My snake has a soft nose bump and is mouth breathing, 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.

Those bumps aren't presenting the way burns would, but without a physical exam, it is difficult to say for sure. Infection would be high on the list. You'll need to have him seen by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles. If infection is diagnosed, S will need antibiotics. Keep him warm and as stress free as possible until he sees the doctor. S soak in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte can treat or prevent minor dehydration. It may also provide some itch relief.

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.

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.

This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This kind of lump/growth needs to be ideally assessed by your veterinarian to have a definitive and specific answer. Usually there are two ways your vet can do that a part from examining it directly during physical examination. A biopsy can be taken under local or general anesthetic, otherwise a smaller sample through a fine needle can be aspirated (this technique is called FNA= fine needle aspiration). Differentials include skin cysts, infections, benign or more sinister type of tumors. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

Thanks for reaching out about Salem and including pictures. This is not normal but appears to be a small abscess, possible from a piece of retained shed, trauma like a splinter or trauma from rubbing the nose on things. If he will let you, a warm compress might help organize the lesions. Likely this will open and drain, but if it persists, a veterinarian should be seen. Good luck.