Reptile & Amphibian Forums

This snake came to me about a month ago via our local reptile rescue they are pretty crowded with iguanas so they sent some balls my way. It had what I thought was some pretty bad scale rot under it's chin, but after cleaning it out I'm not sure what it was, maybe a bite that festered. It started out looking like just a big scab like thing, but after 3-4 weeks of treatment it's down to just this hole about 1/4" wide and about 1/8" deep with some pretty good swelling (see pictures). I've been treating him daily with anticeptic wash and neosporin and it's healing but there is the hole and it's still pretty swollen. The snake is eating great, shedding fine, it's very active and just a big lovable snake, doesn't even mind all the treatment. I'm just wondering if I should continue the same treatements, am I overdoing it with the treatments or should he see a vet? I am almost positive that the rescue took him to a vet when they got him, and when they started his treatment. I know my pictures aren't that great, my camera sucks and the snake is quite curious and wont pose but any thoughts would really be appreciated.

The hole

The Swelling

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Tosha

8.13.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and currently un-named)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope)
7.9.5 Fish (1,2,3,4...)
0.0.1 Frog rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.2 Lizards rescued from pool skimmer

you're right.your camera does suck?......

....ok....it may heal if you keep the same treatment up...it may regrow into more sores again....

I would consider anti-biotics to help it along........

bacteria is a pain to get rid of ....it goes away then re-blooms without proper treatment.......

I had a corn with mouth rot get better and better over and over again.......too cheap to get anti-biotics.....I finally froze her before it spread........this was the only snake I ever had here that had mouth rot.......and I didn't feel like starting a whole colony of it........

........treatment or get rid of it.......

female?........ok........male.......I'd give it away.....
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Since I don't really know what it is, I guess I should take it to the vet to see if anything might help it along. Kinda why I was hoping for an opinion from the good doctor.

Not sure if it's male or female - never checked, but I'm not the type of person to just give away a sick snake.

And since this is a rescue it's kinda of my job to get it healthy and find it a good home.

Thanks.
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Tosha

8.13.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and currently un-named)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope)
7.9.5 Fish (1,2,3,4...)
0.0.1 Frog rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.2 Lizards rescued from pool skimmer

I would be very careful of getting advise from someone claiming to be a vet. The vets I worked for would never give advise without first seeing the animal.

....but yes I'm cautious about giving advice, info, etc., unless I'm sure what I'm talking about. And since BP's are my main passion in the herp world (along with Arizona Mtn kings), this forum is a way for me to give back to people who share my passion...

...at any rate, it sounds like you're doing what needs to be done...the swelling may be a walled-off micro-abscess resulting from the original injury, or resuling granulation tissue, which basically equals a scar. I would continue to apply antibiotic ointment to the external scar, feed the snake well, and continue to monitor. It sounds like you're doing all that can reasonably be expected up to this point.

Scott J. Michaels DVM
Serpent City

I'll keep up the routine then and if it doesn't continue to improve I'll take the snake in! Sometimes I worry and like I said I've put in a lot of work getting this one better, and it's improved a lot, but the hole and swelling had me worried. I really appreciate the advise.
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Tosha

8.13.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and currently un-named)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Dessert Tortoise (Pope)
7.9.5 Fish (1,2,3,4...)
0.0.1 Frog rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.2 Lizards rescued from pool skimmer

...frogs and lizards to have been rescued from a pool in a desert oasis where desert tortoises dwell lol...sjm