Mouth Rot

LINEBACKER 2 · 05-23-04, 02:53 AM

What causes mouth rot and how do you treat it? I've heard so many conflicting stories on the cause of mouth rot.

Steve

ReptiliansDOTca · 05-23-04, 09:06 AM

Mouth rot is the result of varying factors. Often times, stomatitis is the result of an injury to the mouth, which was left untreated and invaded by bacteria.

The key to treating this is first, cleaning the infected area with such items as peroxide or betadine, or a combination of the two. Next is to treat the patient with an antibiotic, such as Baytril. The patient should be kept in a sterile environment, maintained as clean as possible. Temperatures in the enclosure must be kept at the high end of the husbandry requirements, to ensure medications are working to their fullest potential. If there is anything I left out that you are requesting, please let me know.

LINEBACKER 2 · 05-23-04, 01:36 PM

Symptoms that I should be looking for... I'm new to all of this and I want to ensure my snakes are healthy animals.

Steve

ReptiliansDOTca · 05-23-04, 04:09 PM

Early symptoms for stomatitis include minor petechia (small purple areas on the surface of the oral cavity), increased and thickened saliva, inappetence, acute inflammation of the buccal (mouth or oral cavity) and pharyngeal (pertaining to the pharynx) membranes, the appearance of puss in the oral cavity, or excretion thereof, and breathing with an open mouth. At first site, breathing with an open mouth should be presumed to be an illness of another sort, if the other signs mentioned are not apparent. The puss is usually of a yellow colouration, by the way. Some relate this puss to being similar in appearance to cottage cheese. I believe I have covered all or most of the symptoms. External symptoms, again may include an overall swollen appearance of the mouth, and lack of appetite.

LINEBACKER 2 · 05-23-04, 04:45 PM

Is mouth rot common?

Steve

zouleous · 05-23-04, 04:58 PM

Maybe some people could post that have had a snake with mouth rot? How did their snake get it? I'm kind of interested too.

Z

ReptiliansDOTca · 05-23-04, 05:27 PM

Common, depends what you consider common. I would say of the illnesses to snakes, it is one of the more common yes. As to people who have had snakes diagnosed with mouth rot, in most cases they do not know when, why or how it happened. The problem is, mouth rot occurs when an area is infected and is usually secondary to something else, such as a cut to the oral cavity. You will not find too many cases in which the exact cause was determined.

YummyCdnMale · 05-23-04, 05:50 PM

Mouthrot is common in aggresive snakes hitting an enclosure because alot of people think the snake striking the glass is cool! and usualy resaults in the snake breaking teeth and injuring there mouths. Then going untreated. It also happens if you have alot of humidity in an enclosure that's not needed! ... so in the future if a snake strikes at a glass etc don't prevoke him to do it again and again!!!! it really is not cool