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Conley Media • June 2018 13 1/8 PAGE AD P ets come in all shapes and sizes. Dogs and cats may be the first animals that come to mind when people think of pets, but pets need not be furry or four- legged to make great additions to a home. According to the 2017-2018 National Pet Owners Survey from the American Pet Products Association, roughly 4.7 million households in the United States keep reptiles as pets. Many of those reptiles are snakes. Snakes attract animal lovers for a variety of reasons, including their often exotic looks. First-time snake owners may find that owning snakes is different than owning other pets. Compared to dogs, for example, snakes may seem more enigmatic, particularly in regard to any health-related issues they might be experiencing. According to VCA Animal Hospitals, the following are three common snake diseases and the symptoms that may accompany them. 1. Infectious stomatitis Also known as "mouth rot," infectious stomatitis is an infection of the oral cavity. Infectious stomatitis may be characterized by pinpoint hemorrhages on the gums or excessive amounts of thick mucus in the mouth and at the inside edges around snakes' mouths. This mucus may contain blood, and some snakes may develop a pus resembling cottage cheese in place of the mucus. Additional symptoms of infectious stomatitis include anorexia, an inability to close the mouth and a reduction in or absence of tongue flicking. In severe cases, snakes may experience loose teeth and swelling of the head. According to PetEducation.com, infectious stomatitis is often a response to stress, such as that created by environments where temperatures are improperly regulated. Poor nutrition that results in vitamin C deficiency or inappropriate calcium/phosphorous levels in snakes' diets also have been linked to infectious stomatitis. Overcrowding, trauma or internal or external parasites also may contribute to infectious stomatitis. 2. Parasites VCA notes that both internal and external parasites are common in pet snakes. Snake owners typically learn their snakes have parasites during vet visits, as parasites often produce no symptoms. However, parasites may cause diarrhea, breathing difficulties, itching, irritation, skin infections, anemia, and weight loss. Snakes with parasites also may vomit or regurgitate their food, and some may experience loss of appetite. 3. Blister disease Snake owners, particularly first-time owners, may miss the signs of blister disease because the lesions that characterize this ailment are typically on the underside of the animal. The VCA recommends snake owners routinely examine their snakes to detect for any physical issues. Often afflicting snakes that are kept in environments that are too moist and/or too dirty, blister disease produces fluid-filled blisters that may become infected with bacteria. The consequences of blister disease cases that are not treated promptly can be very serious and include severe skin damage, blood poisoning and even death. First-time snake owners may feel snakes are low-maintenance pets when compared to more popular pets like dogs. But snake owners must pay close attention to their snakes to detect any signs of disease, including those ailments that may be deadly if undetected and/or untreated. A ccording to VCA Hospitals, most snakes have only one functional, simple lung. Snakes' functional lung is typically the right lung, and in such snakes, the left lung might be reduced in size or completely absent. Two notable exceptions are boas and pythons, each of which have two lungs. While humans use their diaphragms to help draw air into their lungs, snakes do not have diaphragms. So unlike human beings, snakes rely on the muscles in their ribs and body wall to pump air in and out of their lungs. Another unique characteristic of snakes' lungs is that they occupy much of the snake's body between the heart and the hind end. In most snakes, this lung is divided into two portions. The front portion, which makes up between one-third to one-half of the entire lung, serves as a functional reptile lung, while the remainder of the lung acts as an air sac. Did you know? 3 diseases that may affect snakes 19

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