07/08/2025
Big shout-out to my brilliant friend – the true king of diagnostic imaging – for pushing me to finally share Grażyna’s case. 🐍
Grażyna was an 8-year-old female boa with an enormous oral mass.
Her owners noticed the swelling about 4 months before bringing her in – once her eye had "disappeared" , either from pressure or lysis, and breathing had become increasingly difficult. She hadn’t eaten in months.
Reptiles suffer in silence – and snakes are particularly stoic. They can go off food for weeks or even months, which often masks serious conditions.
The stench of necrosis, decay, and d*ath lingered in the clinic for days. I’ve got a strong stomach, but this time I had to fight the urge to vomit more than once. I had tears in my eyes – from nausea, from sadness, and from the feeling of helplessness. What followed was heartbreaking.
X-rays confirmed what I feared: extensive bone destruction and a mass infiltrating surrounding structures. At this point, the kindest thing I could offer Grażyna was to end her suffering. Was it a dignified d*ath? Honestly, it was already too late for dignity.
🔬 Differential Diagnoses should include in such cases:
- Neoplasia (oral and bone tumors)
- Severe bacterial stomatitis with osteomyelitis
Etiologic agents: mixed oral flora (e.g. Aeromonas, Pseudomonas, Enterococcus, Morganella)
- Deep abscess: may mimic neoplasia; chronic inflammation can cause bone lysis and necrotic centers
- Granulomatous lesions (e.g. actinomycosis, mycobacteriosis)
- Metabolic bone disease
🧪 Diagnostics should include: imaging, fine needle aspiration/cytology, biopsy and/or histopathology, microbiological testing.
This didn’t have to happen.
Reptiles are not low-maintenance pets. They deserve the same standard of care as any other animal. Please, if you ever notice something off – even something small – don’t wait.
