How to prevent and treat snake mold spot disease and stomatitis?

1. Mold spot disease

(1) Cause. This disease is caused by mold, mainly due to the snake den being too damp or unsanitary. It is especially common in artificially kept snakes during the plum rain season, particularly in large snake species such as the pit viper and the sharp-nosed pit viper.

(2) Symptoms. Black mold spots in patches or dots grow on the scales of the snake's belly, which lose their luster. In severe cases, the belly scales can fall off, exposing the abdominal muscles, and in some cases the spots even extend to the back and then the whole body, finally causing the entire body to rot and the snake to die within a few days.

(3) Prevention. Keep the snake den dry, do a good job of cleaning and hygiene and ventilation of the snake den. If it is damp, use lime to sweep and absorb moisture, or wrap lime in paper and place it on one side of the snake den, replacing it regularly. Isolate and treat any sick snakes found, and keep the affected snakes separately.

(4) Treatment. Apply 2% iodine tincture to the affected area, 1 to 2 times daily, and it can heal after 7 to 10 consecutive days.

2. Stomatitis

(1) Cause. Snake stomatitis is one of the common diseases of many snake species, such as the sharp-nosed pit viper, the many-banded krait, and the cobra. It is mostly caused by inflammation from improper capture or injury to the mouth when squeezing out venom. After hibernation, snakes are weak in constitution, and a damp snake den or unsanitary environment makes it easier for some pathogens to invade the snake's cheeks and cause stomatitis. If not prevented and treated in time, it will quickly infect the snake group.

(2) Symptoms. The cheeks and both jaws of the sick snake swell, and sometimes the gums and forehead in the mouth also swell. In severe cases, there is purulent secretion in the mouth, the head is raised, and the mouth is slightly open and cannot close. Eventually the snake starves to death because it cannot eat.

(3) Prevention. After the snake awakens from hibernation, it should be moved into the sunlight to be exposed to the sun, and then the snake den should be thoroughly cleaned. If the snake den is damp during the plum rain season, it should be disinfected by exposure to the sun, and the den should be ventilated. When manually extracting venom, do not use too much force when grabbing the head and squeezing the venom gland. If sick snakes are found, they should be isolated and treated promptly.

(4) Treatment. Wrap a bamboo stick tip with sterilized cotton for disinfection, wipe clean the secretions in the mouth, then rinse the mouth with Rivalon solution for disinfection, then apply gentian violet solution 1 to 2 times, or apply Bingpeng powder (calcined borax 30 grams, borneol 3 grams) to the affected area 1 to 2 times. Generally, about 10 days of treatment will bring recovery. In folk treatment of snake stomatitis, rinse the sick snake's mouth with 2% alum water several times a day; a 2% copper sulfate solution can also be used to swab the oral mucus before feeding; white alum powder plus white sugar can also be rolled into a tube with paper and blown into the affected area in the mouth, 1 to 2 times a day, and it will heal in 2 to 3 days.