Sick snake (bird)

[Beejay]

From: [KZ]Mike McCulley
To: #####
Sent: Wednesday, March 19, 2003 6:38 PM
Subject: snake with bumps


Thanks for help me out. . .

I have had the snake for about 2 weeks and the bump started showing up yesterday. . . more showed up today.

The tank is a 120 gallon fish tank that was washed out very well. . . cleaned rocks with dirt and plant from the yard were then put in. Have been feeding small crickets and the snake seem to be eating well. The tank is open and ventilation is not a problem. Have recently installed a gro-light to keep plants going. Installation of the light preceded the bumps by about 7-8 days. . . the light is kept on about 14 hours. [Am thinking I should cut the hours down?]

Fresh water twice daily. No 'pond' that the snake can soak in. Snake seems active and moves well when handled, which is not often.

If the bumps don't go down or reduce, I will probably turn the snake loose earlier than anticipated

Mike McCulley

<img src="http://www.saltinemonkey.com/mike/more bumps.jpg">

<img src="http://www.saltinemonkey.com/mike/fishtank.jpg">

<img src="http://www.saltinemonkey.com/mike/bump w-arrow.jpg">

<img src="http://www.saltinemonkey.com/mike/snake w_bumps.jpg">

[Zoe]

I'm not sure, it's hard to tell from the pic, but they look a little like broken ribs. His behavior isn't synonymous with such serious injuries, but I there's nothing else I can think of it being.

Why not take him to the vet? A vet will probably be able to determine what it is.

Oh, the light should be on while the sun is up.

Zoe

[KrokadilyanGuy3]

...Releasing it is the worst thing you can do. specially since you have no idea what it is.
No telling if what he has is a contagious pathenogen that an possibly kill of a local population. Happened before. Not to mention that the snake is now in your care, you own it. If you couldn't care for it if it got sick why id you get it? The best thing to do is tak it to the vet and have it treated or if its a must put it out of it's misery. I dont know what's wrong with it but I hope you help the little guy out. Either way, do not let it go.
Sorry,
Xain

[Vanan]

One thing, moisture. I've seen that alot in local garters. Give em more dry areas to move around in. Keep it all dry (newspapers) and leave only a small bowl. apply some Betadine on affected areas. I'm no vet but it's worked for me.

It's could be parasites too, cos natricines are loaded with them. Seek a vet regarding this though.

[Tim_Cranwill]

Not related to your quesiton:
You might also want to try offering the snake some earthworms, minows or pinkie mice. I don't think crickets alone is good enough for a garter snake IMO. :)

[Dave G]

Yup, earthworms (from a clean source or area) and you can use minnows, goldfish, green froglets to scent pinkies. Pinkies are not a common food source for wild garters and are not always recognized as a food source. Its true, they do relish dry areas.
Dave G

[J_Riley]

It looks like blister disease to me, more common in natricines...

When subjected to high humidity or exposed to water saturated substrates (like wet newspaper), small fluid filled vesicles may form along ventral scales. Cooler temperatures and lack of air circulation also can make blister disease easier to acquire. Bacteria can invade vesicles when they rupture, leading to scale loss and local infection, often accompanied by life threatening systemic disease such as septicemia and pneumonia.

Treatment: clean, dry, warm substrate, debridement, topical and systemic antibiotic treatment as well as disinfectant soaks (whoever above recommended betadine) and the provision of radiant heat to dry the lesion. [quoted from The Biology, Husbandry and Health Care of Reptiles, L. Ackerman, DVM]

GET THE SNAKE TO A VET. Releasing it will only ensure it's death.

And garter's don't do well on a cricket only diet, they relish fish and amphibians as well as invertebrates.

[Burmies]

From what I can see it that it could be tumors or fatty deposits. Has the snake had it ever since you got it? You should take it to the vet just to be on the safe side.

Burmies

[BurmBaroness]

I agree with JRiley on this one. Looks like blister disease. Also agree that it needs minnows and earthworms. I do not agree with trying to get it to eat pinkies, as that is not it's natural food item, and could have an adverse affect. TAKE IT TO THE VET

[J_Riley]

What's the word? Has this snake been to the vet yet??

[JD@reptiles]

i have seen problems like that from eating too many frogs or fish.
i have mine eating pinkies.

[J_Riley]

I've got 2 northern water snakes that will be 2 years old in September, and in that time they've eaten a total of 8 pinkies and everything else has been fish...and they've had absolutely zero health problems...

Amphibians, however, are know to be loaded with parasites...

[fr0glet]

I'm with J_Riley too, I took in a baby ball python with skin blister disease and it looked the same.

If the lumps feel obviously fluid filled it's probably skin blister. If the lumps feel semi-hard yet still malleable it can be parasites or tumors or fatty tissue.

Another possible topical treatment for skin blister (besides betadine washes) is chlorhexadine 2% solution. Also if you have a vet aspirate the blisters (suck the fluid out with a needle & syringe) they will go away/stay gone faster. Keep him on CLEAN AND DRY substrate, like Carefresh.

[Joe]

Another posibility would be a parasite infestation, some parasites will work there way to the surface of the skin, at very least take in a fecal,, if it was a wild caught sepecimen more than likely its full of parasites anyways, and should be cleaned up, othere than that I would have to agree with the blister disease theory
good luck anyways!!

[marylyn101]

it looks like blisters underneath the skin. or ribs. i got that from one of the garters i had. so mad!