how long should i leave stitches in for?

I HAVE A BABY BALL THAT I HAD TO STITCH UP, BEING IN THE MEDICAL FIELD, I WAS ABLE TO DO IT MYSELF. I JUST DONT KNOW HOW LONG TO LEAVE THEM IN A SNAKE FOR. IT HAS BEEN 11 DAYS AND HE IS EATING FINE NOW. WHAT HAPPENED WAS HE WAS ON MY FLOOR AND KNOCKED OVER A GLASS, IT ALMOST CUT HIM IN HALF. I HAD TO GIVE HIM 30 INTERNAL STITCHES AND 58 EXTERNAL.

Take him to a vet!

Say what??? You stiched up your snake with 88 stiches total and no anesthesia whatsoever? 58 externals on a baby ball...? Not only is that compleatly inhumane, but you're running a HUGE risk of infection as well by not doing this SURGERY in a sterile environment.

Well, what's done is done I guess...I hope you used absorbable suture material to do the internal sutures. If you didn't you're going to have a major situation on your hands. After 10-14 days the externals should be ready to come out, depending on how the wound looks. I hope you've kept the area clean. I'm suprised you claim it's eating.

Do me a favor, next time please call a veterinarian. There's a reason they make local and general anesthetics...and there's also a reason veterinarians and nurses (like myself) go through so much school....

I hope this post isn't actually for real. Would YOU like 88 sutures with no anesthesia and no pain medication???

On a more positive note, I truly wish the best for your snake, and I hope everything ends up well.

I leave reptile sutures in place for 3-4 weeks to avoid dehiscence.
Michael Wenninger DVM

I know this is an old post but just to reiterate a couple things. First it should have seen a qualified experienced veterinarian. Second sutures should stay in minimum 3 to 4 weeks, some even as long as 6 weeks depending on the surgery and the site of closure etc.

Christopher Stancel, DVM