Mouthrot is a general term for infection in the oral cavity of reptiles.  The most common presentation is a swelling of the lips or jaw and decreased appetite.  Often a foul smell is present in the mouth.  There are many different predisposing causes of mouthrot, including: malnutrition, improper heat and/or humidity, being housed on wood chips or sand, eating whole prey (toenail scratches in the mouth), and nose rubbing (especially in Chinese Water Dragons).  Any combination of these factors can increase the chances your reptile will get mouthrot.

Diagnosing mouthrot is fairly simple.  A veterinarian should perform a thorough physical exam, and likely will notice the mouth infection right away.  Care needs to be taken when treating advanced mouthrot.  Reptiles produce very thick, hard pus that is hard to remove.  In addition, long-standing infection and underlying conditions such as metabolic bone disease can leave your reptile's jaw very weak and the teeth may be loose as well.  When we find mouthrot, we remove as much pus as possible and flush the mouth with a disinfecting rinse.  Antibiotic injections are usually needed as well as a topical treatment for the mouth at home.  Underlying husbandry conditions are corrected and hopefully this can be a one time problem.