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Copperhead medical problem (venom/loreal)?
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by Ptk on January 2, 2012
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Anyone ever have this experience before:
Got a 8-9 yr old Copperhead. Good solid routine eater, very calm snake. No known current health issues (other than below) no history of health issues.
Noticed its right eye beginning to bulge a few weeks ago. Thought it may have been the angle of head placement or the light, my imagination, whatever.....
Next day eye was huge (not quite double the other eye but just about), clear and no discharge. Its head, venom glands, jaw line everything else was consistently proportional to other side (normal).
The two preocular scales (right side) looked watery/melty but no obvious exterior damage or injury. The loreal pit was filled with a crystallized fluid which appeared to be dried venom.
I examined the eye under a hand magnifying glass but could not see any cut/scratch/puncture of any kind. I removed the loreal blockage and the next day eye looked better. The next day eye looked normal - scales around the eye normal. Eye was still clear and no discharge. The eye was tracking objects and dilating normal. I thought I was out of the woods when the loreal blockage appeared again a few days later. Once again I removed the blockage and again about a week later it returned (eye still looking good). Snake had been eating and drinking fine.
After about the 3rd or 4th loreal blockage removal it refused to eat (may or may not be related - but out of character for this snake). I thought it might be a disengaged fang partially intact or lodged in the inside jaw or ruptured the venom duct near inside loreal pit. I removed another loreal blockage (each about the size of a BB) and gently very gently with a sterile anal probe (balled tip) felt around the loreal. Before anyone asks - no this was not the right nostril. I milked the snake over the tip of a snakehook and did not see any obvious problem with the fangs or venom coming through the existing set. All this poking and prying was making it rather stressed so I put it back up for the day. The next day the loreal was clogged again (fastest time thus far to reclog after a blockage removal).
I am thinking there maybe a venom duct leak somewhere above/behind the loreal and the venom is just doing its job and has made an exit through the loreal??? No more problems with the eye or scales but not quite sure what to do next. Thinking an x-ray might show a fang related issue but not sure how much soft tissue damage might be able to see.
Other superficial data:
Paper towel substrate - no foreign particles like wood chips, bark, etc.
Room temp about 65-75 (winter) also has standard under tank heat pad, stainless steel water bowl and one giant piece of rock to rub on.
Has NOT been recently transported/displayed, been in same enclosure for over a year with same set up (other than routine cleanings). Cleaning enclosure is Tupperware box (smooth no edges).
Feed F/T mice (although this does not always stop a strike response when feeding).
Any ideas?
Thanks is advance ~ PTK
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RE: Copperhead medical problem (venom/loreal)?
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by CanadianSnakeMan on January 4, 2012
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Have you considered that the substance you're seeing could be dried serous fluid and not dried venom? I've seen a similar thing (yellow, crusty, almost crystalline) coming from a skin infection on the tail of a uromastyx.
The swollen eye and facial discharge sounds to me like a nasolacrymal duct infection.
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RE: Copperhead medical problem (venom/loreal)?
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by LarryDFishel on January 7, 2012
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Just in case... I might have missed it (and I think you would have mentioned if not), but is it safe to assume that this snake is alone in the enclosure?
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RE: Copperhead medical problem (venom/loreal)?
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by Ptk on January 10, 2012
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After taking the CH to the pet vet here. Without really examing it (just visual) they suspect its one or several ruptured membranes in the loreal pit and surrounding fluid is leaking out. They suggested leave it alone and do not remove the blockage and let it act as a scab until membranes heal on their own.
This sounds feasible but I honestly have a very rudimentary understanding of the inner workings of the pit. I have never had a snake with a pit related injury or personally seen what kind of fluid would/could leak. Not too mention how an injury like this could occur.
Would it be possible that now we are running the central heat in that building that dust could have aggravated it or spread a bacteria of some kind?
I think what you said Luke is more plausible.
Thanks for your help!
PS - yes snake is alone in the enclosure.
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RE: Copperhead medical problem (venom/loreal)?
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by CanadianSnakeMan on January 15, 2012
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It would be pretty difficult to tell if your central heating had anything to do with it. I would personally lump the cause of the problem into the "S@#t happens" category... the next logical step is to just find a solution.
Have you looked into its mouth? Sometimes a blocked nasolacrymal duct can be secondary to stomatitis. If the problem won't clear up on its own you may want to explore antibiotics etc.
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