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This hog came out of hibernation 2 years ago with an unusual swelling near his vent. My vet did an incision and , along with a putty-like mass of puss, removed what appeared to be a piece of threat approximately 1 inch long. Microscopic examination showed it was vegetative matter of some sort. The incision was treated and healed nicely. About 9 months later, the same knot began to reappear, along with a similar one on his jaw. My vet is reluctant to do any more incisions(especially on his jaw) as he is otherwise healthy, eating well and a prolific breeeder. Anyone ever seen something like this before? Any suggestions? Sorry for the blurry pics.

yep and they look like abscesses.
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www.hognose.co.uk

Which will need draining.
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www.hognose.co.uk

My brothers snake had the same thing; his vet said it was a parasite (worm I think). The vet removed it the same way and treated with some medication. They never came back. His snake got them from fish (gold fish). Remember to always freeze your food ( 48 hours), even when used to scent pinkies.

Yes, I have seen this before. One of my males developed a lump just above the vent. The mass was real firm and could not be drained. I removed it myself and all appeared fine until the next year. It came back, grew larger than before, but had no real ill effect. He functioned fine so I left it alone.

that has been my cousre of action. My vet suggested that I leave well enough alone. This guy eats, breeds and is otherwise doing well. I thought about making an incision and removing the mass near the vent, but the vet has already done this and it returned. We neither one will risk cutting in so near his jaw.