Striped Japanese Rat Snake with a very sore bum

[Kumanyoko]

My Striped Japanese Rat Snake has a swollen nasty looking area around his cloaca. His name is Aristotle, 4 years old. I recently got back from my hols in Australia after leaving him with a friend to find he had a nasal discharge, raspy breathing when he eats and a swollen cloaca area. The nasal discharge has stopped but now the cloaca is leaking blood/puss.

Anyone got any ideas? I wanted to take him to the vet yesterday but closed till tomorrow. Snake started stressing last night. Crawling backwards and writhing his tail.

Can anyone tell me the name of a good vet experienced with snakes?

I'm Australian but live in Japan.

[TOMatoPASTE]

cant help ya with the het but its a good place to go to. what conditions was he kept in? could it be an infected burn from an unprotected heat source....? or did he have any heat source, he sounded pretty sick?

[Kumanyoko]

I always keep his palace very clean. he has a heat pad and gets lots of sun with room to move out of it. His 'Palace', as I call it, has four stories for him to move around.

But I left him with a friend for 6 weeks while I was away and she didn't keep the standards up. It's definitely not a burn.

Mum in Oz is going to call her vet tmro and try to get a recommendation to a snake specialist.

[TOMatoPASTE]

okay, sounds like youre taking really great care of him but yeah, like you said, your friend obviously didnt adhere to your upkeep standards. yeah, if its not a results of a burn or direct injury gettin infected id definitely get him to a vet asap. has the respiratory infection cleared up by iteself yet or does that need treatment too?

good luck with Aristotle mate

[Jason]

bugger! i wrote and posted a long post in this thread yesterday but its not there! anyway it basically said that its not good and to get it to the vet cause it most likely needs antibiotics. make sure the enclosure is clean and well set up eg thermal gradient, clean water ect and get it to the vet. i think a shot of antibiotis should start getting him back to normal. good luck and keep us posted on his progress.

[Pythons Rule]

Originally Posted by Kumanyoko

My Striped Japanese Rat Snake has a swollen nasty looking area around his cloaca. His name is Aristotle, 4 years old. I recently got back from my hols in Australia after leaving him with a friend to find he had a nasal discharge, raspy breathing when he eats and a swollen cloaca area. The nasal discharge has stopped but now the cloaca is leaking blood/puss.

Anyone got any ideas? I wanted to take him to the vet yesterday but closed till tomorrow. Snake started stressing last night. Crawling backwards and writhing his tail.

Can anyone tell me the name of a good vet experienced with snakes?

I'm Australian but live in Japan.

hmmm I worldn't know of any vets where you are! but my little black headed python had smething like your got with the swollen and leeking bum a month ago it turned out to have a spliter in his bottom from the ground cover in the cage. I fornd it straight away and took him a to vet in the northern terratory.

[timthevet]

likely either an infection or a prolapse - both require veterinary attention and most likely antibiotics

[Kumanyoko]

I took him to the vet first thing Monday morning and the poor little bugger got lanced in the bum to see what would come out. He didn't appreciate that very much.

Vet weighed him (20 grams) and gave me 7 days of daily anitibotics. Aristotle just loooves that. Not exactly and open up and say aaah animal. And try finding an eye dropper in Japan!!! Stresses us both out giving him the medicine but he ate a mouse only an hour after having a small syringe forced down his throat last night so can't be all that bad.

Came home today to find he'd deficated so at least the back end is still working. The swelling looks like it's gone down a bit already. Must be on the mend I hope.

Thanks for everyone's concern.

[Mayo]

Glad to hear he is on the mend