Why is my female corn snake swollen for a month, what's wrong?

Have her examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet. The lump may be a temporary build up of fluid that collects and drains when she changes positions. This can indicate respiratory infection or cardiac disease. Monitor for difficulty or noisy breathing, especially clicking or wheezing. Limit handling to reduce stress until she sees the vet.

Thanks for reaching out about Princess and including photos. These swellings appear to be infected scent glands. Try some warm water soaks to soften, remove substrate such as bark or dirt. Provide a soft clean towel as a substrate, to prevent further contamination. A veterinary visit is highly recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan, as this will most likely need systemic antibiotics to treat. Check and correct husbandry as sub-standard environmental temperatures can possible play a part of this disease process. Good luck.

This is an issue that people notice every so often in their snakes, but there is not a definitive answer as to what it is. In some cases it will simply be sagging post feeding or it can be associated with a shed. However, in some cases in can be an indication of disease such as a mouth infection or respiratory problem. If he appears off form to you with any behaviour change or signs such as mouth gaping or discharge, I would take him to a reptile vet for an examination. Otherwise I would monitor him and see how it goes.

Internal parasites would not present this way but external ones could. Have you checked under the scales for mites/ticks? The lumps could also be abscesses or fatty deposits. I suggest you get him to a reptile vet for an exam when you have time. I don't think it is an emergency.

He needs to be physically examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. An x-ray will likely be recommended after an exam. A fine needle aspirate may also be recommended to collect samples for pathology if it turns out to be a mass or tumor.

An adult corn snake should only eat once every 7-10 days. Here’s a helpful rule of thumb that applies to most snake-feeding situations. It relates to the size of the prey items. You should offer your snake feeder mice or rats that are roughly the size of the snake at the snake’s widest part (the mid-body area). In other words, the feeder rodent should be 1 to 1-1/2 times the diameter of your snake’s middle. You can go slightly larger than this, but not much.

Soak her in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 0-30 minutes. This, along with a gentle abdominal massage, may help her pass the blockage. If it is dries stool, the warm bath may soften it enough so you can wipe her clean. If it persists, have Noodle examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet.