Weird Stuff in Mouth- Mouth Rot?

Yesterday morning, I checked up on my ball python, to notice some strange, black, mold/moss stuff coming out of his mouth. There wasn’t a lot, but it was noticable against his pale, yellow scales (he’s an emperor pin). Unfortunately, I had to leave soon after, so I couldn’t properly examine him until later that night. While my dad helped clean out his cage, I put on my rubber gloves and took out some q-tips. With my mom holding his body, I carefully peeked in his mouth. This is what he looked like: https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...ed84e994ad.jpg
This is what I (very carefully) removed: https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d019da72df.jpg
And this is what his mouth looked like afterwards (much better!):https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...048e18c811.jpg

His temps are turned up to 95 degrees F, with a humidity around 50%. We gave his cage a good clean, rinsed his water bowl with diluted Betadine, and took out his wood chips to be replaced with some reptile carpet. We also fed him a mouse (f/t) that night (it was feeding day) and he ate it. I looked at him this morning and his mouth looked very good, although I didn’t open it because I didn’t want to mess with him too much.
My question is: what is this stuff? Is there anything I can do to help him now? Is this mouth rot? I’m free this afternoon if I need to take him to a vet, so let me know what you guys think.

Thank you!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hm, doesn't look like it to me. Still get other people's opinions for sure! But it looks just like some substrate that got stuck in there. Was it coming out of his mouth? Like attached to his mouth? Or was it just sitting in there? Looks a bit like shed or something he got in his mouth with some substrate. :)

No need to raise the temps that high. Get it back down to 88-90

That looks like substrate. Is your snake on coco fiber like eco earth?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by GpBp

Hm, doesn't look like it to me. Still get other people's opinions for sure! But it looks just like some substrate that got stuck in there. Was it coming out of his mouth? Like attached to his mouth? Or was it just sitting in there? Looks a bit like shed or something he got in his mouth with some substrate. :)

---

It wasn’t sticking out or coming out of his mouth, it was just kind of sitting in there by his gums and it came out pretty easily. It could definitely just be some substrate or shed, he did shed recently. Thanks for the input :)


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by SDA

No need to raise the temps that high. Get it back down to 88-90

That looks like substrate. Is your snake on coco fiber like eco earth?

---

I’ll ask someone to turn it down! And he had some cypress mulch (https://www.chewy.com/zoo-med-forest...SABEgLTGfD_BwE) as substrate previously, so it could be that. Thanks!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

looks like substrate and spit.

no need to change your husbandry/temps. just keep an eye on the snake for any weird behavior/changes in behavior.

i bet he feels much better with that gone. ;)

It's looks like he just had some bedding in his mouth. If you want to be extra sure, do a quick peek tomorrow. I'm sure it's just bedding though. :)

Looks like a bit of substrate & debris to me too. Remember that snakes cannot cough or spit out stuff that sticks in their mouth. That probably would have
fallen out with his next long drink of water, but I'd have taken it out as you did too. Not to worry, IMO. Get him a WaterPik for his birthday...;)

I see substrate too.

Also, yeah, definitely drop those temps down. 88-90 is where I keep mine.

Incidentally, that's a great pic of BP teeth though....

I can’t tell if there’s a sore in there or not, looks like some mix of substrate and shed? Mouth rot does not look like that, at least I’ve never seen it look like that. But there does appear to be a possible small cut or something else still impacted.