Help Please!

[Fraido]

I'm sorry for posting this in the wrong place, but it has the most people surfing through at any given time.
Okay, so my dad has this corn snake that I'm pretty positive has mouth rot. I know that the snake has not been kept in good conditions, and if the snake can be helped I will make sure that changes.
There isn't a vet around here that specializes with reptiles, and if there is one that I'm not aware of, nobody has the money to take the snake.
So I would like to know what I can do, if anything, for the corn. Help would be much appreciated, and if you need pictures I will try my best to get a good couple photos. I've never had a snake with anything worse than mites, so I don't know what to do, and neither does my father.
I've looked it up on Google, but it's not telling me what I need to know.

[bcr229]

I've never treated for it but in looking at some of the other forums other folks swab with either betadine or Listerine mouthwash.

[Fraido]

I'm going to tell my father to purchase some betadine today, but do you think it matters what brand the mouthwash is? I don't have Listerine.

[Fraido]

I'm going to tell my father to purchase some betadine today, but do you think it matters what brand the mouthwash is? I don't have Listerine.

Scratch that, I do have Listerine.

[Velrys]

I have also not treated for mouth rot, but I have treated orally and a suggestion I was given that may also be helpful here, is to soak the animal before you treat.

This way the snake is well hydrated and wont, in any off chance it might, drink for a little bit after you return it to it's enclosure. This can keep the "medicine" where it is supposed to be longer.

[Fraido]

That is a good idea, thank you.
I don't believe the corn snake can actually drink or eat anything with its condition right now, so if I can I need to get it dealt with.

[DVirginiana]

I've treated garters for mouthrot using diluted Hibiclens (you can get it at most CVS or WalMart). You're going to need to swab the mouth out a couple times a day until he's looked normal for a week or two. Hibiclens is milder than Betadine, so you may want to switch after a bit.

If it's truly mouth rot, you'll see an almost cottage-cheese like residue in the mouth. If you don't see this at an advanced state it's probably just a run-of-the-mill infection, which is easier to treat.

[Fraido]

This is what she looked like lastnight, I'm taking care of her for my dad, so I cleaned out her tub and today when I got home from school I used some Listerine to attempt to clean it.
Maybe you could possibly identify from these pictures? They aren't the greatest. I could get a couple from today.

[DVirginiana]

WOW. I have never seen mouthrot that bad before. Can't do a 100% diagnosis without a vet, but that's mouthrot if I've ever seen it. Going to be honest, I don't think this snake's chances are good at all, but you can still try. Hope you'll be keeping it during/after treatment, because it takes quite a bit of ignoring for something to get this bad.

Is he about to shed, or are the eyes infected as well? I've known some really bad mouth infections to cause eye infections (nothing you can do about that without a vet though). Take care of the mouth and the eyes will clear up afterward if that's the case though.


I've dealt with some fairly bad mouth infections before, so I'll try and modify what I've done for this case:

First off; QUARANTINE like crazy. This stuff is highly contagious so keep him away from other reptiles and don't use any equipment with him that you use for your others.

You're going to need to remove that gunk... I wouldn't use listerine, bc I don't think this snake can control whether or not it swallows something well. Plus, you want it to be able to drink. Use just a wet Q-tip and just get as much of that gunk as you can out. If the medication isn't touching anything but that goop it won't really do much good anyway. When you get it so that the snake can close it's mouth a bit better, then use the diluted betadine/hibiclens on the gum tissue. Get all/most of the gunk cleaned out in one go, then try treating it three or so times a day. When it starts looking better, you can decrease frequency. You're gonna need to keep cleaning his mouth WAY after things look fine to keep something like this from bouncing back.

[Fraido]

I would do the feeding sometimes and I last fed her a couple weeks ago and she looked fine. She took her mouse and everything. She must have had it, just incredibly minor at that point.
Because we can't get her to a veterinarian, I don't have much faith, but I'm determined to try, she deserves it.
I'm still in school, and I don't have a real job, so I can't afford to actually care for another snake, but I am STRONGLY advising him to give away his snakes (he has three corn snakes). It needs to happen, he can't, and is not motivated to, care for them anymore. Not like he was when he first got them.
I live in a small town, so tomorrow I will get what I need.
Is that what that is, though? Gunk? I thought it was her jaw incredibly swollen. I will do my best, but it makes me uncomfortable poking and prodding at her jaw like that, I don't want to hurt her or anything.
Thank you very much for this, I'm glad I got a good response. Regarding the eyes, I believe her eyes look odd because of the flash, I think they're alright, but I will look again.