Random Holes in Snakes Head?!

OK so I just noticed this literal holes on the bottom jaw of my 2007?? normal male BP. He is strictly prekilled fed so there is no way these are bites. They don't go all the way through, but you can see the bones on his bottom jaw. I have NO clue how this could have happened. He isn't overly wet, doesn't sit in fecal matter, NOTHING. Help!?

http://sphotos.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-...95381763_n.jpg

I've never seen anything like that... I'd get him to a reptile vet ASAP

If you suspect infection at all use a diluted Betadine solution to help clean the spots.

You need to get to a vet asap. I have never seem this before and seems very serious.

:O vet asap.

This reminds me of an abscessed tooth.

Our sheltie wound up having a hole in the side of her mouth. We thought she got it caught on a nail or something.

When we took her to the vet, we were told it was due to a far along abscessed tooth.

Vet visit ASAP!

When you do take it to the vet, can you let us know what it is? I'd be curious to know just incase it ever showed up on my bp.

That's interesting. Got my spotnose about a yr ago. And he had the same thing. The previous owner/breeder had never noticed it. Took him to the vet right off and the vet couldn't really make an exact determination of what exactly happened. Since it wasn't ever getting infected or giving him problems. We didn't worry about it. It's taken quite a long time to heal but it's almost there.
http://img.tapatalk.com/c6e4c9a0-4601-b968.jpg
We kept it clean and just watched for possible signs of abscessing. It's literally taken about this whole year to heal up. Both were slits just like that though.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

Still go to the vet though.... Just saying. A good check up is never a bad thing.
Ours wasn't quite as bad as that now that I look at the picture better. But still same area and same sort of thing. If you look at my picture the one on the right, that one is still taking its time. And they were a bit larger than how that looks now.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

I have seen that before as long as there is no infection keep it clean and a small touch of neosporin for 2 weeks. This is how it was treated and it worked for a friend of mine. This was also the vets remedy not just a couple of guys trying stuff.good luck!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD

What substrate do you use? I had something similar happened to two different snakes (who were feeding F/T) the injury was caused by a sharper than other piece of cypress mulch. Those went away after a few sheds.

This to me looks like mites. Mites will eat through and cause holes on the bottom of a snakes head.

I've also seen this on one or two of my snakes, though not so severe, but it went away after a few sheds. Could this perhaps be from eating a meal that was too large? or something like that?

It is a little bizarre, but I have seen this sort of thing posted before...so it must be from some common issue..

Very odd. Please let us know what the vet says.

There was just another post about something similar today I believe. Would be very curious to know what it is.

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

Never seen that before...

I'm with the others- please let us know what the vet says!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bpownerjoey

This to me looks like mites. Mites will eat through and cause holes on the bottom of a snakes head.

---

I know mites would suck a snake dry, but I've never heard of mites "eating through" a snake. Is there known cases on this happening???

I have a snake that has a very, very similar injury. Posted a thread in May, she looked like thishttp://img.tapatalk.com/63ecfd6a-5bc6-4a72.jpg
She has shed since then, and is starting to heal--now it looks more like this:
http://img.tapatalk.com/63ecfd6a-ff14-5962.jpg
(I don't have an updated pic but she now has normal jaw shape and it looks scabbed over)
Still a long way to go, but she's getting better. It turns out there was a bit of a gap in the one corner above her bin, and she tried to squeeze her head out when she smelled food. She scraped herself up real good--not that I can say this is what happened with yours, but it looks very similar.

How strange. It's strange that it's always in the same spot. Perhaps it is from rubbing.

Did you buy the snake like that? I would agree with everybody to take it to the vet because that is not normal. What does he act like?

Sorry it's taken so long to reply, our wedding is in a week and it's been stressful to say the least.

The vet had no answer. Was just about as stumped as we were. Said possibly mouth rot. Told us to give him some tetrecyclene and to keep it clean. Well he's weezing a bit, research of mouth rot says that it could be from inhaling bacteria. We fed him tonight and he took an ASF. Problem is... it looks like his jaw broke. I'm not very hopeful for this guy.

Let me give you his background:

We have NO clue how old this snake is. We got him offline on KSL (Utah's equivilent to Craigslist) for free. I was just looking around when I saw someone had a free ball. I wondered what would make him give a ball away for free. So I asked. His responce: "I don't have time to feed him, and he is extremely aggressive." ....ok? "When was the last time you fed him?" "6 months ago." "Uh... what have you been feeding him?" "Petco mice." "I'm coming to get him." "Well someone closer wants him, but I'm afraid they may have the same problem getting to Petco." "I breed my own rats, I am coming to get him."

When I picked him up the guy just handed me a shoe box in a gas station parking lot and walked away. He was skinny, clearly malnutritioned and just plain pissed off. He doesn't let my future husband even touch him.

So now the even WEIRDER part. Our other snake (who is two shelves away from this one on our rack) is starting to get sores in the same place. Both normals. Both snakes that haven't eaten in a while. This one is a female and she hasn't eaten since March. Then the time before that was September. We have been moving alot and it seems to have affected her. This is what has us stumped is that they are exhibiting the same symptoms yet have never been together and we have been extra careful to make sure we clean everything after touching him.

We just can't seem to figure this out. NONE of our other snakes are exhibiting these signs.

A second snake now having the same issue? Thats crazy! Are you sure they aren't rubbing the bottom of their heads against anything that could cause a wear pattern like that?

I wonder of it could be some type of fungal infection.

Very strange indeed

Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

2 now, oh my I would get those 2 as far away from everyone as possible. Though I had one with the same looking injury, and our vet could never exactly say what happened. I never had anyone else have the same issue, it's taken awhile and healed quite nicely, but if yours is getting worse and possibly eating through his jaw I would strongly suggest getting a second opinion. Especially now the Second has shown up.


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

Strange indeed
X2 on getting a second opinion from a different vet.
It's gotta be contagious since your other snake now has it.
Maybe bacterial or fungal? They should take swabs of the area and test the skin.
Weird for sure.
Keep us posted.


Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

how long ago was it on ksl? i almost went and picked up a free ball from a guy in tooele but everytime i talked to him there was a different twist to why he couldn't keep it so i steered clear. where in utah are you?

Some people have been having a similar discussion in a Facebook group I am part of.

My boa constrictor, Dolly, has two faint spots in the exact same area as the other snakes posted. She seems totally fine, but it's very strange. None of my other snakes have anything like it.

http://sphotos-a.xx.fbcdn.net/hphoto...60072557_n.jpg

It's almost like hers are healed/healing. Admittedly she was a rescue, but I never saw any open sores on her before noticing these marks.

I know exactly what that is from

Thats from an animal getting their head between something and cruising/pushing

I have an animal here that will get his face between the litter dam and glass of his cage and likes to push right there.

Ended up with 2 spots just like this.

Its from pushing

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 2kdime

I know exactly what that is from

Thats from an animal getting their head between something and cruising/pushing

I have an animal here that will get his face between the litter dam and glass of his cage and likes to push right there.

Ended up with 2 spots just like this.

Its from pushing

---

Sort of like a "rug burn" maybe? ^^

Sent from my ADR6350 using Tapatalk 2

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 2kdime

I know exactly what that is from

Thats from an animal getting their head between something and cruising/pushing

I have an animal here that will get his face between the litter dam and glass of his cage and likes to push right there.

Ended up with 2 spots just like this.

Its from pushing

---

And the mystery has been solved!

This was my suspicion, but I didn't actually know for sure.

Great so my ball will defiantly get this, because he loves rubbing his heading between everything!

my one ball was getting rubbing spots on the top of her head, I was really worried about it, moved her into a rack system, and now it's gone. She was in a locking sterlite bin with a lid, and she would try and push and push resulting in these weird marks (sorry no pics).

Maybe change their set up to see if this heals up.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by 2kdime

I know exactly what that is from

Thats from an animal getting their head between something and cruising/pushing

I have an animal here that will get his face between the litter dam and glass of his cage and likes to push right there.

Ended up with 2 spots just like this.

Its from pushing

---

That makes a lot of sense, actually. Dolly loves to smash her face against the cage doors. :rolleyes:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by meowmeowkazoo

That makes a lot of sense, actually. Dolly loves to smash her face against the cage doors. :rolleyes:

---

I talked to my herpetologist today she said its when the snake is bored and moves around it gets these rub marks.