Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My adult male red African House snake has developed a hard swelling at about 1/3 back from his head. It looks similar to when a snake has eaten a large meal (it's a little smaller than golf ball size) but he hasn't eaten in a month. He's housed on paper towels, so I don't think it's impaction. I'll be taking him to the vet next week but I was hoping to have some ideas to share with the vet to point him/her in the right direction and aid diagnosis.

I'll try to post a pic today to show what I'm talking about.
Thanks,
Lora

The swelling is actually about halfway down the body when I checked today. I don't think the lump has moved, I just remembered it wrong while posting earlier. He's active, though I haven't fed him since the end of December.
Lora

...a snake is pulled or stretched and the spine gets damaged, it can heal poorly, where they end up with an enlarged section (primarily bone). BUT, the lump doesn't go around the underside. Hmm... I've never seen anything like this. It does look more like an impaction of some sort.

What does it feel like? Is the lump under the spine and ribs, or over? Could the snake have swallowed a foreign body?? Substrate? Anything?? If not, the last option is an enlarged organ...sometimes snakes get enlarged hearts (or other organs) and it can be deadly.

It really seems to be more like swelling- not boney like a calcium deposit. It is very solid however unlike a fatty deposit that I've seen on some snakes. It's unlikely to be an impaction other than a food item. I keep these guys on paper towel substrate in a rubbermaid. I've had this snake for about a year and other that during breeding- he's always had a reasonable appetite. He didn't eat today when I offered a mouse, but as I said before, he's active and seems interested in his environment.
I do fear that it's an enlarged organ or cancer of some type. I made my appointment for the vet on Monday but other than doing a biopsy of the mass or possibly an ultrasound, I'm not sure what he'll do.
I appreciate your reply and I'll let folks know for future reference what we determine to be the cause.
Thanks,
Lora

The DVM performed an X-ray and a fine needle aspirate of about 3 cc's of clear fluid that he'll send off for Cytology and Aerobic C&S. He doesn't have a clue (which I guess makes me feel better for not recognizing the symptoms). The X-rays just showed a paler ovoid white mass at the location of the swelling. Once we get the lab results back- hopefully we'll know more. ARGHHH! $343.75 So much for buying new Boaphile cages anytime soon...
Lora

Have your vet check for Cryptosporidium. In the meantime, make sure you move his cage and furnishings into a room away from the rest of your collection and disinfect everything with a Quaternary Ammonia solution. If Crypto is present (the symptoms you descride are indicative of Crypto), Clorine Bleach and Nolvasan and that sort of thing will NOT eliminate it. Ammonia is the only thing that will. Do not use household ammonia. You need a preparation such a Roccal-D.

Oldherper- I just did some reading on Crypto, though I didn't find anything specific to infection and symptoms in snakes. I will definitely advise my vet of the possible suspect.
What symptoms would you describe for infection by Cryptosporidium in snakes? Also, how would infection be determined? The vet aspirated 3 cc's of clear fluid from the swelling and it's off to the lab so I don't have the results yet. Would Crypto show up on a slide of the aspirated fluid? I am unable to provide a fecal sample, as the snake has not fed since mid December (and not knowing he would be ill, I didn't save a sample when I cleaned cages the first week of January). Prior to the noticable swelling in January, I did put the male snake into a female snakes tub for breeding. So now I've got at least two snakes to worry over (And I'll watch the other 9 that are also in the rack). Where can I purchase Roccal-D/Quaternary Ammonia solution for cage disinfection? Is it commonly available?
Thanks for your help!
Lora

Symptoms include:

Not feeding
regurgitaion (if they do feed)
hardened mid-body swelling
dehydration (resulting from refusal to drink)
ultimately death

Yes, if the sample was drawn from the hardened swelling (it's usually the stomach itself that is swollen) then that fluid should bear Crypto. The vet needs to be looking specifically for Crypto to find it, though. It takes specialized staining procedures (acid-fast differential staining) to make it show up. It is difficult to see and requires high magnification for a light microscope (1200x or so). It is a very tiny (2-6um) coccidian.

Crypo is usually present in higher numbers in the stomach of snakes and in the intestines of lizards.

If this animal tests positive for Crypto, then it is essential that you destroy all of it's cage furnishings and the cage itself (or at least never house another animal in it).

Unfortunately, if the snake does test positive there is a high probability that the female snake has been exposed also. It is very easily vectored from one cage to another by things such as mites, ticks, flies and the keeper. You can easily transfer it from one cage to another on your hands and clothes.

Roccal-D is available from your vet or from a veterinary supply house. It is expensive, about $50.00 a gallon. It is normally used in a 128:1 solution so a gallon should last for a very long time.

So far the snake is still drinking- drank some when I placed him back in the cage after the vet. The swelling seems lessened but that could just be from the aspiration of fluid the other night. He's still very alert- comes to investigate as soon as I open the cage. The female appears to be starting shed cycle so it'll be a week or so before she's ready to feed again. Should I take a fecal sample in to the vet of hers (since she ate this weekend) and have it tested? It may be too late to revise the lab work as it was sent out yesterday morning.

I'll look into purchasing some Roccal-D this weekend and begin cleaning all the cages with it just in case.
Thanks again!
Lora

Yeah, it can never hurt to let your vet look at a fecal. It's a good precautionary measure if nothing else, and it's relatively cheap.

Still no definite diagnosis, though he mentioned possible Crypto and my heart just sank. We're waiting for the rest of the labs and if I can get a fecal sample I'll take it in for additional tests. I did some more reading on Crypto and it really doesn't sound good. The vet said he felt that if the female was also infected that she wouldn't transmit Crypto on to the eggs. I haven't found anything to confirm this though. Worst case scenario- if the tests are positive for both snakes, due to the fact that they can carry the disease and zoonotic potential, should I consider possible treatments or euthanasia? I hate to even ask but I feel it may be the most responsible option.

Also- any ideas on how the snake might have become infected? I purchased the pair a year ago and prior to this instance they've seemed to be in great health. The female laid twice last spring and summer.
Lora

Still no definite diagnosis, though he mentioned possible Crypto and my heart just sank. We're waiting for the rest of the labs and if I can get a fecal sample I'll take it in for additional tests. I did some more reading on Crypto and it really doesn't sound good. The vet said he felt that if the female was also infected that she wouldn't transmit Crypto on to the eggs. I haven't found anything to confirm this though. Worst case scenario- if the tests are positive for both snakes, due to the fact that they can carry the disease and zoonotic potential, should I consider possible treatments or euthanasia? I hate to even ask but I feel it may be the most responsible option.

Also- any ideas on how the snake might have become infected? I purchased the pair a year ago and prior to this instance they've seemed to be in great health. The female laid twice last spring and summer.
Lora

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Crypto is a funny thing. It can be present in an animal for years and cause no problems, then just bloom to a point of clinical signs. It is thought that when that happens, the trigger is usually stress. Some animals (a very few) even recover from clinical signs and appear to live a relatively normal life after, but they are probably carriers for the rest of their lives and would pose a threat to ather animals in the collection. It usually spreads through a collection like wildfire once one of the animals is symptomatic, but sometimes leaves some of the animals unaffected.

The common course of treatment once Crypto has invaded a collection is euthanasia and incineration of all animals that could be affected, as well as destruction and disposal of all cages and cage furnishings, then a thorough disinfecting of the premises (floors, walls, ceilings) with Quaternary Ammonia. Then it is recommended not to house any more animals in that premises for at least 6 months.

I would not take steps that drastic until I had positive confirmation that Crypto is the culprit.

This is one good example of the value of quarantine in a separate room for at least 6 months, and a year is really better although not necessarily practical.

There is an experimental treatment that is being tried now that shows some small amount of promise. It involves supportive therapy accompanied with treatment with Hyperimmune Bovine Colostrum. None of the standard treatments for coccidians seems to have any effect on Crypto whatsoever.

Good luck and let me know what the final results of the test are.

Here is a hand out I did for clients of the clinic I used to work at. And I will say this the mid body swelling caused by crypto is gastric hypertrophy not edema. I am not sayying not to test your animals for crypto in fact I feel all reptiles should be tested, but I do not feel it is the cause of the fluid.

REPTILIAN CRYPTOSPORIDIOSIS
By Ryan Centini
What is cryptosporidiosis? Cryptosporidium is a internal protozoal parasite which is a type of coccidia.
Can humans or other animals get cryptosporidiosis from reptiles? There are eight different species of Cryptosporidium. C. serpentis is the one that affects reptiles and seems only to effect reptiles. C. parvum affects mammals and is the only one known to affect humans. C. parvum can infect suckling mice a reptile that ate a mouse infected with C. parvum although it would not be affected by it, it could pass the oocysts in its feces and under these circumstances could infect a human. However this would really be getting C. parvum from a mouse not C. serpintis from a reptile.
What reptiles can get cryptosporidium? It has been reported in all families of reptiles except crocodilians. Some species seem to be at higher risk of developing the disease than others; cornsnakes, eastern indigo snakes, pine-gopher snakes, (especially albino cornsnakes and pine-gopher snakes), emerald tree boas, boa constrictors, as well as rock rattlesnakes, monocled cobras, and death adders (but I hope these last three are not kept as pets!). Snakes in general seem to be at higher risk than other reptiles. In lizards it has been most commonly seen in Gila monsters, geckoes (especially leopard geckoes), chameleons, monitors, and iguanas. Cryptosporidium has been found in several species of turtles and tortoises. However it does not seem to cause disease in them, they may just be carriers of it. They can transmit it to snakes and lizards though. This is just one good example of why different species of reptiles should not be housed together.
How is Cryptosporidium transmitted? Cryptosporium oocysts are shed in the feces and they are found on regurgitated food. These oocysts can then get on cages, bags, cleaning instruments, water bowls, cage decorations, in the water, and hands. And transmitted to reptiles in other cages. The oocysts can survive for several months in the right conditions (with the fecal matter or with moisture and low temperatures) and are hard to kill (see prevention below). Cryptosporidiosis should be considered as highly contagious and the highest standards in sanitation should be exercised.
What are the signs of cryptosporidiosis? In snakes cryptosporidium is mostly found in the stomach and causes weight loss, regurgitation, and in the later stages gastric hypertrophy (thickening of the stomach wall). In lizards it usually found in the intestines. Where it causes diarrhea, weight loss, and anorexia. There is a report of Cryptosporidium in the kidneys of a iguana and a Parson’s chameleon and the salivary gland of a iguana. There are reports of reptiles that shed the organism but never developed any signs and of reptiles that developed signs but through supportive therapy got better. These seem to be the exception though and most die. There are several diseases that can cause these same signs so LET A VETERINARIAN MAKE THE DIAGNOSES.
Is there a cure for cryptosporidiosis? There are several drugs that have been tried. A lot of them have caused a decrease in the number of oocysts and a few even seem to have stopped the shedding. But these result have been inconsistent. Reptiles that are positive for cryptosporidiosis should be strictly quarantined with separate cleaning instruments or be destroyed.
How is cryptosporidiosis diagnosed? There are a few methods one is to do a acid-fast test on the contents of a stomach wash (this is best done three days after a meal in snakes), the feces, or mucus from regurgitated food. An immunofluorescent antibody (IFA) on the feces. A enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) on the plasma. And a biopsy of the stomach lining this is the most invasive, but can yield good results. With any of these tests a negative does not mean the reptile does not have cryptosporidiosis it just means it was not in that sample. With three negatives you can reasonably sure the reptile does not have it.
Prevention. As mentioned before cryptospridium is very hard to kill. The only known disinfectant that can reasonably be used is household ammonia with 30 minutes of contact. It should only be used in a well-ventilated area. AMMONIA AND BLEACH SHOULD NEVER BE MIXED. A substrate that can be thrown out like newspaper should be used, cage decorations should be plastic so they can be sanitized, wood is difficult to sanitize so should not be used.