Help - Stuck by Vermetid snail

Medici · Dec 3, 2017

Hi - not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I was just trying to remove a rock during a water changed and got stuck by a vermetid snail in my finger. I had to pull really hard to get it out, and was bleeding a good amount for at least 5-10 minutes after. After reading a little online about other people who had this happen, I have freaked out myself out. I am not feeling any extra pain or swelling, but I'm curious how worried I should be and how much I should be watching for swelling or weirdness??

Thanks,

S&SReef · Dec 3, 2017

I have had this happen to me several times a couple times some swelling making it a bit harder to bend my finger always goes away after a few days worst part is makong sure you get it may come in peices over a couple days.

Scorpius · Dec 3, 2017

Wash it and put antibiotic on it. I've been cut and stabbed by countless stuff in my tank and I'm still alive.

Medici · Dec 3, 2017

Thanks for the replies.

my finger seems to still be on for the moment, reading other peoples experiences was probably the worst part so far.

Scorpius · Dec 4, 2017

Medici said:
Thanks for the replies.

my finger seems to still be on for the moment, reading other peoples experiences was probably the worst part so far.

Best advice for injuries is to stay off the internet. They'll have you thinking you're gonna die. lol

Coralfuture · Dec 4, 2017

Scorpius said:
Best advice for injuries is to stay off the internet. They'll have you thinking you're gonna die. lol

+1 to Dr. Google as I refer to it at my house as the WORST DR YOU CAN VISIT!

Just keep it clean and should heal nicely.

MnFish1 · Dec 4, 2017

Medici said:
Hi - not sure if this is the right place to post this, but I was just trying to remove a rock during a water changed and got stuck by a vermetid snail in my finger. I had to pull really hard to get it out, and was bleeding a good amount for at least 5-10 minutes after. After reading a little online about other people who had this happen, I have freaked out myself out. I am not feeling any extra pain or swelling, but I'm curious how worried I should be and how much I should be watching for swelling or weirdness??

Thanks,

Probably ok - I got poked by 'something' under a rock on my arm. Within an hour there was. a little blister. By morning my entire arm was swollen red and needed 3 weeks of antibiotics. The best thing - dont worry - if it gets worse - at all - go to the doctor or ER.

MnFish1 · Dec 4, 2017

MnFish1 said:
Probably ok - I got poked by 'something' under a rock on my arm. Within an hour there was. a little blister. By morning my entire arm was swollen red and needed 3 weeks of antibiotics. The best thing - dont worry - if it gets worse - at all - go to the doctor or ER.

PS the area took several months to heal - repeatedly opening. I think there was a foreign body of some sort. Most important - make sure it was well cleaned out to start.

Scorpius · Dec 4, 2017

^ Dude lol. That's not helping.

KMench · Dec 4, 2017

+1 to everyone else, just keep it clean, make sure there's no foreign body in your finger and cover it. Should be fine as long as your not immunocompromised or taking any immunosuppressants (steroids etc...) and even if you are, it's still probably fine.;Smuggrin

MnFish1 · Dec 4, 2017

Scorpius said:
^ Dude lol. That's not helping.

I said its probably ok. Lots of people aren't aware of the fact that there can be serious infections in marine environments. Rather than read the horror stories - best to read the comments on how to clean and take care of a wound from a tank (or the ocean). I had no clue until I read some of these articles

https://www.deeperblue.com/basic-marine-life-injuries-how-to-treat-them/

vertigo01 · Dec 4, 2017

Scorpius said:
^ Dude lol. That's not helping.

There will always be " That Guy"...Lol

Ryan115 · Dec 4, 2017

The blood flowing out is a good thing. Puncture wounds that don't bleed and sometimes leave foreign bodies behind are far worse.
The bleeding itself helps to clean the wound.

It's kind of like bad bumps on the head, it is when they don't swell outward that you really need to worry.

ritter6788 · Dec 4, 2017

My wife stepped on one that fell off some rock I had on the back porch. She had a perfect hole in her foot and pieces of broken tube came out of her foot for months.

Lninwa · Dec 5, 2017

Wear gloves when poking around your reef

CindyKz · Dec 8, 2017

Wash, dry, antibiotic ointment, keep clean. You will live to reef another day.

(Do go to the ED if there is further weirdness or if you spike a fever, but that seems unlikely).

Jl330 · Dec 8, 2017

MnFish1 said:
I said its probably ok. Lots of people aren't aware of the fact that there can be serious infections in marine environments. Rather than read the horror stories - best to read the comments on how to clean and take care of a wound from a tank (or the ocean). I had no clue until I read some of these articles

https://www.deeperblue.com/basic-marine-life-injuries-how-to-treat-them/

I don't know why I sometimes forget my tank is a little piece of the ocean. My worst saltwater injury was being stung on the ankle by a stingray. Worst pain of my life.