Help? Please?

After all this reading, I feel very fortunate! The only thing I'm allergic to is a few drugs!
But, yeah, keep us posted on what's going on. Let me know if the pillowcase trick works.
Hope you both make it through with out any more problems!

I let a friend of mine hold my "I just need attention" snake (my 1.0 jcp that loves everyone).

He came away from JUST HOLDING IT with welts and hives. Wierd.

GL!!

It sounds to me like the snake isn't reacting to the injection itself, but moreso the unpleasantness of being restrained by the head and underneath your arm. Try this, open his tub and let him know you're there by simply poking him lightly with your index finger. If he goes nuts, close the tub and try it again later. If he remains coiled and relatively calm, do it again a few times. When he no longer seems to care that you're gently poking him, get him with the needle at the same angle you would if you were restraining him for a SQ injection. This is the method I used for a large retic with the disposition of a rattlesnake who cut herself up pretty good when she broke a light fixture. People can debate whether or not snakes feel pain such as an injection poke, but there's no debate that they don't like being forcefully restrained. Hope that helps.

If you're going to make some temporary tubes, be sure to either coat (rubberized tool grip coatings work well) or very very carefully sand and round the edges at either end. It is a restraint tool and- while it's an efficient and comparatively low stress one, the animals will sometimes push against it- even a small burr can cause some pretty nasty (albeit not deep) cuts under those circumstances.

Originally Posted by Seamus Haley

temporary tubes

Or permanent, no reason to toss a homemade handling tool if it's functional and safe- either way, make sure those edges are as smooth as they can possibly be.