opening mouth?

Lizzy001 · 02-01-03, 07:28 AM

just wondering if i ever need to open my snakes mouth, how do i do it?

how often do you open your reptlies mouth????

:w Liz

Lisa · 02-01-03, 06:00 PM

we've never HAD to open our snakes mouth, but we did once out of curiousity. we did it gently, using a probe (rounded tip). I can't see why you would need to open a snakes mouth, if it bites a person waiting for it to let go is way nicer both on the bitee and the biter.

zouleous · 02-01-03, 06:03 PM

I am by no means an expert...but for my baby Common Boa I gently hold him behind the head and use a tooth pick to gently put between his lips. Once it's between his lips he'll open his mouth. Just move the tooth pick too the back of the mouth to keep it open all the way. Be very careful when taking out the toothpick because it could get caught on teeth on the way out. Try pulling it out the side of the mouth if possible. Make sure you are sitting down and resting it's body weight on your lap so it isn't dangling from the head. Oh and make sure the toothpick is fairly smooth so it isn't going to give him a sliver (ouch).

This is just what I've done (a friend showed me how when mine had to be force fed after I got it). I wouldn't recommend a toothpick on an older or larger snake where the toothpick isn't at least twice the length of how wide the head is. In that case you'll need to find something else. Be careful of teeth! =)

Z

eyespy · 02-02-03, 12:33 PM

I agree with both techniques described, and do feel that opening a snake's mouth should be done at time of purchase, or upon receipt if it was a long-distance transaction. I prefer a rounded needlepoint needle to a toothpick though, to reduce the risk of a splinter or the toothpick snapping if too much pressure is used. Not that pressure should ever be applied!

You want to look for signs of mouth rot, parasites such as flukes that are clearly visible on the roof of the mouth of an infested individual, or any injuries.

It's important to know about any problems before they blow up into a huge condition. I figure they are already stressed by the change of scenery and the trip, so one brief 10 second inspection isn't going to trigger too much additional stress and can be quite useful.