Rosy boa with swollen lip?

[Red]

Well I have a health problem.. That has not happend for awhile.. hehe Well I have that rosy boa that bites me alot... and he now has a lil' swollen and I am perty sure that it is a broken/infected tooth...
Now my first "?" is does a tooth swell with out an infection... or is swelling a solid indication on a infection...
My second "?" is if I was not going to go to the vet would there be anything I could do to help it form getting worse...(I am going to the vet next monday... We finly have a rep. spec. in town... Yaaaa)
My third is if you have a snake that bites alot, is there a way to make sure the teeth don't get hurt...??
Thanx for the info..
Eric aka...Red

[LORI]

Re: Rosy boa with swollen lip?

Easy question first lol...

if you have a snake that bites alot, is there a way to make sure the teeth don't get hurt...??

YUP ! NEVER pull back when the snake bites ya ! lol. After time this actually gets easier to do believe it or not lol. When they bite and you pull back, usually from a normal reaction of the bite on your part btw, you will in most cases cause a problem to their teeth most likely. Most of the time is that the ttoth becomes injured in the form of a break , lost tooth or even a loose tooth.

is does a tooth swell with out an infection... or is swelling a solid indication on a infection...

Could be either..BUT in most cases the tooth area will swell due to the tissue damage that is caused from the injury to the tooth AND not neccessarily cuz the tooth area is injured. Basically like if you had a tooth pulled and the gums are gonna swell just from going through the "stress' to the tissue from having the tooth pulled is all.

is if I was not going to go to the vet would there be anything I could do to help it form getting worse

YUP..Just have your snake hold a nice cool soothing ice pak on the area. ;D : lol j/k Basically clean the area out with some hydrogen peroxide in a 50/50 mix with water. Gently do this btw. Ya can do this like once per day np also. Watch the area to make sure that it does not get worse and actually gets better over time. Also watch for signs of infection to the area. If the tooth is still there but loose, expect it to fall out also. Many snakes lose and/or injure teeth area and recover with no special vet treatment for such btw.

[Red]

Re: Rosy boa with swollen lip?

Thanx lori... I will start the proxide thing when I get home... I really don't want to take him to the vet... I would rather keep the money... So if it still look's bad on sunday then I will still take him to the vet...
Ya I don't pull back anymore... I usta but I got usta' the snake bitting me... I have not been pulling back for like 2 months it is hard to stop though...

I opened his mouth and it look just fine in there but the swelling is there though... So I hope no infection will happen...
One last "?" How would you put the porxide on it... with a droper or what... I know that a q-tip or piece of cloth could just hurt it again or further...
Thanx
Eric aka...Red

[LORI]

Re: Rosy boa with swollen lip?

Actually you would use a q-tip or cotton tipped applicator is all. Just use a tiny amount of the 50/50 is all. And GENTLY touch it to the area near the swelling is all. it will bubble up a lil bit. All it is doing by this is removing any "germs" etc from the area. Basically , as with most teeth are problems, they heal on their own is all. If it gets infected, which btw the 50/50 is to prevent that from happening, then ya need the vet and some anti for it. Ya could go with every other day possibly in doing this also, long as there no infection going on. If infected your gonna see it, especially when ya do the 50/50. That will bring it upwards basically to where you will see it...like yellow pus etc. BTW.. You may see some blood when ya do this too.. Not a problem..it's just from ya putting the 50/50 on the area is all. No reason to freak unless there is a HUGE amount of blood [ which I have NEVER envountered in this type of thing either here]. It will reset itself fine np after a lil bit once your done is all.
let me know if there is a loose tooth in that area also.....

[Red]

Re: Rosy boa with swollen lip?

He is only maybe 8 months old and is very small... His head is the size of my 1 1/2 year old corn snake... There is no infection.. in fact it look's just like the rest of his mouth except it is just a lil' swollen... I have another "?".
When I put the q-tip in his mouth he bits down and then it get's cought on the cotten.. with this make things worse or is it fine...
I will need another person to do it if so...
Eric aka..Red