Mouth rot is a progressive bacterial infection involving the oral lining. It may begin with increased salivation. Often saliva bubbles from the mouth. Close inspection of the oral lining reveals tiny pinpoint areas of bleeding. The oral lining becomes increasingly inflamed and pus begins to accumulate within the mouth, especially among the rows of teeth. As the disease progresses, the underlying bone becomes infected and the teeth fall out. The differential diagnosis is respiratory tract infection. The specimens from snakes with infectious stomatitis yielded predominantly gram-negative bacteria. The organisms most frequently isolated from these specimens were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Providencia rettgeri, and P maltophilia. The cloacal swabbing of healthy snakes also resulted in the isolation of predominantly gram-negative organisms, suggesting that these bacteria are not exogenous pathogens but opportunistic invaders.
Isolate any infected animal, and clean the mouth with a cotton swab dipped in a 1% Betadine (povodine-iodine) solution. Make sure the snake does not swallow any of the solution or infectious material; keep the snake's head pointed downwards while flushing. Some vetenarians advocate cautious use topical antibioticsi.e. polymyxin/neosporin. mainatin a source of hydration and increased temperature 85-92 degrees.
This infection must be recognized in the early stages to successfully reverse it The hobbyist must seek veterinary help when mouth rot is first evident.
The veterinarian may want to collect a saliva/pus specimen for bacterial culture and subsequent antibiotic sensitivity testing to determine the appropriate antibiotic(s) to use. A blood sample can also be collected to accurately assess the internal and overall status of the patient. Mouth rot often is an external manifestation of more serious internal problems.

Initial treatment involves injections of vitamins A, C and B complex, as well as a antibiotic one that the veterinarian believes has the best chance of fighting the infection until the results of antibiotic sensitivity tests are available. The best studied antibiotics have been the cephalosporins (3rd generation, aminoglycsides and fluoroquinolones. Supportive are involves daily or twice-daily cleansing of the mouth, application of topical antibiotics, administration of fluids to combat dehydration and the possible detrimental effects of certain antibiotics, and periodic forced-feedings (using a stomach tube).
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Robert J Kaplan MD

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