sickness and treatment

[king pwnerr]

So the other day I had a ball python I thought he started getting mouth rot so I was told I needed rot away The pet store I bought it from didn't have it so I didn't know what to do I was told to use a peroxide /water mix about three milligrams and to just squirt it in his mouth So I did I did this for like 4 days and then one day I did it and he started squirmin and wiggling out of controle just outrageously bad you could tell that there was something wrong.......he died in my hands...it was a very sad experience for me my question is what Did wrong if I did something wrong what are different treatment options other than rot away and what could I have done differently

[Stewart_Reptiles]

What you did wrong is not to go to an herp vet, so next time make an appointment and go to a vet.

My guess it can be an advance case not being treated properly + a combination of peroxide solution being swallowed.

[cristacake]

I'm sorry your snake died. Who told you to give it a peroxide solution? Next time you hear about any kind of home remedy for use in place of legitimate medical treatment, I suggest you be very careful and do a lot of research about it.

Definitely a vet visit would have been the way to go. This is a living being just like a person, if it's sick then it needs medical treatment.

[Reinz]

So sorry for your loss!

No no need for me to dog pile.

Welcome to the forum.

[king pwnerr]

Try all I did take him to a vet...I'm a newish audalt...and pet owner I didn't no u had to have an appointment and it was winter time with no car....I walked him 3 miles n the cold....which yes I already no wasn't a good idea which is y we didn't return.....but since I've gotten 2 new bp a mojove ghost and a pas tell and I've took the liberty to pre plan and bought a bottle of both rot guard...and rot away....try guys for the responces......and yes I no now I should have researched the treatment plan.....try again....

[Willowy]

I don't think any OTC treatment is really going to work. The vet needs to take a culture to see what treatment it needs. Plus if your husbandry is good you shouldn't be dealing with mouth rot.

Try to find out which vet in your area is recommended by other snake owners. . .not all vets will treat snakes, and some of those who are willing to treat them may not actually know anything about them. Maybe there's a herp club in your area; you can ask them who they recommend. It's best to find a vet before you actually need their services.

[O'Mathghamhna]

What probably killed it was liquid getting into his trachea. A snake breathes through its "tongue-hole," and if you squirted liquid into his mouth and not down his esophagus (which wouldn't have helped anyway since he had mouth rot), he probably aspirated, which can cause a rather quick death. Just letting you know for future reference, not trying to dog pile. In the future, even if you're unable to get the animal to a vet, see if you can get advice from one over the phone. Our vet's office here in town is luckily 24/7 and they will give some advice over the phone, hopefully there's someone in your area that does the same. A vet would have most likely told you to either swab the mouth with a dampened towel or some equivalent to avoid getting liquid into the trachea.

And I'm very sorry for your loss

[DVirginiana]

I have used a peroxide solution to 'nuke' severe infections before (like, wild rescues with wounds involving maggots and necrotic flesh) but that stuff is seriously intense, and not really recommended for anything where they might swallow or aspirate it.
In the future, if you see mild irritation around the mouth, you can treat it with daily/twice daily applications of betadine or chlorhexidine solutions (both can be found at WalMart) on a q-tip. You want to avoid actually squirting anything into the snake's mouth unless you really know what you're doing; it's too easy to mess it up. And, of course, go to a vet if the situation starts to get worse.

I really wouldn't trust any of those products you mentioned for mouth-rot; over the counter 'treatments' for reptiles are generally a bunch of crap. Don't know of those specifically, but that sort of thing generally doesn't work.

Not trying to pile on, you were given some really bad information; just giving you some tips in case you run into a similar situation in the future.

[T_Sauer]

A snake breathes through its "tongue-hole,"

This is incorrect ..... a snake breathes primarily through its nostrils which with a closed mouth connects to the epiglottis (what you think is the "tongue-hole") however, it can also breathe through its glottis without the use of the nostrils (it's kind of like a shortcut to the windpipe) The glottis can be extended out of the mouth like a snorkel when the snake is eating to allow it to continue to breath while eating. ....... BUT WAIT!!! THERE'S MORE!!! ...... Most people believe that the hole you see in the bottom of a snakes mouth is where the tongue comes out of. This is also incorrect .. that hole you see is the epiglottis, the tongue actually comes out of a tiny slit right below the glottis. When a snake hisses it is also using it's epiglottis to do this, it expels air out through the glottis.

[O'Mathghamhna]

Sorry, that's what I meant--The snake inhales through the glottis when the mouth is open, and if one fills the mouth with any kind of liquid, one runs the danger of depositing water into the glottis, causing aspiration.

I did not, however, know that the tongue is in a tiny slit below the glottis! Just going off what my vet told me. Thanks for clearing that up!