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rattler health question.......
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by fizzbob7 on January 9, 2003
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i have a juvy canebrake that has recently developed a small bump/knot about 1/6th of the way down his body....it isnt looking "bad"...and doesnt seem to bother him, and it doesnt seem to get worse....but, if we was cut somehow, and it got infected, wouldnt it be obvious...no fluids around the aread and it is normal color and seems to be right under the scales...what could i put on it, just in case, that wouldnt be harmful...
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RE: rattler health question.......
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by TomT on January 9, 2003
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I have seen this kind of thing in snakes that have been fed live mice (unattended) and the mouse had actually attacked and bit the snake after being envenomated itself.... I guess mice have a lust for life afterall.... without having your snake in front of me, I would hesitate to offer any sort of advice short of telling yo uthat you can only find out what the source of the lump is by taking the animal to your vet. I know this seems like a cop out, but it's really the right thing to do.
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RE: rattler health question.......
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by fizzbob7 on January 10, 2003
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if it were that simple....vets dont like to mess with the hots around here, but one will do it off the clock, on his own...not a mouse though, definitely...to me it looks like he maybe cut it on a rock in the cage possibly...i was really wanting to know about putting something on it...if it doesnt clear up or at least improve soon, i'll call my vet and set something up....just doesnt look serious though...just wondering....
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RE: rattler health question.......
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by TomT on January 10, 2003
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if the bump is open to the atmosphere, you can always use a triple antibiotic ointment on it (BE VERY CAREFUL obviously). You can clean it with hydrogen pyroxide and pat it dry, then apply the ointment. These things tend to be two-person jobs with one person restraining the snake in a tube designed for that purpose.... while the other works on the injured area.....
I KNow it isn't easy to find a qualified vet who will tackle venomous, but we have to try, right?
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RE: rattler health question.......
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by Buzztail1 on January 10, 2003
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The last time I saw a "bump" on a venomous snake it turned out to be a subcutaneous tapeworm on a wildcaught adult Cottonmouth. I would like to be able to describe how it was treated but it was not my snake and I was kind of obligated to be elsewhere while the medicating was going on. I believe that flagyl was given but I am not sure.
Sorry I can't be of more help.
Karl H. Betz
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RE: rattler health question.......
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by PIGMAN on January 10, 2003
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The bumb on your snake is most likley a cyst mainly composed of fatty tissue these are very common with timbers and many other crotalids. especially in the winter months. Most likley it will shrink in time and disappear but snakes that carry this virus will have reacurrences with these bumbs actually if it is this type of cyst it is actually a form of herpes that is found in several crotalids it is normaly not life threating but just kinda ugly kinda like a fever blister. Hope this helps, topical ointement may help the bump to shrink. If it is a fatty tissue tumer this can be removed easily but I would suggest a vet to asssit you with that if your not familar with surgical procedures.
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RE: rattler health question.......
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by fizzbob7 on January 10, 2003
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i called my vet and he suggested some neosporin....and when i saw it, it made me think of a cyst too.....it just doesnt look serious...its the first he's had, and i have had him about a year, and he is maybe a year and a half or so, still small...but i'll just clean the area real good and put on some ointment....he doesnt seem to be irritated by it....and when he gets startled and puffs up, it's not visible, but at rest when he's basking, i can see it good...
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RE: rattler health question.......
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by MSTT on January 11, 2003
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No diagnosis is possible based on the description "bump on snake". There are many possible causes including parasitical, bacterial, physical trauma and even neoplasia (cancer). If this snake were in my care I would perform a fecal and tracheal wash to be examined under the microscope for telltale parasite signs. Hint: if the animal is WC the answer to the question "is it parasitized" is a resounding "yes"; you just don't know if parasites are the cause of this lump. I would also palpate to see if it was free-moving under the skin or adhered to the muscle wall and check its consistency (fluid or solid and caseated). If indicated I would anesthetize the animal either generally or locally with Lidocaine and make a short incision between scales to remove the lump for biopsy. In the total absence of any surgical or diagnostic tools I would suggest treating for cestodes with Droncit (8mg/kg IM, repeat in 14 days) on the chance that this lump is parasitical in origin. You will find some photo tutorials on snake restraint and medication at http://www.snakegetters.com/demo/ If you're anywhere near Central FL just bring the snake over here and I'll step you through the procedures.
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Hey Pigman
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by MSTT on January 11, 2003
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I've removed fatty cysts of the type you describe and done some cytology on this material at the clinic. I have never seen one that was demonstrably caused by a virus, and the high eosinophil count seemed to suggest cellulitis triggered by minor irritation or injury. But there is really no way to tell whether this juvie canebrake case is a viral lesion, cellulitis, a subcutaneous cestode, etc, without diagnostic tools.
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RE: Hey Pigman
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by fizzbob7 on January 11, 2003
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lemme give you a quick definition.......
Northern Alabama Vets-vets who are either offended by anything that resembles a snake or are working for someone who prevents them from caring for anything that resembles a snake....i know one vet that would care for them, but he would have to do it on his own time, after work, at his own risk....the head vet won't allow a live reptile in there, much less a hot one....if it came down to that, thats what i would do, but if i can do something on my own that's actually possible(not what's described above)then that would be best....but my medical experience is limited....and the only interaction with hot keepers is here, so i tried to interact...anyway it's clean as i could get it, and has some triple antibiotic ointment on it and he's chillin right now...if in a week it does anything but get better, then i will set up a time to have my vet look at it one night...thanks anyway, but i don't expect any diagnosis from here, just ideas to guide me in the right direction....i use to manage an auto repair business and i understand how hard it is to diagnose anything with vague info....i was asked frequently to tell someone why their car was making a noise with only the info, "my car is making this noise when it's running, what is it, huh?"....not possible...but i gotcha...wish i did know everything about everything...that'd be nice
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