Is my BPs face swollen???

As I was feeding my BP I thought I saw swelling on the jaw but it is hard to be certain. My partner is not a snake person but says there is no swelling. I thought it took Merv a little longer to eat than usual but did manage to eat both small rats. I tried to look at other angles but he was chilling and of course now that I fed him I have to wait a few days to take him out and look closer. Based on the pics do you think there is swelling? I am trying to go back and compare to old pics of him. Trying to figure out how to post pics

https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/sho...mageuser=87982

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https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/sho...mageuser=87982

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https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/sho...mageuser=87982

Sorry, I really can't tell from those.

The second picture makes me think there is some swelling. The third picture makes it look a little lopsided so yeah, possible swelling on the left side.

I remember hearing some stories of snakes getting a little swollen around the face just before shedding...but I don't know the validity of that.

Has anything changed as far as the personality or habits? Is the snake pushing at the corners of the habitat or trying to tunnel in the substrate? Are you feeding live meals or frozen? Did they maybe hit something during a feeding strike and maybe break a tooth?

Just some ideas on what could have happened.
Obviously, if it looks worse, I would go to a vet and try and get it looked at. Sometimes an abscess or mouthrot will cause swelling like this as well but there's usually more swelling or signs as well.

Hopefully it's something minor and improves on it's own but again, of anything becomes worse, definitely head to a vet.

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Originally Posted by mervsmom

Based on the pics do you think there is swelling?

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The pics are blurry, but I don't anything that would concern me. I'd keep an eye on it and, if it gets worse, take him to a vet.

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Originally Posted by Armiyana

The second picture makes me think there is some swelling. The third picture makes it look a little lopsided so yeah, possible swelling on the left side.

I remember hearing some stories of snakes getting a little swollen around the face just before shedding...but I don't know the validity of that.

Has anything changed as far as the personality or habits? Is the snake pushing at the corners of the habitat or trying to tunnel in the substrate? Are you feeding live meals or frozen? Did they maybe hit something during a feeding strike and maybe break a tooth?

Just some ideas on what could have happened.
Obviously, if it looks worse, I would go to a vet and try and get it looked at. Sometimes an abscess or mouthrot will cause swelling like this as well but there's usually more swelling or signs as well.

Hopefully it's something minor and improves on it's own but again, of anything becomes worse, definitely head to a vet.

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He recently shed maybe about a week ago. No tunneling but I could have missed him rubbing or pushing at the enclosure. He has been in his warm side hidey hole most of the time and at night likes to sit on his branches. I feed frozen, last feeding before today was 11/30 and I did not notice any swelling until now.
He has in the past gotten confused about the radiant heat panel and struck it so maybe that happened. Ill keep an eye out and post here if it gets worse, hopefully with better pics during the day when the enclosure light is on. I will keep the vet in mind!

I thought it looked lopsided from the front too! I was like plz turn so i can see that other side dude!

Don't discount your observations- you're the one most familiar with this snake, & you're able to see him much better than we can.

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Originally Posted by mervsmom

He recently shed maybe about a week ago. No tunneling but I could have missed him rubbing or pushing at the enclosure. He has been in his warm side hidey hole most of the time and at night likes to sit on his branches. I feed frozen, last feeding before today was 11/30 and I did not notice any swelling until now.
He has in the past gotten confused about the radiant heat panel and struck it so maybe that happened. Ill keep an eye out and post here if it gets worse, hopefully with better pics during the day when the enclosure light is on. I will keep the vet in mind!

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I took him out today for closer examination. I tried to open his mouth with a credit card but struggled to get a good grip on his head and did not want to hurt him. I got a glimpse in his mouth on the left side and did not see anything. I thought huh, still looks a little different from the front view but the side view looks less swollen to me. I will check again in a few days but so far looks like a false alarm.

Well, do keep an eye on it. In case you don't know, snakes form mostly solid pus from infections that doesn't usually drain away on it's own, but instead tends to form a firm lump (abscess) for which the only solution is surgical removal. If that's what this is, you wouldn't necessarily see anything inside his mouth- it would be sandwiched in the tissues between his outer skin & the inside of his mouth. Snakes that are prone to pushing on their enclosures with their noses tend to end up with an abscess on their nose, for example. But I do hope this is just a false alarm.