Mouth infection on baby snake!!

[d_virginiana]

Okay, quick update. I've not been online a lot lately due to spending all my time on exams and applications...

She seems to be doing a lot better. She shed the day after I first noticed the problem, and it immediately started looking better. What had looked like crusty ulcers at the front of her mouth had shed out. After swabbing her mouth for two days, one side looks like it has no swelling left, and the other side is so low I wouldn't have noticed it if I didn't know it was there. She's been pressed up against Trevor's cage since I got home, so she's been getting a lot of extra heat... Don't know how much that's actually helping, but she definitely is enjoying it. She's really calm about being swabbed! I can just hold her, flip her to her back, swab her mouth, and let her roll back over. She doesn't even really try to get away. If she weren't being really active and happy acting, I'd be worried by how calm she is.

Now I'm wondering how that could have happened? It really doesn't seem to be stomatitis, so I guess that leaves an injury.. She's housed by herself, so it couldn't have been a food-fight, and I can't figure out how she could have injured herself.

[EasternGirl]

Well, first...interestingly, Seeley once had a similar situation in which I thought he had a mouth infection or injury because his lip looked a bit swollen and then he shed soon after that and it went away. So..now I am wondering if it has something to do with shedding. But if not...what kind of substrate do you use and what kind of plants, hides, or any other objects are in her enclosure?

[d_virginiana]

Well, first...interestingly, Seeley once had a similar situation in which I thought he had a mouth infection or injury because his lip looked a bit swollen and then he shed soon after that and it went away. So..now I am wondering if it has something to do with shedding. But if not...what kind of substrate do you use and what kind of plants, hides, or any other objects are in her enclosure?

Well, it's definitely not just from the shed, though it did look much better afterwards. There's still a bit of swelling on either side of the mouth, but today one side was almost completely normal and the swelling of her cheeks between the mouth and the eye is definitely less noticeable. She ate an entire pinkie tonight, so she's definitely feeling alright; I think she'll be angry when she gets moved back into the 'snake room' and out of my bedroom floor where it's a nice, toasty 85 degrees.

I use carefresh and fake plants.. Same stuff that's in my other one's cage and nothing that hasn't been there since I got her. I don't know what could've caused this, unless maybe she got injured eating. She goes crazy striking at food, and sometimes she'll try and chew on the tongs. I try to keep this from happening, but sometimes she still manages to get ahold of them. That's the only thing I can think of other than just plain bad luck..

[EasternGirl]

Well...I'm glad she is doing better. Yeah...maybe she hurt her mouth on the tongs. Cee Cee is the same way...she goes nuts over food and tries to eat everything in sight...the dish...my fingers...once she tried to eat a wood log next to her dish. It's good that you noticed it and treated it right away. Sounds like she will be better in no time. Keep us posted.

[RedSidedSPR]

Just saw this thread. Hope Harley is OK! Glad she's doing better!