Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got this boy, and I notice that he's got one side of his mouth swollen. The other side is normal, and he seems very healthy otherwise. He still tries to bite me, and he was eating just fine acording to the person I bought him from.
I don't have a reptile vet anywhere close to me.

Does this look like mouthrot, or what? He did strike the tongs and I'm unsure if it may be an injury related to his tendancy to do that or what.

If it is mouthrot, is that something that can be treated without a vet, or is it necessary that I drive a couple hours a way (if I can find one) to see a vet that will work with an animal as aggressive as he is?

That lump could be anything. If you could get a picture of the inside of the mouth (good luck) maybe someone could tell you more. Personally I would get it to a vet. Where do you live? I bet there are vets closer than you think.

How long have you had him, and when did you notice the swelling? It's possible that he may have got an injury while striking, which could have developed an abscess.

If you can find someone to help you, I'd try to get his mouth open to do a visual inspection for any noticeable injuries. These I would treat with Betadine, and if there is any discharge built up, I'd try and drain it. If you have any doubts, or it doesn't improve, I'd get to a good reptile vet for evaluation.

As far as getting someone to help, I've used the "Why don't you stop over for a bit?"....."Hey...while you're here..." method with some success. With a big female Retic that was mean as hell w/ an abcsess, my friends stopped coming over after a couple such requests...LOL

Good luck!
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"He who would stifle debate rather than engage in it, does so at the expense of his integrity and credibility"

Mike Curtin

It looks more like an abscess to me. I had a dumerils who got one right above her eye on the top of her head. Unlike mammals, snake abscesses are not liquid...they resemble a thick cheese, so they are very difficult to remove. I'd definetly try the vet first, rather than let it fester...especially if the snake is agressive.

Good luck!
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Thanks,
Amy
My Boids