Python with lump in throat

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shell477

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Hi everyone

So my brothers coastal python has a lump in its throat that appeared after its last feed. MY brother thinks it is a woodchip that he must've swallowed while eating his rat.

Just after some advice as to what needs to happen... Will it require surgery or is it possible to gas the python down and extract it without surgery?

Any thoughts would be great :)

Shelly


Harvey.png
 
handling and then he might regurgitate? this could be done or should be done right after or not to long after he feeds.
 
Its pretty well stuck though... and its been a while since the feed... I only found out about it from my brother today... he is planning to get to the vet but works full time....
 
I had this happen once but the situation was that I was there at the feed, saw what happened & removed it straight away.

Not sure what damage this might do but certainly better to get it out sooner rather than later.
Open snakies mouth & have a look, it might only be wedged & easy to remove. Any signs of broken skin you need vet intervention & antibiotics.
 
It looks like the lump is a fair way down its neck. I doubt you'll be able to see anything when you inspect the mouth.
Good luck
 
If its a woodchip... I'd be getting that out asap. Take him to the vet, before any infection arises or it does serious damage.
 
If there is any foreign body down there it needs to be removed as it can become lodged and cause an infection which will be a much bigger problem. Your snake should not be fed on any substrate that can be consumed. Take it out and put it in a bin for feeding.
 
I did post here already but for some unknown reason it has not appeared.

The python undoubtedly is not comfortable with the chip stuck in its throat and the fact that it is unable to move it itself indicates it requires human intervention. It would seem likely that the tissues around the stuck ends are probably swollen, causing its lodgement to increase. As a result, home remedies are not advised.

A reptile vet may have an inflatable stent that can be placed down the throat and used to dilate the oesophagus so that the obstruction can be removed with a particularly long handled pair of forceps. If not, it may require localised surgery. Either way, if there is physical damage to the tissues lining the oesophagus then appropriate antibiotics will need to be prescribed and correctly administered under the guidance of the vet.

Blue
 
Also. Id betting rid pf the woodchips. just go with newspaper.
 
Damn! Does the question even need to be asked? Anything lodged that far down should have resulted in an immediate trip to the vet!
 
Damn! Does the question even need to be asked? Anything lodged that far down should have resulted in an immediate trip to the vet!

I agree 100%. There is no way I would sit there and 'hope for the best'
 
I know guys :( my brother lives 3 hours from me otherwise I would have been straight on top of it. As it is, I can only grump at him on the phone to take it to the vet already. No update yet...
 
shamat and Beans,

You have evidently forgotten what it is like to be still learning. Novice keepers ask questions that the well experienced might consider a ‘no brainer’. Castigating the novice for asking such questions is no only unjustified but perhaps even more importantly, it can put other novices off asking anything at all. The results of that don’t require an Einstein to determine that it’s the reptiles that will loose out.

With a little awareness and thoughtfulness you can be emphatic about the lesson to be learned without berating or belittling the learner for their lack of knowledge.

Blue
 
Blue, i hear you, but Novice or not there is common sense. I would still consider myself a novice only having had snakes for several months, and the first thing i would have done for ANY animal with something lodged in its throat would be to seek specialist care.
 
Can I just clarify... If this were MY snake, I would have had him to the vet straight away. It is NOT my snake, and my brother lives 3 hours away from me so I can't make him do anything. I posted this original question to see if anyone had had a similar experience and what to expect from the vet/ or any suggestions, as our vets rarely deal with pythons. this is not a 'learning' experience, the python needs the vet asap and I know this.

My brother is coming home on Friday and I have booked him a vet appointment.

And thanks for the support blue, I am well aware of the risks of posting questions and the replies that can be given - I read and take in every reply but they do not effect me in any emotional way. I take no offense to people making heated responses etc, I understand where they are coming from.
 
[MENTION=24183]shell477[/MENTION], my comment was not directed at you, but rather the situation. I noted it was not your snake and the advice given was the best I had..
I am glad you have not taken this personally. I am sure you feel the very same as all the good people on this forum that hate to see any animal in distress.
 
As was mine, I posted knowing this wasn't your snake.

As said before, there is common sense. Expert, veteran or novice. Unless you're a 5 year old, if anything has something LODGED IN THE THROAT. It goes to get it removed.
 
If your vet doesn't deal with reptiles often, there is a list of reptile vets in the wiki (or follow the link). You might get passed on to someone more experienced.

I posted this original question to see if anyone had had a similar experience and what to expect from the vet/ or any suggestions, as our vets rarely deal with pythons. this is not a 'learning' experience, the python needs the vet asap and I know this.
 
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