So on Saturday I took out our spider female to show to a friend, and noticed she looked kind of funny. Like the way a burm looks like they have beady little eyes compared to their head. I asked my friend if she thought her eyes look a little bit sunken in. She didn't, so I thought maybe I was just being paranoid. Then I go to weigh her today, and notice that HOOOOOLY her face looks extremely swollen!

I examined the inside of her mouth and tried to get some photos, but it was extremely difficult to even open her mouth in the first place, let alone take photos with her squirming around.

She doesn't seem to be exhibiting any signs of an RI, and to me it doesn't look like mouth rot (stomatitis), but I have never seen that in a snake anyways, so I'm not 100% sure what I am looking for.

She is not showing any neurological symptoms, either, aside from a slight (teeny, barely noticeable) wobble after examining her. She doesn't usually exhibit any noticeable wobble, but she is a spider after all, so I wasn't really surprised to see it after all the stress I put her through.

While examining her, I did find a small piece of aspen in her mouth, but I'm thinking that is probably because it got stuck to her swollen upper lip and lodged inside, rather than the aspen being the cause of this swelling.

Right now she is QT'd on the other side of our apartment in a tub with only a water dish, hide, and newspaper substrate.

I didn't find any mucus or anything on the walls of the tub she was previously in. I was considering doing a saline rinse with a syringe, but I really wouldn't know what part of her I should be rinsing.

The closest (exotics) vet, Dr. Adrian Walton, is about a 5 - 6hr round trip for us. I have spoken with him on the phone and sent off some photos to get his opinion on weather this is an emergency situation and she needs to be brought in ASAP, or if there is something we can do for her at home. If he thinks it's an infection I'm wondering if he can have a local vet swab her mouth and prescribe some anti-biotics, as I know there is no chance of a diagnosis over the phone/internet.

Just wondering what you guys think, so I can semi-prepare what we are in for.

We are ready and willing to take the day off and make the trek to the vet if he thinks that's what we should do, in the mean time I just know there's not much we can do for her, and thought you guys might have some words of wisdom.

ACK, I'm babbling, my thoughts are all over the place, I am just so worried! We have never had to make a trip to the vet regarding one of our snakes yet!

Here are the photos I sent off to Dr. Walton: