How to Prevent Mouth Rot in Ball Pythons

Video Transcript

On behalf of Expert Village, I'm Nicole, and here to tell you about ball pythons. Another problem with snakes that often occurs, in captivity is something called stomititis or mouth rot. It's actually a fungus that occurs inside the mouth of the ball python. You'll notice if it has a cheesy discharge coming out of its mouth or if the mouth itself is just kind of pasty and white and is not producing saliva very well. That's a sign of stomititis. You'd need that treated by a veterinarian as well. In very mild cases you can find treatment at the pet store where you just dilute it. Mix a powder with some water and rinse the mouth out with it. Most cases will require an antibiotic to clear it up. Another chronic problem with snakes is shedding. A lot of snakes retain their skin if their humidity is not kept at high enough levels. And this means, you'll be able to tell because the snake will be patchy, there will be skin clumped to it with peeling edges. A lot of times the snake will shed all of its skin except this eye caps. Snakes do have eye caps and they need to shed the skin over their eyes. When snakes are going to shed, their eyes will turn blue. This is because their skin is loosening. They can't see anymore. This is a time in their cycle when they're going to have a little attitude with you because they can't see and they're a little scared. One thing to watch for after your snake shed is to always make sure his eye caps are shed. One way to tell is if the eye is still blue obviously, but sometimes that won't be the case. You'll just be able to see some wrinkly skin on the top of the eye. In that case you would want to soak your snake in warm water for about 20 minutes. Then try and take a dry, clean, soft towel and gently wipe away the skin over the eyes. If it does not work, I would suggest seeing a veterinarian because any prodding at the eyes will damage the cornea and your snake will actually be blind.

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