Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Help!
My oregon red spotted garter snake has a very very un-natural lump, im guessing it is a parasite. i am planning on trading him this dec snd at the reptile show. i need help on how to get rid of the parasite?

thanks

Surgery. It's not all that hard. Do the research and get some equipment.

In my personal opinion, I think instead of trying to do the surgery yourself you should find a vet in your area that deals with snakes/exotics and take the snake in to be examined so you not exactly what you are dealing with. The vet will then decide the correct way to deal with this issue. I would not recommended self diagnosing the snake and then operating on it. You may harm the snake more then anything.

Self diagnosing is one thing, but to up and try and surgically operate on a snake with no experience whatsoever is idiocy.

It might not be a parasite at all. Snakes can develop cysts and tumors and fatty lymphomas. I have a western hognos with a fat lump on his side that has been there for 8 years and hasn't effected him at all.

Have a vet look at it to determine if it even is a parasite at all.

To advise someone to just hack away at their snake and perform surgery themself is idiotic and you should be shot for giving such awful advice
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2 RES
1.1 Argentine B/W Tegus
1 Iguana
1 leucistic texas ratsnake
1 Knight Anole
1 mountain horned lizard
4 Egyptian dune geckos
1 albino burm
1 Western Hognose
1 Madagascar Hognose

I forget not everyone knows what I do.

yea, i am def. going to get him to the vet.
here are some pics

That is a rather large lump. This might be evidence of cryptosporidia. Collect a fresh fecal sample (keep in frig) to take with you to the vet.

But your advice, on both counts, should be discarded..
First, diagnosing and providing treatment for a medical condition, by an unlicensed individual, is practicing veterinary medicine without a license. Not only do I find such advice to be simian minded, but illegal as well.
Second, Cryptosporidium serpentis is not going to be detected from a simple fecal sample, as such requires gastric lavage and viewing with an oil immersed lens and a fluorescent microscope, something very few veterinarians have on hand. Furthermore, the gastric “lump”, often associated with C. serpentis, is never that visible, at least in my experience.
As has been expressed by others, take the snake to a veterinarian well versed with herpetofauna, as medical conditions and physical anomalies are virtually impossible to accurately diagnose online…

Best regards,

Jeff
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947

I am not providing treatment over the net. Just suggestions. I do own an oil immersion scope. And if you use an acid-fast stain (carbol-fuchsin & green) the oocysts will appear red. A fresh fecal sample will show the oocysts. Have a nice day.

As you have certainly provided me with more than a chuckle, especially regarding your latest comment..
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Jeff Snodgres
University of Arkansas
snodgresjeffreys@uams.edu
501.603.1947