lid or door in an employees or other persons attempt to put it away.
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[calmprice]

all of those sound possible. there is no hot rock, when they first put the pet store in they were using hot rocks, i threw one huge fit on the owner....he no longer uses them, and only keeps a couple in stock (i haven't been able to talk him into not selling them, but i did get him to stop recommending them). should i insist that the poor thing go to the vet? will his temperment improve?
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[eddie]

It's very possible that it will calm down greatly with handling, LOTS of handling.
After it's fully healed that is.

Take a closer look, hands on if possible to see if it is healing, looks fleshy and puss filled, regrowing scales or what. Your nose can help here too.
If it smells rotten, then it is necrotic and needs a vet asap! Anything infection like - vet.

Ask if they have a normal vet.
A lot of pet stores do have a vet on file, just to cover some legalities, but most times do not take the animals to actually see the vets.

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[calmprice]

thank you so very much eddie, i'm gonna run over there now and check on it.
[addsig]

First thing that came to my mind also was a possible necrosis of the tissue in the tail due to retained sheds also. Didn't even think of the "tail got slammed thing at all even. I would try and get them to have a qualified vet take a look at it none the less anyway...
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