Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What is the cause of this disease? My young burm who has had the R.I. has been constanstly rubbing his nose hard on the glass, I believe due to all the crap he's gettin out of his system. Now that his air sack seem to be clear, he is still rubbing his nose in the same matter making it grayish, dry and crack like a chapped nose. Could this be the begining? The book I have do not go into enough specific information to tell how he could have gotten it or if this is the beginging stage. Thankyou in advance for your replies.

Mouthrot is really not an appropriate term to describe most mouth trauma. Instead, it is thy symptoms that need to be focused on. Nose rubbing can cause rostral abrasions which can, in turn, lead to infections in and around the mouth. Severe cases can even cause great swelling and trauma to the delicate bones in the head but that is secondary. First, rule out any reasons why the snake is rubbing (improper temps, no hide areas to feel secure, desire to find a mate, hunger, etc.). As far as the actual treatment, I would first recommend going to a veterinarian for a good diagnosis. With that being said, a diluted solution of betadine has worked very well for me. I simply flush out any affected areas trying to keep the betadine from going into the trachea or down the throat (burms don't like this too much). So, while gently restraining the snake keeping the anterior part of the head facing down, I have someone assisting me gently use a syringe to irrigate the affected areas with the diluted betadine solution. This is done twice daily for the first week and once daily for another week after that. If there are any loose caseous matter, I will use some tweezers to gently take off this dead skin. Having a long nosed syringe will allow you to direct a fine spray of the betadine into areas like the gumline so that you can cover all areas. Hope this helps.

Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center
Lake Forest, IL

>>What is the cause of this disease? My young burm who has had the R.I. has been constanstly rubbing his nose hard on the glass, I believe due to all the crap he's gettin out of his system. Now that his air sack seem to be clear, he is still rubbing his nose in the same matter making it grayish, dry and crack like a chapped nose. Could this be the begining? The book I have do not go into enough specific information to tell how he could have gotten it or if this is the beginging stage. Thankyou in advance for your replies.
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Rob Carmichael, Curator
The Wildlife Discovery Center at Elawa Farm
Lake Forest, IL