Should I be worried?

[Cmwells90]

Hey so I noticed that my hognose's cloaca was a little swollen. I took some pics to see if anyone could give me any ideas of what's going on, or if it's just normal. He also just started shedding so I'm going to see how it is after his shed. I moved him to paper towels just to be safe, he was on coco husk before. His warm side is usually around 87 cool side in the high 70s. Humidity between 40-60%.

[Albert Clark]

Worry yes, panic no. I think the worst it could be is a early prolapse but lets not even go there. Maybe just a little irritation. Nothing beats a vet exam any day. Hope its minor and clears up after the shed. Good luck.

[Eggplant]

I thought coco husk substrate is usually used for humidity retention? Western hoggies are usually kept dry; I heard they don't do well in excess humidity. I only put in a humid hide when my hog is going to shed. I use aspen bedding; its good!

I hope he'll get better soon

Snakes: Scale concern
^ "coconut husk is not a good substrate. It holds to much bacteria and moisture and can very easily cause scale rot as well as get caught under the scales and cause other bacterial issues."

[lady_bug87]

Hmmm. Check and make sure there's no left over skin from a past shed that's putting pressure on the cloaca.

If it's a prolapse the animal should be kept on paper towels that have been dampened with sugar water until a vet can be seen.