Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This pass weekend i left to orlando and turn off the air in my house and took the heat tape off the wall just in case the temperature was at 88 degrees. I figured it would stay like that and it did when i got back i noticed that my adult female's tank had the water spilled all over the aspen but i didnt think nothing of i had not check her jet i sliped an adult rat and she took it but i noticed she was strugeling a little bit when she normaly eats them in seconds. when she finish i noticed her head was super swallen and she could not lock her jaw back her hole head was swallen at the top and bottom i dont know why she has this i think it was too cold for her when the water spiled. When i turned the heat back on her head wasnt so swallen any more. My questions is what type of sickness could that be, or is it something else in my tanks.
Thank you,

Could be aspen in mouth. Did you check her mouth. Try to open it, I know very difficult. Maybe just take her to a vet and let them decide. I wouldn't feed her in a cage with aspen bedding. Especially when its wet. That stuff will stick to rodents when its dry let alone when its wet. Try using another subtrate. Good luck

-Bill

Thank you for your response i will take her to a vet and she is doing better. I also spoke to a friend of mine that works at metro zoo and he said that pytons are know for stricking at their own reflection from the cage or in the water bowl, what could of happen was that she stroke at the rat and mist and hit her head against the cage. He says she could of fractured a bone in her head or jaw and it got swallen this is very typical in pythons. I told him i have never seen my python do that she is very awared of her cage. But it is a pretty good explanation. Again thank you for your responce.

Then you found out firsthand that feedng live is very DANGEROUS!!! And in fact, can scar, disembowl, disfigure and cause death in serious cases. If you feed live food and weren't payin attension, that swollen "mark" on ur pythons head, prolly is an infection to a serious bite...
Better check her thourally and contact a vet ASAP!

Other thing, by removing your heat mat/pad, the heat source to allow the python to thermograte and leaving a soggy, wet enclosure with zilch heat poses a high risk for R.I. or "Mouth Rot", which is unlikely and more a chance of the python developing a small resportory infection. If you were in fact that nervious bout heatin issues, why not set the heat source on a thermostat to begin with??? Not to mention BP's prefer temps IMO only temps around 87-92 degrees with a basking area of 95. So if it reached 88 degrees in the enclosure that should have been fine....

All in all, go to a Vet ASAP !!!
That's just what I've drawn from a conclusion on the miiniumal info here...

I might have misunderstood with this quote:

"This pass weekend i left to orlando and turn off the air in my house and took the heat tape off the wall just in case the temperature was at 88 degrees." Sounds like you have an idea what the apporiate ranges are(86-92), not to get the wrong impression bout that.

But again like I mentioned before, a thermostat would solve the overheating issue, only prob would have been if you didnt have anyone to trust to care for the animal was to let the day temps drop into the mid 70's....
Other than that, Hope the python is fine and hope the vet can find a way to treat it.