Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Has anyone every had a snake fail to realign their jaw after feeding? One of my boas ate last night and now his lower "lip" is bent in. It looks like the teeth might actually be stuck in his mouth. He is still able to flick his tongue, but he looks horrible. I just fed him, so I do not want to hold him today, but I did try to gently move it, but it's not budging. I figure I will probably have to take him into the vet - really nervous about infection at this point. Any advice in the meantime? Is it ok to wait a few days to let him digest before taking him in? So far it has been like this for 24 hours. I thought I would ask you guys too since I know a lot of you have a variety of snakes and this might have happened with one of them.
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Amber Liann
1.0 Suriname BCC (Aloysius)
1.0 Colombian BCI (Austin)
0.1 BRB (Carmen)
4.5 KSB (Snow, Anery, Albino)
1.1 RSB
1.0 Pueblan Milk (Marishka)
1.1 Sinaloan Milk
1.1 Hypo Honduran Milk (Damien & Lucy)
1.1 Sunglow Motley Corns
1.1 Butter Motley Corns
1.1 Amber Corns
1.0 Snow Corn
1.1 Pastel BPs (5 new babies!)
1.0 Spider BP
1.2 Het Pied BP
1.1 Het Albino BP
1.7 Ball Pythons
0.1 Crested Gecko (Chloe)
1.2 SHTCT Leos (Rico, Sabine, & Yazmine)
0.1 Albino Leo (Mandy)
0.1 Leo (Lola)
2.0 Bearded Dragons (Sydney & Dundee)
1.0 Uro (Kegan)
2.1 Wiener dogs (Dakota, Montana, Cheyenne)

IMO - As long as it seems like it just looks bad I would wait to take it too the vet. Two reason: 1. hopefully it will fix itself and 2. If it does not fix itself it would be bad it it regurgitates.
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Mike

6.7 BRB
1.2 Spotted Python
1.0 Cal. King

>>IMO - As long as it seems like it just looks bad I would wait to take it too the vet. Two reason: 1. hopefully it will fix itself and 2. If it does not fix itself it would be bad it it regurgitates.
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>>Mike
>>
>>6.7 BRB
>>1.2 Spotted Python
>>1.0 Cal. King

He seems to be doing ok aside from the cosmetic issue. His tongue flicks fine and he isn't drooling. I checked for wheezing and he's fine. I really do not want to move him either. The rat he had was pretty good size and he's going to need a few more days to get that down. I hated even handeling him the tiny bit I just did to look at it, but I was afraid for a moment there he was foaming. Turned out just to be the top lip hanging over the bent in lower lip. Poor guy...
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Amber Liann
1.0 Suriname BCC (Aloysius)
1.0 Colombian BCI (Austin)
0.1 BRB (Carmen)
4.5 KSB (Snow, Anery, Albino)
1.1 RSB
1.0 Pueblan Milk (Marishka)
1.1 Sinaloan Milk
1.1 Hypo Honduran Milk (Damien & Lucy)
1.1 Sunglow Motley Corns
1.1 Butter Motley Corns
1.1 Amber Corns
1.0 Snow Corn
1.1 Pastel BPs (5 new babies!)
1.0 Spider BP
1.2 Het Pied BP
1.1 Het Albino BP
1.7 Ball Pythons
0.1 Crested Gecko (Chloe)
1.2 SHTCT Leos (Rico, Sabine, & Yazmine)
0.1 Albino Leo (Mandy)
0.1 Leo (Lola)
2.0 Bearded Dragons (Sydney & Dundee)
1.0 Uro (Kegan)
2.1 Wiener dogs (Dakota, Montana, Cheyenne)

Amber,
..They do this sometimes. It is usually not serious and the jaw realigns after opening and closing again but there is the small chance that the teeth have stuck into the flesh. If he was mine I would open his mouth real quick just to make sure there is no injury. This will probably fix the problem when he closes after opening his mouth. If he is small use a stiff business or playing card to open the mouth. If he is big use a tongue depresser or something similar. You want to use a tool that is stiff enough to open the mouth quickly but not so hard that the tool will injure the snake. If you do it quick enough he should not resist too much and that will decrease the risk of regurgitation.
Jeff

>>>>IMO - As long as it seems like it just looks bad I would wait to take it too the vet. Two reason: 1. hopefully it will fix itself and 2. If it does not fix itself it would be bad it it regurgitates.
>>>>-----
>>>>Mike
>>>>
>>>>6.7 BRB
>>>>1.2 Spotted Python
>>>>1.0 Cal. King
>>
>>
>>He seems to be doing ok aside from the cosmetic issue. His tongue flicks fine and he isn't drooling. I checked for wheezing and he's fine. I really do not want to move him either. The rat he had was pretty good size and he's going to need a few more days to get that down. I hated even handeling him the tiny bit I just did to look at it, but I was afraid for a moment there he was foaming. Turned out just to be the top lip hanging over the bent in lower lip. Poor guy...
>>-----
>>-----
>>Amber Liann
>>1.0 Suriname BCC (Aloysius)
>>1.0 Colombian BCI (Austin)
>>0.1 BRB (Carmen)
>>4.5 KSB (Snow, Anery, Albino)
>>1.1 RSB
>>1.0 Pueblan Milk (Marishka)
>>1.1 Sinaloan Milk
>>1.1 Hypo Honduran Milk (Damien & Lucy)
>>1.1 Sunglow Motley Corns
>>1.1 Butter Motley Corns
>>1.1 Amber Corns
>>1.0 Snow Corn
>>1.1 Pastel BPs (5 new babies!)
>>1.0 Spider BP
>>1.2 Het Pied BP
>>1.1 Het Albino BP
>>1.7 Ball Pythons
>>0.1 Crested Gecko (Chloe)
>>1.2 SHTCT Leos (Rico, Sabine, & Yazmine)
>>0.1 Albino Leo (Mandy)
>>0.1 Leo (Lola)
>>2.0 Bearded Dragons (Sydney & Dundee)
>>1.0 Uro (Kegan)
>>2.1 Wiener dogs (Dakota, Montana, Cheyenne)

when i have had to open mouths take a i think they are bic pens take out the insides and just use the white plastic tube and open her up so the middle of her mouth is on the middle of the pen case they usualy open up no problem and there is nothing for the teeth to get stuck on has worked wonders for me from having to medicate young pythons to looking at a friends snake that had mouth rot. easy to open keep open and close in no time flat but then again thats what worked for opening in my case

I've had to administer oral antibiotics to my BP's before and have done the bic pen trick as well as just sliding the tube in. Aloysious is a good snake, but I know I'll have to get one heck of a grip on him to open his mouth, so that's why I was nervous about him regurging if I tried to handle him. I'll take a look at him again this evening and see how he's doing. I honestly do think that it is his teeth that are stuck. His bottom lip is completely bent in and not just dislocated and out of place. I've always dreaded the day that I would have to do this on one of the boas. I had it down to an art with the adult bp's, but I knew Aloysious would be a butt.

>>Amber,
>>..They do this sometimes. It is usually not serious and the jaw realigns after opening and closing again but there is the small chance that the teeth have stuck into the flesh. If he was mine I would open his mouth real quick just to make sure there is no injury. This will probably fix the problem when he closes after opening his mouth. If he is small use a stiff business or playing card to open the mouth. If he is big use a tongue depresser or something similar. You want to use a tool that is stiff enough to open the mouth quickly but not so hard that the tool will injure the snake. If you do it quick enough he should not resist too much and that will decrease the risk of regurgitation.
>>Jeff
>>
>>>>>>IMO - As long as it seems like it just looks bad I would wait to take it too the vet. Two reason: 1. hopefully it will fix itself and 2. If it does not fix itself it would be bad it it regurgitates.
>>>>>>-----
>>>>>>Mike
>>>>>>
>>>>>>6.7 BRB
>>>>>>1.2 Spotted Python
>>>>>>1.0 Cal. King
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>He seems to be doing ok aside from the cosmetic issue. His tongue flicks fine and he isn't drooling. I checked for wheezing and he's fine. I really do not want to move him either. The rat he had was pretty good size and he's going to need a few more days to get that down. I hated even handeling him the tiny bit I just did to look at it, but I was afraid for a moment there he was foaming. Turned out just to be the top lip hanging over the bent in lower lip. Poor guy...
>>>>-----
>>>>-----
>>>>Amber Liann
>>>>1.0 Suriname BCC (Aloysius)
>>>>1.0 Colombian BCI (Austin)
>>>>0.1 BRB (Carmen)
>>>>4.5 KSB (Snow, Anery, Albino)
>>>>1.1 RSB
>>>>1.0 Pueblan Milk (Marishka)
>>>>1.1 Sinaloan Milk
>>>>1.1 Hypo Honduran Milk (Damien & Lucy)
>>>>1.1 Sunglow Motley Corns
>>>>1.1 Butter Motley Corns
>>>>1.1 Amber Corns
>>>>1.0 Snow Corn
>>>>1.1 Pastel BPs (5 new babies!)
>>>>1.0 Spider BP
>>>>1.2 Het Pied BP
>>>>1.1 Het Albino BP
>>>>1.7 Ball Pythons
>>>>0.1 Crested Gecko (Chloe)
>>>>1.2 SHTCT Leos (Rico, Sabine, & Yazmine)
>>>>0.1 Albino Leo (Mandy)
>>>>0.1 Leo (Lola)
>>>>2.0 Bearded Dragons (Sydney & Dundee)
>>>>1.0 Uro (Kegan)
>>>>2.1 Wiener dogs (Dakota, Montana, Cheyenne)

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Amber Liann
1.0 Suriname BCC (Aloysius)
1.0 Colombian BCI (Austin)
0.1 BRB (Carmen)
4.5 KSB
1.1 RSB
0.1 Lesser Platinum BP
1.0 Mojave BP
2.5 Pastel BPs
1.0 Spider BP
1.2 Het Pied BPs
0.1 Albino BP
1.1 Het Albino BP
1.7 Ball Pythons
1.0 Pueblan Milk (Marishka)
1.1 Sinaloan Milk
1.1 Hypo Honduran Milk (Damien & Lucy)
1.1 Sunglow Motley Corns
1.1 Butter Motley Corns
1.1 Amber Corns
1.0 Snow Corn

Well, he is firmly stuck. Last night I fed him a small rat pinky and tried to gently loosen the lower jaw while he was swallowing (yes, I was very careful and gentle). Anyways, no luck, so he has a vet appointment scheduled for 5:15 p.m. tomorrow. I think between me and the vet, we can get it unstuck pretty quick. I just need an extra set of hands. Wish I had some herp friends close by. My husband will not touch the boas so he is useless...
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Amber Liann
1.0 Suriname BCC (Aloysius)
1.0 Colombian BCI (Austin)
0.1 BRB (Carmen)
4.5 KSB
1.1 RSB
0.1 Lesser Platinum BP
1.0 Mojave BP
2.5 Pastel BPs
1.0 Spider BP
1.2 Het Pied BPs
0.1 Albino BP
1.1 Het Albino BP
1.7 Ball Pythons
1.0 Pueblan Milk (Marishka)
1.1 Sinaloan Milk
1.1 Hypo Honduran Milk (Damien & Lucy)
1.1 Sunglow Motley Corns
1.1 Butter Motley Corns
1.1 Amber Corns
1.0 Snow Corn

Hey Liann,

Sorry to hear it's not getting unstuck by itself, glad to hear you are going to get professional help.

BUT, dang I had to laugh at

"My husband will not touch the boas so he is useless..."
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
24.36 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

hope you guys get it worked out to bad about your wife i meen your husband lol i have extra hands around to help me out but they dont all know what they are doing tho lol

>>hope you guys get it worked out to bad about your wife i meen your husband lol i have extra hands around to help me out but they dont all know what they are doing tho lol

Lol, the "wife" is actually very helpful with the BP's, but just cannot warm up to the boas. Luckily, I only have 2 adult males and they are not too big for me to handle by myself with him in the room. Aloysious is currently hanging out with me at work (he's under my desk sleeping in an opaque plastic bin). I'm leaving early to drive down to MD and will let you guys know how it goes. I just hope he doesn't do it again!!! After seeing the vet fix it though, I think I can probably handle it the next time, if there is one.
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Amber Liann
1.0 Suriname BCC (Aloysius)
1.0 Colombian BCI (Austin)
0.1 BRB (Carmen)
4.5 KSB
1.1 RSB
0.1 Lesser Platinum BP
1.0 Mojave BP
2.5 Pastel BPs
1.0 Spider BP
1.2 Het Pied BPs
0.1 Albino BP
1.1 Het Albino BP
1.7 Ball Pythons
1.0 Pueblan Milk (Marishka)
1.1 Sinaloan Milk
1.1 Hypo Honduran Milk (Damien & Lucy)
1.1 Sunglow Motley Corns
1.1 Butter Motley Corns
1.1 Amber Corns
1.0 Snow Corn

Well, the vet actually told me that in all his years of seeing snakes, he'd never seen anything quite like this. Aloysious's teeth were very firmly embedded in his mouth. Poor guy was bruised and swollen. The vet was able to unhook a few of the teeth, but couldn't tell if anymore were stuck from the swelling. Lolo is back to normal now though so I am pretty sure he is good to go. I have to give him an anti-inflammatory and an antibiotic every day for a week, so my husband has had to buck it up and help me. Luckily, Lolo is well behaved and has not been a problem to medicate. I barely have to hold his head to get him to open his mouth and take the meds. My theory on how this happened is that since he had just eaten a large rat, his jaw was probably still dislocated when he decided to strike at his glass. I think that might be the reason it bent in and back so easily and got embedded inside his mouth. I think from now on I will feed him last as I am leaving the room for the night. The vet bill came to $100 and I do not want to have to pay another $100 for a bit lip again!!!
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Amber Liann
1.0 Suriname BCC (Aloysius)
1.0 Colombian BCI (Austin)
0.1 BRB (Carmen)
4.5 KSB
1.1 RSB
0.1 Lesser Platinum BP
1.0 Mojave BP
2.5 Pastel BPs
1.0 Spider BP
1.2 Het Pied BPs
0.1 Albino BP
1.1 Het Albino BP
1.7 Ball Pythons
1.0 Pueblan Milk (Marishka)
1.1 Sinaloan Milk
1.1 Hypo Honduran Milk (Damien & Lucy)
1.1 Sunglow Motley Corns
1.1 Butter Motley Corns
1.1 Amber Corns
1.0 Snow Corn

The important thing is Lolo's OK!!!!
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
24.36 BRB
19.19 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

>>Well, the vet actually told me that in all his years of seeing snakes, he'd never seen anything quite like this. Aloysious's teeth were very firmly embedded in his mouth. Poor guy was bruised and swollen. The vet was able to unhook a few of the teeth, but couldn't tell if anymore were stuck from the swelling. Lolo is back to normal now though so I am pretty sure he is good to go. I have to give him an anti-inflammatory and an antibiotic every day for a week, so my husband has had to buck it up and help me. Luckily, Lolo is well behaved and has not been a problem to medicate. I barely have to hold his head to get him to open his mouth and take the meds. My theory on how this happened is that since he had just eaten a large rat, his jaw was probably still dislocated when he decided to strike at his glass. I think that might be the reason it bent in and back so easily and got embedded inside his mouth. I think from now on I will feed him last as I am leaving the room for the night. The vet bill came to $100 and I do not want to have to pay another $100 for a bit lip again!!!
>>-----
>>-----
>>Amber Liann
>>1.0 Suriname BCC (Aloysius)
>>1.0 Colombian BCI (Austin)
>>0.1 BRB (Carmen)
>>4.5 KSB
>>1.1 RSB
>>0.1 Lesser Platinum BP
>>1.0 Mojave BP
>>2.5 Pastel BPs
>>1.0 Spider BP
>>1.2 Het Pied BPs
>>0.1 Albino BP
>>1.1 Het Albino BP
>>1.7 Ball Pythons
>>1.0 Pueblan Milk (Marishka)
>>1.1 Sinaloan Milk
>>1.1 Hypo Honduran Milk (Damien & Lucy)
>>1.1 Sunglow Motley Corns
>>1.1 Butter Motley Corns
>>1.1 Amber Corns
>>1.0 Snow Corn

Jeff - He is on Meloxicam (.1 ml daily for 5 days) and Cipro (.15 ml every 48 hours for 2 weeks). I took a good look inside his mouth tonight and everything seems to look good. I'm afraid everytime I open his mouth that I am going to somehow push the teeth back into his jaw. I gave him a good look over after his meds though and I think he is fine.
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Amber Liann
1.0 Suriname BCC (Aloysius)
1.0 Colombian BCI (Austin)
0.1 BRB (Carmen)
4.5 KSB
1.1 RSB
0.1 Lesser Platinum BP
1.0 Mojave BP
2.5 Pastel BPs
1.0 Spider BP
1.2 Het Pied BPs
0.1 Albino BP
1.1 Het Albino BP
1.7 Ball Pythons
1.0 Pueblan Milk (Marishka)
1.1 Sinaloan Milk
1.1 Hypo Honduran Milk (Damien & Lucy)
1.1 Sunglow Motley Corns
1.1 Butter Motley Corns
1.1 Amber Corns
1.0 Snow Corn