Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I went to feed some of my snakes tonight and noticed this unusual swelling of the lower jaw on this guy. One side is definitely more swollen than the other, but both sides are swollen. He is acting fine, eating on schedule, not producing mucous, and has pink, healthy-looking teeth and gums. Does anybody have any idea what could be going on with him? Thanks for all the input...

D

Probably Stomatitis ie;mouthrot best treated with a diluted Betadyne solution.

I looked inside the mouth, and the teeth and gums appear totally normal - pink and no mucous or any other suspicious substance. Could it still be mouth rot? As far as the treatment you suggested, how exactly do I do that? Thanks for the response!

D

Do you feed him live or frozen. i know of cases that the animal can get bitten in the mouth or around the face, small enough so its not detectable and get an infection that will inflame the face. Sometimes it heals and others it needs to be treated by draining the infected area.

He eats nothing but frozen/thawed. I've heard of rare cases where the teeth and/or nails of the feeder still injure the snake even though the feeder is already dispatched. I'll check his mouth again thoroughly and see if that could be the case. I think I'm going to go ahead and treat with a diluted betadine solution just to be on the safe side, so that should take care of it if it is a problem associated with a minor injury. Thanks for the thoughts...

D

Not sure if this applies to snakes but if that were a mammal, those would be either infected/clogged submandibular salivary glands or swollen lymph nodes. Swollen lymph nodes could be indicative of an infection anywhere in the body but most likely near the inflamed nodes. I would try to find some snake anatomy illustrations and see exactly what glands, nodes or structures are located in that area.

That's a good thought. I had kind of thought that could be the case myself. I went out and searched the net for illustrations or pics of snake anatomy around the head, but I couldn't find anything helpful. Does anyone know of a good resource for detailed renderings or pics of snake (preferably ball python) anatomy? Thanks!

D

Know what used to be great for that was those zoo-books maginzines they advertised on TV. Maybe try combining your search with zoo books. I'll see what I can find as well.

I can't seem to find anything online either. You may try sending an email and photo to one of the herpetological societies online.

On another note, if the swelling is lymph nodes it isn't necessarily a bad thing. It would mean that the immune system is geared up and fighting whatever the infection is.

A couple of times my dogs have gotten sick and developed swollen lymph nodes but as the infection was beaten back, the nodes shrunk back to normal.

Same thing happens to people when they get certain illnesses, if you feel up by the carotid artery in the medial neck, when you have a flu, it is simple to find your own swollen lymph nodes.

I have a couple of rescues with similar swellings - in my case these were both a result of injuries (rat bite and scale rot) - according to my vet most likely a build up of (white?) blood cells in that area creating an abscess. We are waiting for a little more healing before we go in and try to drain it out or remove the mass. It looks the same as what you have but there is always the possiblity that is not you may have just some enlarged gland as it's been pointed out. Mine have been on penicillin injections and cephalexin dded to the drinking water. This hasn't really helped with the swelling but is a preventative measure to stave off infection until we get them drained/removed. Probably best if you take them to a vet and have them take a look.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

7.33.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi - yeah I know but my kids love the book)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.2 frogs rescued from pool skimmer

Agredd, vet trip definitely a good idea.

Appedicitis is caused by an over-accumulation of lymphocytes (white cells) in the lymph tissue of the appendix. And we all know where that can lead.

What you've got with an abscess is an area that irritates the heck out of neutrophils. They go in there, release some chemical weapons and die, forming pus. The chemicals they release degrade the surrounding tissue forming a hollow. The destruction of tissue causes the release of agents that attract more neutrophils and the cycle continues. Who knows what it was that got the immune cells going in the first place (could be a septic chunk of food stuck down in a tooth socket) but if the problem isn't addressed it can be fatal.

I have a Het Pied male that has the same thing. However, with my animal the cause was the container I kept him in. He would get his head wedged between the top of the lid and the lip of the box, and for whatever reason his jaw did the same thing. Like yours he still functions well and I havn't seen any problems come from it.

That's interesting - this guy is also a het pied. Not that there is any connection between the swelling and his being het pied, but I just thought it was an interesting coincidence. Anyway, it could perhaps be his container. I am in the process of changing out my racks for one that uses a tub that I like better (Iris - totally smooth on the inside). We'll see if that makes a difference. He is currently being treated with betadine. I spoke with my vet and was told to try this for a few days before bringing him in. Just an update...thanks again to all for your thoughts...

D