Bump on nose?

Well, before you ask, he's already got an appointment set up for the vet for next Tuesday (the earliest they could fit him in).

My adult male hog island has developed a weird bump on his nose. It had to have happened within the last week or so, since I try to handle all my snakes at least once a week. I didn't notice it while checking his water etc, but when I took him out yesterday, I noticed he's got a fairly large bump protruding from his nose almost between his nostrils (but further back than that, and a little off to one side). On closer inspection, it looks like there's a tiny scab at the very front of the bump. The bump is big enough to make his mouth open a little on the one side... poor guy!

He doesn't seem to be having any problems breathing, and I'm reluctant to feed him without knowing what the heck that bump is. Could it be a nose rub that got infected? I've got him in a Vision, so not sure what he would get a rub on... The only other things I can think of that would have happened would be him somehow getting a sliver of his aspen bedding stuck on his nose (I replaced his bedding yesterday with CareFresh), or possibly if he struck the glass of his cage at some point (which isn't likely). The wound is dry, just looks like someone shoved a small ball under the skin on top of his nose. It looks uncomfortable but he's not wheezing or holding his mouth open, and he let me touch it without freaking out. I haven't tried inspecting the inside of his mouth.

Any ideas? I'll feel so much better when I get him in to see the vet... I'll post a pic later this evening.

Lauren,
A picture will help with the identification of the problem.
In the meantime, is it an actual bump or is it swelling?

I think it's swelling. I found my digital camera (it was hiding in my husband's truck) and will snap a pic right now. It got a bit bigger in the last few days Tuesday can't come quick enough for me, and I'm not talking chocolate or flowers....

It sounds like it might be a respiratory infection. The picture will help however.

I don't think it's a respiratory infection, just because of the scab at the front of the bump (and he has no discharge, no popping or clicking when breathing, not opening his mouth to breath). The flash made his eyes look like he's in blue but he's not.

For comparison - he's the snake in my avatar pic (not purple, of course!)

Looks like the little monkey went and gave himself one heck of a nose-rub! My big black male did that as he had developed a slight RI while breeding. He cheese-grated his nose rubbing it on a log, I wanted to thump him!

The trip to the vet will help both of you (these will be the longest three days of your life- ) and he/she will be able to give you a course of treatment, if one is even required. Isn't a whole lot you can do except keep his environment clean and sterile and try to bump the heat up a tad. That usually kick-starts their immune system and they can fight things off better.

You could also cut eye-holes in a sock and stick it over his head!

(Disclaimer: the above was a joke, intended to lighten up the OP's day, DO NOT stick socks on your snake...unless their feet are cold! )

LOL! I needed that.

Lauren,
Agreed - It looks like a nose rub. From the photo, the swelling / bump appears to be more on the top and not all the way to the front. Swelling from an R.I. will generally extend all the way out.

The vet visit is still a good idea however.

Good luck with him.

Update - got the poor guy to the vet this morning. The vet agreed that it looked like a nose rub and gave him a shot of local anesthetic to the bump, then took the scab off and scraped all the pus out and flushed it with saline. The vet looked at the goo under a microscope and said it just looks like normal white blood cells (or reptile equivalent), no infection (yay) and then packed antibiotic gel back into the hole. Baytril orally once a day for 3 weeks just to be safe, but he IS going into shed now so hopefully that won't complicate things too much. Poor Escher never hissed or tried to bite, though he gave me some pretty sad looks afterwards! The bump had gotten even bigger in the past two days so that his nostrils almost swelled shut and he was open mouth breathing so it had to be opened up to get the junk out, no signs of RI though.

I am glad to hear that he's going to be okay for you!

Did you figure out what he rubbed his nose off on? You'd think if they hurt themselves like that they'd quit doing it, but they never do. Just like kids!