Small bump on side JCP neck

[booyah]

Hello,

I have had Jasmine for about 3 months, and this morning I noticed a small bump that appears to be just underneath the skin. I panic'd and brought her to a local vet, but he couldn't tell me much because he doesn't specialize in snakes. He suggested it could be a cyst, and told me to keep an eye on it, and make sure it doesn't get any bigger..

I realize that because he is not a reptile vet, that he may not know very much, and thats why I am here, asking you guys. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Here are some pictures I took.

http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd435/booyah1985/DSC01847.jpg

http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd435/booyah1985/DSC01840.jpg

[booyah]

http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd435/booyah1985/DSC01844.jpg

[booyah]

She ate 15 days ago, everything seems normal. The only thing I have noticed is that she has been spending alot of time in her bathing dish.

I have two water dishes in her cage, a small one for drinking water, and a larger one that she can fit in. I put the large bathing dish on top of a heating pad because the water was pretty cold. Now its slightly warmer but still cold too the touch.

She spends days in there, sometimes weeks on end.. Is it possible that being submersed in water for an extended period of time could cause a small bump under the skin?

[booyah]

Here is a picture of her cage.

http://i1219.photobucket.com/albums/dd435/booyah1985/DSC01853.jpg

[Will0W783]

It could be a water blister if the humidity is too high, but your cage setup does not look like that would be the case. Is your bedding wet all the time?
Most likely it is a benign cyst or an abscess. I would suggest finding a vet that specializes in snakes.

[booyah]

Thanks for the reply,

I moisten the substrate about every 2 weeks or so, it is a mixture of eco-earth and moss. It doesn't stay wet, it dry's out quite quickly. In that picture I just took, she is hiding down on the floor under the log, but she is never on the ground, she prefer's it either under the light on the stick, or in the water dish on the right hand side.

It is a 3 hr drive to the closest reptile vet.

[booyah]

There is a humidity box on the left side that is at a steady temp of 86'. She doesn't use it too often tho.

[marvelfreak]

Have you checked her for mites?

[Jay]

It is a 3 hr drive to the closest reptile vet.

Just one of the many responsibility's of owning such an animal. I t looks like you've got a 3hr drive ahead of you, best of luck.

[booyah]

Well, here is what I did to attempt to remedy the problem.

I removed her large water dish that she used to bath in, and I also removed her humidity box, and a good majority of the moss as well.

This morning, I poked her a bit so I could have a look, and it appears that the bump is gone...

I am assuming that it was caused due to her laying in her water dish for an extended period of time?

Has anyone ever experienced something like this before?

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I have examined her closely and I couldn't see any mites. I also checked her cage and there are no signs of mites.

[shaunyboy]

imo when a carpet soaks in it's water bowl theres usually a reason for it.(the most common being mites)

you could try putting the bowl back in,just to see if she goes back in for a soak,you may find whatever it was is gone and she no longer needs to soak

re soaking
imo when temperatures are ok (not too hot) i've found the usual reason a carpet soaks in water is mites

mites can also get under the scales and cause a raised appearance or cause infection that again would raise the scales

it could have been a small cyst or even abcess that the snakes immune system may have dealt with

its hard to tell without feeling the lump to see the consistancy of it hard,soft,spongy etc

it's great that the lumps gone,it may have been just one of those things that happen from time to time,that the snake deals with itself

sorry i can't be of more help mate

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

The adult corn that i took in had lumps like that on his side but down nearer the cloaca - we read a lot and figured they were fat lumps - 6 months of less food and more exercise and they are now gone.

[booyah]

thanks shaunyboy. The lump was very soft, when I squeezed it you could barely feel anything, kinda like it was perhaps just fat? There was no lump that you could feel, you could only see it visibly.

As for the mites, I have no experience with them, all I can say is that I haven't seen any.. are they black?

Thanks for the help guys.

[Jay]

They look like pepper. Check on her vents and under her chin.

[Will0W783]

They're like black sesame seeds. If you part the folds of the skin on the bottom of the jaws, you can sometimes find them there, or in the heat pits, or near the cloaca. They will also be dead in the water bowl- slowly dump out the water into a stoppered sink and look for what appear to be small blackish-brown sesame seeds with hair thin legs.