Scales bulge on garter?

[Boots]

While I have an appointment booked to see a vet next week, I was wondering if anyone had encountered a similar issue to what I have seeing. It is like a tumor is forming under the scales and bulging them out. Any info would be much appreciated.



Close up of the area.



Jason

[guidofatherof5]

Maybe an abscess. I don't think it's a subcutaneous worm as the usually don't affect the scales like that. Has there been any discharge form this area? Is it painful to the touch? I don't think that bedding is prone to produce slivers and the location of the injury is too high. Does anything wipe off if try? When was this snakes last shed? I would caution a biopsy being done as that can sometimes "wake the sleeping giant" if you know what I mean. It will be interesting to see what the Vet. thinks.

[Boots]

Hi Steve,

The garter shed last week and while it mostly came off in one piece, the part from the bulge back did not. It does not seem to be painful to the touch as he slithers though a towel I am holding no problem, and I did not notice any discharge from the area. I will try using a wet towel on the area and see if it helps. Seems to be a little bigger after the last shed as well.

Jason

[guidofatherof5]

Great info. I wondered what the white stuff was, now I know it is retained shed. I would say it is an abscess or more likely a subcutaneous worm. That is a typical location for one. Feeding any feeder fish?

[Boots]

Not so sure about the "subcutaneous worm", and have to thank you for making me look it up. I really could have live without seeing the pictures of them on google. The though of them is disturbing.

Funny that you ask about feeding the garter fish has I have been thinking of trying to see if she would take a filet. I am not sure if she was ever given fish, but I know that for at least the last two years she has only been feed thawed mice.

Jason

[guidofatherof5]

At this point I will stay with subcutaneous worm. Please let us know what the vet. finds.

[joeysgreen]

Hi Jason, how have you been? If this is an older snake, neoplasia certainly could be on the list. Removal of the mass and having it sent for histopath would probably be ideal, but it depends on what the physical exam tells the vet; they'll decide if it is feasible or too invasive (if it invades the body wall past the ribs, entering the coelom). Imaging could be helpful in a treatment plan as well; CT would be ideal and is what we use here; ultrasound might be helpful but there's a lot of ribs that might get in the way. Radiographs will always be available and may at least see if there are other masses that may have metastasized. Unfortunately they can be hard to interpret in snakes. Bloodwork can also be helpful in assessing overall body response (immune system) and health (organ function and homeostasis) prior to making any treatment plans.
Other differential diagnostics are fungal dermatitis, abscess, and parasitic cyst; probably in that order, but diagnostics could sort it out.

Ian

[Boots]

Hi Ian,

Hope all is well. The garter is about 5 years old now if memory is correct so it is possible. Hopefully the vet will be able to figure it out without having to run the more evasive tests. I will post what we find out when we see the vet. Thanks for you thoughts and concerns.

Jason

[Albert Clark]

Wow! Sorry for the dilemma. I would want to know the temperatures and humidity percentages in the enclosure firstly. Also what type of substrate is the animal on? My first suspicion was a resolving blister but then again it looks more suspicious on closeup. I would certainly try neosporin on it to try and see if it has a effect on specifically the dryness and somewhat infectious appearance. But yeah, purely speculation on my part and I would only be grabbing at straws with my suspicions. Let's leave it to the higher minds of science and go with that. As long as she is acting normally and feeding and urinating and defecating let's put her on paper towels and quarantine her for now. Hope this helps. Good luck and I'm hoping she gets a clean bill of health.

[Boots]

Well the garter, who the wife has now named boots against my recommendation as my first garter was already names Boots, has seen the doctor. It was actually a while back, but I was hoping to post the full results, but they are not in. I have the x-rays and will post them tomorrow once I am able to grab a screen shot of them.

Your San Francisco Garter Snake presented to the clinic today for evaluation of 2 masses - one slightly to the left of the spine about 3" cranial to her vent, and one under her tail immediately behind the vent. She is a little limp and weak in clinic.

Xrays were taken of your snake. They thankfully show no invasion of the masses into the spine, and no evidence of calcification of the masses, which is good. They were both soft tissue/fluid density.

Fine needle aspirations were performed of both masses. The mass behind her vent is an abscess. I suspect that it is the musk gland that is abscessed, given the location and the slightly musky smell that released as I was aspirating. Slides were made from the mass over her spine for pathological evaluation. Results are pending. We will contact you...

I am sending her home on a course of inject able antibiotics. Please use as directed.

The antibiotics seem to be working and we are just waiting on the slides. I will post that information once I have it.

Jason