weird bumps on pythons neck

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dragonlover1

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My children's seems to have some sort of wrinkles or lumps in the side of his neck, I've had him a couple of years and this is the first time I've seen this. He hasn't eaten in 3 or 4 months but I know this is normal, my other Ants haven't eaten either, I have a 5YO Pygmy Banded Python and a 3YO Spotted.Don't worry about the shed,he hasn't finished yet.Adam Ant.jpg
 
I believe this is common during the shed process, its something with the liquids and assisting the slough process

Cant remember exact name, but its common and normal for these little bumps to appear and will settle after the whole slough, if not in a day or 2
 
Did you mean Dysecdysis ?
I don't think that this is it, it has been a couple of weeks since I first noticed it.
I have had this guy for about 3 years and this is the first time. I have had other Ants for 5 years and they don't have this either.
 
I need more info to make constructive suggestions, hence some questions:
Do the bumps feel sharp or hard and stiff to the touch or are they relatively soft and pliable? Has the snake been spending time soaking, even before it began to shed? Has it been fed any fresh killed food, rather than stuff that’s been frozen for a period of time? Has it been put with any other animal or temporarily in a container that was occupied by another animal.
 
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I need more info to make constructive suggestions, hence some questions:
Do the bumps feel sharp or hard and stiff to the touch or are they relatively soft and pliable? Has the snake been spending time soaking, even before it began to shed? Has it been fed any fresh killed food, rather than stuff that’s been frozen for a period of time? Has it been put with any other animal or temporarily in a container that was occupied by another animal.


they are soft to touch and he hadn't soaked, he came out of a semi brumation looking like this. He hasn't eaten since February.But he ate today.
All our food is frozen/thawed and he has never been with any other animal since I've owned him approx 3 years.
He is in a brand new custom built enclosure and the enclosure he was in before this was new also
 
You can rule out rib involvement, which seemed a possibility due to their [WU1] and spacing. They look like skin worms, rather than skin blisters. The latter can result from extended exposure to excessively moist conditions with low temperatures coupled with a lack of cleaning up wastes. I cannot see that being the case here. And no contact with other reptiles and no soaking would rule out snake mite, which I could not see any evidence of. Neither does there seem to have been any physical breaking of the skin (no scabs) to indicate an infection entry point. The only other thing that I think of is worms. I have read that tapeworm eggs can survive a period of freezing if not kept cold enough for long enough. So you would have to be extremely unlucky to cop them. When you rub the bump with your finger tip you can feel a soft lump inside. I’ve not felt blisters, but being purely fluid filled, I’d imagine they would feel different.

The eggs hatch in the gut and the larval worms burrow out through the gut wall and encyst just under the skin. As a youth, my mates and I came across them in wild caught frog-eating species. However I have been told fhat they can occasionally be contracted from mammal prey. On a couple of occasions we used a razor blade and tweezers, sterilised with metho, to get them out. You nick the skin on the side of the lump and squeeze them like you would a pimple to get enough out to grab them with the tweezers and pull out the rest. There is a U-tube video of a snake removalist doing just that. He did it alone but you are better off with two people. Just in case you want to open one up to confirm whether or not it is worms. If it is worms, then someone with deworming experience should administer the required doses of the appropriate chemical. Like any wound, the cut needs betadine twice a day and the snake kept on paper or towelling to keep the cut clean until it heals.

That’s the full extent of my experience and knowledge on it. Someone else may know more.
Forgot to mention that the presence of tapeworms can cause watery stools.
 
At first I thought they were wrinkles from excess skin on the inside of the curve of the neck but as you can see the neck is straight so the wrinkles didn't disappear .
At any rate he is going to the vet on Wednesday so we will see what is going on
 
That’s the best option (but not always feasible for those who do not have access to a knowledgeable herp vet). Tell me, did you try palpating the lump to see if you could feel a soft lump inside or if it felt like just fluid? If not, would you mind doing so and letting me know what you reckon?
 
OK so I had a feel , there is definitely no soft lump or fluid in there, it flattens out when I touch them. So I'm sticking with the excess skin folds due to dehydration or lack of food for 6 months, although he doesn't look skinny. The rest of his body is thick and firm.
Yes I am lucky I live in Sydney's west and I have a great reptile vet in Teri Bellamy although she is not a young woman and I worry what I will do when she retires. I also have access to an exotic vet at Camden uni about 45 minutes away.But Teri is my go to and has been for many years.
I understand how a lot of people live in regional areas and don't have access to a reptile vet, no disrespect to dog and cat vets but it is a different ballgame.
[doublepost=1600244132,1600161073][/doublepost]Saw the vet today and he seems to think he's a bit dehydrated so gave a fluid injection, after a few more baths to help remove stuck shed back to the vet on Saturday.
 
Am so glad it was not blister diseases like I was thinking it might be. Dehydration would also explain the dysecdysisi. You can also try feeding wet thawed rodents to increase the fluid intake. The drop in body moisture may be related to the brumation method. I don’t know. Have read of this post: https://www.aussiepythons.com/forum/threads/beardie-brumation.226975/#post-2537288.

I know a committee member in the Hawkesbury Herp Society and have had dealings with their President. Great people. I’m sure they’d be happy to help you find a suitable alternative if and when your current vet retires. I can make some enquires on your behalf if you’d prefer.
 
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I read your post, quite a different idea from others I have read. I might have to readjust my winter routines, my dragons I turn off completely but my pythons get reduced heating times because I know they come out occasionally even though they don't eat.
I am a member of HHS but can never attend meetings due to work.
 
dragonlover1, the committee member I know is related through family and is also a member on here. How about I contact him and he can then pm you?

With respect to the post I suggested, many people have entirely the wrong ideas about what actually does happens in nature. From seeing nature as a warm, fuzzy to thinking that animals have zero control over their environment. One of the main difference between humans and animals that is often touted, is how humans create their own environment and animals don't. So we think of animals as being totally subject to the vagaries of the elements. The reality is far from this. Even the simplest of animals have physiological and behavioural mechanisms to circumvent the full effects of the elements. Many people fail to recognise the degree to which reptiles make use of microclimates. So they make presumptions based on the general prevailing conditions which are often entirely wrong. This is why observing what actually does take place in nature is important.
 
no rush to seek out a new vet, mine is still going strong but as I said she is no spring chicken.
HHS will probably recommend the Penrith vet,I think his name is Robert ? HHS uses him at the expo's but he is an hour away and I have heard he is quite exy. There is also SASH at North Ryde,about 1&1/2 hours away and very exy, I took 1 of my frillies there and it cost me $2800. I will pay to keep my reptiles healthy but don't like to be ripped off.
[doublepost=1600513288,1600432883][/doublepost]So I saw the vet today and the outcome is it is all caused by the bad shed, because of the excess dead skin the skin underneath couldn't flex as usual. Once Terri got all the old shed off the wrinkles disappeared. So the lesson for me and other punters is keep an eye on your snake and make sure they have a clean shed and don't let it get out of control, if the shed isn't normal bath often and rub the old skin off.
Thanks to all who listened and offered advice.
 
Hi Dragonlover1
I must admit i have never seen or heard of this before, glad its not something more serious though. I always check my animals closely for any retained skin after every shed, as occasionally one will have a bit of old skin left on the tip of the tail.
$2800 ,,,,, I know vets are costly but wow ?????. My biggest vet bill ever was $1400 for a cat with a heart problem.
Good Luck.
 

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