Oedema in Corn Snake

[cat001]

I recently took Eddy my snake to the vets as her neck was swelling when she lowered her head. The vet suspects an issue with her heart owing to the excess fluid in her tissues, he also described her heart as sounding muffled and seemed undefined on the x-ray (likely due to fluid build up) but her heart rate was normal. She's been prescribed Frusol which seems to have done the trick, it's day 4 now on medication and the swelling no longer seems to be present when she lowers her head. Has anyone else had any experience with this? Was the condition ongoing? I hope it's not a permanent issue but if it is at least the treatment isn't too invasive.

This is the condition at its worst - it would disappear once her head was lifted
https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15349646_10157757485455214_6726285513066222029_n.j pg?oh=15bdb407d66179327e6f53a5bf5f3f3f&oe=58B90BAC

and Eddy today

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/15401079_10157768470015214_2621348391515937676_n.j pg?oh=a97e9b755b672dd886f4b395eaaf4852&oe=58FC481F

[daisymaisy]

I've never seen that before but glad the meds are working. Eddy is very pretty :)

[MartinD]

Frusol or Frusemide is a diuretic used in elderly people with oedema. People with oedema in the feet and ankles are usually told to raise their feet up when sitting down this allows the fluid to go back up the legs and back into the body and the same thing is happening to Eddy. When her head is up it flows back down but when her head is lowered it flows and collects around the head and neck.

[Albert Clark]

Read about a case with a ball python that had a similar presentation. The keeper described it as being present for a couple of days prior and thought it might be a stomatitis or a bite from a rodent as he was feeding live prey. He had already made a appointment with the exotic vet as the swelling seemed to wax and wane in size. The animal was diagnosed with a cellulitis and was prescribed Meloxicam. The animal did well and the swelling subsided over time. Definitely wasn't a heart issue though. The swelling was in the exact same area as your corn snake and looked eerily similar but positioning didn't alter the swelling at all. Glad your snake is on the mend.

[cat001]

Thanks for the replies, just a quick update, after a week on her medication fluid seemed to stop collecting in her neck when her head was down, just some baggy skin after she ate which went down on its own eventually. She's been off her medication for about a week now and the problem hasn't returned so not sure what the cause was but hopefully the issues finally resolved, only time will tell though I suppose.

I took some footage of her when she started showing improvements
vMuOFNNIGPw

[Albert Clark]

Nice! Big improvement. Congrats and I know you both feel better.

[MartinD]

Thats good news Cat

[cat001]

We're both definitely feeling much happier I think, for the last month or so Eddy's been a little more complacent than usual, she was less enthusiastic about dinner (although never skipped a meal, but wouldn't rush over for dinner or try to eat me first like she usually would). but now there's no doubt that Eddy is back on top form.

I saw her trying to get out of her viv just now so I opened the door and she comes zooming out, stretching towards me. I position my arm towards her so she can climb on but instead she smells a mammalian scent on my clothes and immediately tries to eat it, very typical Eddy behaviour. Realising she can't eat my arm she turns her attention to a pile of clothes which she smells with interest, meanwhile I'm stroking her back and she's not the least bit concerned, she was getting slightly flinchy while I was medicating her but is back to being totally unconcerned about being touched again. She's due a feed and I'll be picking her dinner up tomorrow. :)

[Albert Clark]

Wow! That's amazing. And so is your corn snake.

[cat001]

Haha, thanks Albert. Eddy's a very quirky snake, she's incredibly unselective about what she tries to eat, as a hatchling she'd often try to eat my top or fingers and had a go at one of my socks once (got a picture of that one). But even though she's quite nippy she's also very laid back and will often let me pet her on the head or when I pick her up she'll lounge on my arm and not bother griping so sometimes it's hard to tell if she's listless or extremely relaxed. At dinner time she's got bundles of energy though so that's usually when I know for certain if somethings up with her.

Today she ate her mice happily so I know she's definitely in a good place right now. :)

[jossh27]

We're both definitely feeling much happier I think, for the last month or so Eddy's been a little more complacent than usual, she was less enthusiastic about dinner (although never skipped a meal, but wouldn't rush over for dinner or try to eat me first like she usually would). but now there's no doubt that Eddy is back on top form.

I saw her trying to get out of her viv just now so I opened the door and she comes zooming out, stretching towards me. I position my arm towards her so she can climb on but instead she smells a mammalian scent on my clothes and immediately tries to eat it, very typical Eddy behaviour. Realising she can't eat my arm she turns her attention to a pile of clothes which she smells with interest, meanwhile I'm stroking her back and she's not the least bit concerned, she was getting slightly flinchy while I was medicating her but is back to being totally unconcerned about being touched again. She's due a feed and I'll be picking her dinner up tomorrow. :)

Hahaha sounds like eddy is a firecracker!