How to contact me Stomititis-Mouthrot Mouth rot is the common name for stomatitis. It is a bacterial infection which settles into the gum tissue, palate or tongue. One important fact often overlooked by pet owners is that mouthrot is not a disease itself - it is a secondary infection triggered by a systemic infection.
Stomatitis presents as yellowish-whitish plaques, or irregular blotches on the gums.
If poked, it is somewhat soft, rather like curds. In fact, iguana pus is referred to as caseous as it rather curdish or cheesy in nature, rather than what is produced by mammalian abscesses. Systemic antibiotics are often indicated, and it may be quite painful and traumatic to dig out a plaque, requiring that the reptile be anaesthetized and the work be done under sterile conditions. Through the years, products such as hydrogen peroxide, mouthwash, even vaginal douches have been recommended for stomatitis. The problem is that these products are cytotoxic - they destroy the good tissue along with the bad.