how can i help my boa
 

i just got a new boa on wensday and it had mouth rot so i took it to the vet the next day and they gave me some mouth wash and gave him a shot.i just want to know what else i can do for him i have raised the temps and lowered the humidity i was just wondering if i missed anything else i should do.any help would be awsome.

Steven,
That sounds like a good start.
What medications did your vet utilize?

the vet gave me some C.E.T home dental mouth wash and a vitamin shot and monday hes giving him another shot of something not sure realy.but he said that i have to use the mouth wash 2x a day.do you know how long it will take to clear this up.the only problem i have is keeping his mouth open when i give him his mouth wash any ideas on that.thanks for helping me out.

How big is he?
How tame is he?
How have you been keeping his mouth open?
Do you have anyone around who can help?

he is about 4ft and i use a metal thing the vet gave me.he is very tame and there realy isnt anyone here to help me most of the time so i have to put his body between my legs and go from there.also can i take him out of his cage and let him crawl around or should i just leave him in his cage.

The problem with using hard objects to open a snakes mouth is that they can cause trauma (not to say that I haven't resorted to such measures). One thing that I have used is one of those rubber spatula type things...the thing for spreading frosting on cakes. I understand the idea behind applying the stuff 2x daily, but I'll explain my feelings about it when you are done treating. I would be inclined to think that if the last shot wasn't an antibiotic, the next one probably will be since mouthrot is frequently (but not always) a secondary infection...a symptom of another problem - perhaps your vet opted to try to treat topically, and the next shot will be ABX if the condition isn't improved. How high was the humidity that you felt compelled to lower it? And what kind of boa is it (different boas have different needs)? Personally, I would recommend leaving it alone and in its enclosure for 2 reasons: 1) while it is fighting the infection, you should try to keep its temperature up. unless you have a room heated to at least 80`, you will be doing it a disservice by taking it out. 2) to minimize stress. You are already messing with it 2x daily, and doing things that it doesn't like...that stuff takes a toll on a sick snake.

alright thanks for letting me know.i just got done cleaning its mouth again i had to use a end of a cotton swab to get the stuff out of its mouth and then i rinsed its mouth out after that.the humidity was 65 so i lowered it to 50 and the basking is 91.6 and the cool end is 79.9.im not sure what shots he gave it i know he got an antibiotic and he got a vitamin as well.do you know how long it takes to get rid of.the vet said that hes glad i brought him in sense he has been like this for awhile.he also got a amiglyde v.1 also.

what kind of boa is it? You say rinsed its mouth out...did you mean that literally? (I'm ASSuming that you mean with the dental mouthwash) I guess I'm surprised that you aren't just swabbing the area with it, but since I don't know exactly what that stuff is... how long it takes to get rid of depends on how you are treating it, and what the underlying problem is. Just out of curiosity, does your vet have much experience with reptiles? Are there any other problems you have noticed? noisy breathing, foam or bubbles coming out of its mouth or nose, sitting there with its mouth open?
You say you just got this snake wednesday, it had mouthrot when you got it, and you brought it to the vet the next day...did you notify the person/company that you bought it from? Sounds like you should be getting some $$ back (of course, if you didn't notify them immediately, you're probably SOL)

Depending on how bad the problem is, mouth rot can take anywhere from 3 days to 3 weeks to fully clear up with out any signs(in my case). You are doing a good job, keep up with the treatments.

What I use to open a snakes mouth is a cotton swab, I have noticed the stick being very small and soft is not hard on the snake, they usually open right up as soon as you apply pressure to their mouth. See pictures, this Suriname Boa is about 4 feet.

When I go tmy reptile Vet he advised me to use a little hotter temps than what you are using 95-100 high to 85-90 low. This has been according to my Vet's recommendation. Before long your boa should be just fine and healthy. Lots of great advice has been given to you by everyone here.

think you everyone for helping me with this.i hope if you guys ever have any problems that i can help ya out.i did notify the person the first day i got him my vet is the only one that looks at reptiles in joplin so i have no choice but to go to him.hes a real nice person and seems to know what he is talking about.i think the mouthrot is clearing up a bit cuz hes starting to close his mouth more and more it seems like.the vet checked him for RI and it only seems to be mouthrot at the moment.have any of you had to take stuff out of there mouth like snot looking stuff just wondering cuz i have to take it out of my boas mouth sometimes.he is a red tail boa just in case any one was wondering.THANKS VERY MUCH EVERYONE
STEVEN.