Notices |
Hello!
Either you have not registered on this site yet, or you are registered but have not logged in. In either case, you will not be able to use the full functionality of this site until you have registered, and then logged in after your registration has been approved.
Registration is FREE, so please register so you can participate instead of remaining a lurker....
Please note that the information requested during registration will be used to determine your legitimacy as a participant of this site. As such, any information you provide that is determined to be false, inaccurate, misleading, or highly suspicious will result in your registration being rejected. This is designed to try to discourage as much as possible those spammers and scammers that tend to plague sites of this nature, to the detriment of all the legitimate members trying to enjoy the features this site provides for them.
Of particular importance is the REQUIREMENT that you provide your REAL full name upon registering. Sorry, but this is not like other sites where anonymity is more the rule.
Also your TRUE location is important. If the location you enter in your profile field does not match the location of your registration IP address, then your registration will be rejected. As such, I strongly urge registrants to avoid using a VPN service to register, as they are often used by spammers and scammers, and as such will be blocked when discovered when auditing new registrations.
Sorry about all these hoops to jump through, but I am quite serious about blocking spammers and scammers at the gate on this site and am doing the very best that I can to that effect. Trust me, I would rather be doing more interesting things with my time, and wouldn't be making this effort if I didn't think it was worthwhile.
|
Veterinarian Practice & General Health Issues Anything to do with veterinarians, health issues, pathogens, hygiene, or sanitation. |
02-27-2008, 10:31 PM
|
#1
|
|
Emerald Tree Boa white stuff in mouth
Hi, I have a 2ft ETB.
I was checking her mouth today and noticed white stuff along the gum line.
I used a wet q-tip and gently rubbed it along and the stuff came off easily. No redness. Looks like chicken meat. Anyone ever hear of this? Thanks.
I'll try and upload pics later today.
|
|
|
02-27-2008, 10:41 PM
|
#2
|
|
From the description, it sounds like infectious stomatitis (aka mouthrot, but the pictures will help confirm. There is generally some redness seen when the caseous matter is removed, though.
Stomatitis is generally considered to be a secondary condition, but it can occur in response to an injury or irritation within the mouth (I once had a puff adder that ended up with it whenever I put him on display, because he would push his face through the display substrate & get pieces of it lodged in his mouth).
Double check your husbandry - temp, humidity, etc. Is she still eating? Any other signs of problems?
|
|
|
02-27-2008, 11:08 PM
|
#3
|
|
Well the reason I checked her mouth because I saw a few pieces of wood chips. I use cypress mulch. I removed the chips then I saw this white meaty looking stuff. Temp is at 79.8f humidity is 88%.
Its hard to hold on to her head with one hand and camera with the other.
|
|
|
02-27-2008, 11:46 PM
|
#4
|
|
I agree with Harald. Remove the caseous material with a cu-tip and apply Hydrogen peroxide applied daily for a few days. This will ensure that at least the lesion won't progress and affect the bone and teeth. This of course is no substitute for a vet visit as you may have to administer some ATB. Slight mouthrot can turn into more severe lesions and upon aspiration to URI.
|
|
|
02-28-2008, 03:38 AM
|
#5
|
|
If you opt for the hydrogen peroxide route, be careful where the foam flows (or goes when you swab)
|
|
|
02-28-2008, 04:40 AM
|
#6
|
|
I've been using Chlorhexidine at 2% solution. It seems to cure infection fast. I never tried peroxide.
|
|
|
02-28-2008, 04:47 AM
|
#7
|
|
I've been using Chlorhexidine at 2% solution. It seems to cure infection fast. What strenght is Hy. peroxide used at?
|
|
|
02-28-2008, 06:16 AM
|
#8
|
|
While hydrogen peroxide has been an effective option for treatment of stomatitis for many years, now that it is quite readily available, I personally prefer the chlorhexidine. There are benefits to both, however.
The hydrogen peroxide will help break up and facilitate removal of the caseation...but the foaming can increase the risk of ingestion or aspiration if the handler is not very careful. Some recommend against its use for mouthrot, on the basis that it also disrupts healthy tissue and can actually prolong the healing process (specifically, the tissue under/around the affected spot - not normal, unblemished mucosa)....in other words, once it goes through the white stuff, it starts on the pink stuff. Don't take that the wrong way, its not going to just keep eating its way through good tissue & turn a small sore into a gaping wound...it just, well, aggravates the injured area. (trying to think of a good description.........ok - kind of like using a scrub brush to clean a scrape on your arm every day. It works, but sometimes the scrape takes longer to heal because the brush aggravates the condition and disrupts the healing skin)
When using chlorhexidine, you sometimes have to work a little harder to clean/clear the affected area sufficiently...but it works quite nicely and is neater.
There are also varying recommendations regarding cleaning/treatment: ranging from twice/day, to every 2-3 days. Personally, I tailor it to the snake & the particular situation. If this is just a matter of irritation due to foreign particles in the mouth, it should clear up pretty quickly. If, on the other hand, it is a secondary issue, you will need to find/correct the primary problem.
|
|
|
02-28-2008, 08:39 AM
|
#9
|
|
Quote:
Originally Posted by hhmoore
While hydrogen peroxide has been an effective option for treatment of stomatitis for many years, now that it is quite readily available, I personally prefer the chlorhexidine. There are benefits to both, however.
The hydrogen peroxide will help break up and facilitate removal of the caseation...but the foaming can increase the risk of ingestion or aspiration if the handler is not very careful. Some recommend against its use for mouthrot, on the basis that it also disrupts healthy tissue and can actually prolong the healing process (specifically, the tissue under/around the affected spot - not normal, unblemished mucosa)....in other words, once it goes through the white stuff, it starts on the pink stuff. Don't take that the wrong way, its not going to just keep eating its way through good tissue & turn a small sore into a gaping wound...it just, well, aggravates the injured area. (trying to think of a good description.........ok - kind of like using a scrub brush to clean a scrape on your arm every day. It works, but sometimes the scrape takes longer to heal because the brush aggravates the condition and disrupts the healing skin)
When using chlorhexidine, you sometimes have to work a little harder to clean/clear the affected area sufficiently...but it works quite nicely and is neater.
There are also varying recommendations regarding cleaning/treatment: ranging from twice/day, to every 2-3 days. Personally, I tailor it to the snake & the particular situation. If this is just a matter of irritation do to foreign particles in the mouth, it should clear up pretty quickly. If, on the other hand, it is a secondary issue, you will need to find/correct the primary problem.
|
That's true, hydrogen peroxide is a powerful oxidizing agent. The rationale behind it's use is that some of the bacteria usually involved in stomatitis are gram negative and anaerobic. That's why it works. Obviously you need to take precautions (as with other topical medicines) to avoid aspiration by the animal. But consider the pluses and minuses I like it, pretty much like the aspirin, "old but still good"
|
|
|
02-28-2008, 09:02 AM
|
#10
|
|
There's no reason to discard the way we used to do things, just because there are now other options. Its good to have choices...sometimes the old ways are still better, and sometimes our comfort level with a technique/practice is as important as any other factor.
Having dealt with a lot of fresh imports & rescues over the years, I've dealt with my share of problems. When things flare up now, sometimes my approach is old school...sometimes I try the new kids' tricks, lol (sometimes I mix & match )
|
|
|
Join
now to reply to this thread or open new ones
for your questions & comments! FaunaClassifieds.com
is the largest online community about Reptile
& Amphibians, Snakes, Lizards and number one
classifieds service with thousands of ads to look
for. Registration is open to everyone and FREE.
Click Here to Register!
|
Posting Rules
|
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off
|
|
|
All times are GMT -4. The time now is 07:35 AM.
|
|