Swollen Bump

[slickshadowrunner]

Hi all,

My clown female has developed a small subcutaneous swelling on her head in front of her right eye. I don't have a picture but will upload one as soon as I can see her tonight. It appeared sometime in the past month. It does not appear to be bothering her; she is still eating normally and is not behaving any differently. I believe she is gravid, so her behavior has been rather bad over the past six months or so. Any thoughts? She has no other symptoms of any kind. Is it something to be worried about?

[JoshSloane]

Do you feed live?

[slickshadowrunner]

Yes. I watch the strikes though to ensure that claws or teeth don't do anything to the snakes when they hit. I did not see any bites or scratches of her head when I fed her last.

[JoshSloane]

Gotcha. Sometimes it doesn't take much to get inflammation going. If there is any evidence of an abrasion or wound you can dab a bit of iodine onto it to disinfect, making sure to avoid the eyes. Is there anything in your enclosure that could scratch the animal? If the animal is eating and drinking normally I wouldn't be too worried about it as of yet. Monitor the size of the swelling daily. If it begins to increase over time I would seek a vet.

[slickshadowrunner]

Thanks. That's basically what I had figured as well. I actually use natural essential oils for healing so I am going to drip a drop of a good disinfectant oil like oregano on the next rat I feed her. Appreciate your help.