# Ball Pythons > BP Husbandry > Advanced BP Husbandry >  Need tips for dealing with ri(respiratory infection)!!!

## kgronsbell

Hi All,

Well, my friend had just purchased a normal ball python off of craigslist for dirt cheap, little did he know the price he payed was for the animal he got. The animal looks like it has severe RI and is foaming at the mouth, and sometimes opens its mouth in a yawning type motion. The BP is only about 6 months old and ridiculously small, it must have been a runt to a clutch as well. Any ideas on how to solve this? I have never had to encounter a ball python with as bad of RI as this.

Thanks in advance

-Keith Gronsbell

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## h00blah

Ensure perfect temps and humidity (90-94 degrees belly heat; 50-60% humidity; aim high).. AND vet trip ASAP.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ius)-Caresheet

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## Ashleigh91

Yeah you definitely need to get him to a qualified herp vet and get him treated. Good luck with him/her.

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## travis11

if you can not get to a vet right away. watch the video on SnakeBytes Tv about sick snakes.

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## Snakesonly

I would recommend a trip to the vet, don't know how long this RI is doing it's thing but if it is in an advanced stage it might need a antibiotic injected to overcome the problem.

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## kgronsbell

Thanks for the help, my friend is scheduling a trip to the vet in a week, but what other types of methods are used to help treat RI?

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## mr.spooky

with the symptoms that you are describing, a week may be a little long to wait. Once you "visually" see the signs of R.I, the actual infection is prety serious.
 spooky

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## kgronsbell

Well even though he is foaming at the mouth, I know that there are definitely ways of solving it, like something about steam or misting the ball python? I remember Brian over at BHB used his F10 solution and a reptifogger to heal the BP with RI he had, and it had similar symptoms to the one that my friend has right now. I guess we will just have to keep trying other methods from the internet until the vet. If anyone has any real suggestions besides "Go to the vet" it would be much appreciated. Thanks

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## dr del

Have you read the sticky?

But please be aware that the people saying take it to the vet are giving you the best advice. When you do so I would also urge you to get a culture done for sensitivity so that you get onto the best treatment option as soon as possible.

ETA - I should also point out there are no ways of _solving it_. It needs drugs you can onyl get on prescription from a vet. Faffing about making it breathe disenfectant or anything else might make you feel better but it really won't help the animal. 


dr del

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ballpythonluvr (04-17-2012),_kitedemon_ (12-11-2012),rabernet (04-19-2012),_Shadera_ (04-18-2012),_youbeyouibei_ (04-19-2012)

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## kgronsbell

First off, it's not my animal, so I am not the one making the choice here. I already advised my friend, but was just asking for some advice to help out in the mean time. It was a simple question that I needed answer, but no one took the time to read that I did not need to be told to take "My" animal to the vet. Thanks anyway.

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## Stewart_Reptiles

> Well even though he is foaming at the mouth, I know that there are definitely ways of solving it, like something about steam or misting the ball python? I remember Brian over at BHB used his F10 solution and a reptifogger to heal the BP with RI he had, and it had similar symptoms to the one that my friend has right now. I guess we will just have to keep trying other methods from the internet until the vet. If anyone has any real suggestions besides "Go to the vet" it would be much appreciated. Thanks


Have your friend go to the vet, there is no home remedy that will cure an advance stage of RI.

The answer is a VET and that would be without any delay given the animal condition.

A culture will be done and proper anti-biotic will be prescribed and this cannot be done without a VET

Not the answer you are looking for but it is the correct answer.

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## kitedemon

Vet and culture is the best option. The culture will define the best treatment (drug) rather than shooting in the dark with it. Sometimes the culture comes back and it isn't what you expect it to be too.

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## dr del

Fine,

There are loads of old wives tales you will find on the net that claim to help or even cure an RI.

They don't work.  None of them. This is because there are various causes to what we give the blanket name of URI to. Some viral, some fungal and some bacterial. All of which now have drug resistant strains and different transmission vectors.

At best some of the home remidies supress the symptoms leaving the infection in place. People then occasionally think it is cured, put it back with their collection and end up treating multiple snakes. This is very expensive and can be devastating if it is one of the more drug resistant causes for the problem at work.

So we always offer the best solution that will get the animal healthy as quickly as possible with minimal risk of harm to either the rest of the collection or the person involved. To offer any other advice on someone elses animal would be idiotic and morally reprehensible.

Tell your friend to stop poncing about and take it to the vet.

Better?


dr del

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_kitedemon_ (04-18-2012),rabernet (04-19-2012),_Shadera_ (04-19-2012),_youbeyouibei_ (04-19-2012)

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## Skiploder

> Well even though he is foaming at the mouth, I know that there are definitely ways of solving it, like something about steam or misting the ball python? I remember Brian over at BHB used his F10 solution and a reptifogger to heal the BP with RI he had, and it had similar symptoms to the one that my friend has right now. I guess we will just have to keep trying other methods from the internet until the vet. If anyone has any real suggestions besides "Go to the vet" it would be much appreciated. Thanks


There are several ways of solving it without going to a vet - that's the problem with this darn forum, all these hens are so dang judgmental.  Some approaches you may recommend to your, "friend":

(1)  Take off all of your clothes,with the exception of a zebra print thong, oil your body up with Crisco and dance around the snake while humming the chorus to "It's Raining Men".

(2)  Drink a six pack of diet coke in less than 45 minutes.  Urinate into a copper bucket.  Run this through a humidifier in the room that the snake resides in.  The dissolved metals in your urine mixed with the chemicals in the diet coke will react with the copper creating the seebeck effect.  When nebulized, it will act as a potent lung tonic.

(3)  It is possible that the snake does not have an RI, but is possessed by a malevolent spirit.  In that case, you need to urge your friend to get that snake to a qualified herp exorcist immediately.  If not, that poor animal's soul will be  damned to eternal torment.  Is you friend too cheap to save this animal from HELL?

You could have saved yourself a lot of drama and just found all these cures on Anapsid - the most informative reptile site on the intrawebs.

Toodles,

Skip

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Annageckos (05-15-2012),_Ashleigh91_ (04-19-2012),_Coleslaw007_ (12-11-2012),dr del (04-19-2012),_Emilio_ (04-19-2012),JulieInNJ (05-02-2012),rabernet (04-19-2012),_Royal Morphz_ (04-19-2012),Stewart_Reptiles (04-19-2012),_youbeyouibei_ (04-19-2012)

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## kitedemon

> (2)  Drink a six pack of diet coke in less than 45 minutes.  Urinate into a copper bucket.  Run this through a humidifier in the room that the snake resides in.  The dissolved metals in your urine mixed with the chemicals in the diet coke will react with the copper creating the seebeck effect.  When nebulized, it will act as a potent lung tonic.
> 
> Skip


Skip,
I hear this can also be used to power the heating units too!? Ever heard of that?? 
 :Rolleyes2:  :Rolleyes2:

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## snake lab

Hahahahahahah now thats some funny stuff right there. I saw a refrence to bhb using a misting solution. Im sure it was to help aid in dealing with the ri not the only means. Im sure if he had a ri there was medication involved as well. Because there are stages to a ri tgis is the reason for medical attention. A ball pythons lung isa delicate organ. When it gets to the point of foaming and mucous the ri is pretty advanced. Bow although i have argued in the past about using baytril without a culture, i have done so in the beginning stages and have had good success. But once its advanced the animal needs vet intervention. A culture should be done asap.

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## kitedemon

Baytril is one of the reason to do a culture. It has been the go to drug for what ten years? The lad my vet uses, I have done contract work, (  :Wink:  ) for and I was told that there are many cases in reptiles where bacteria have become resistant to Baytril.

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## Don

Here is the video that was referred to using F-10.  RI identification begins at 2:50 and the Fogger instructions start at 3:50.

Note that this works when the RI is caught early and certainly not at the stage described in the first post. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pJCnPfuqaBM

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## snake lab

Baytril has been the go to drug for longer then 10 years because it is affective. But yes there are strains resistant to it just like with anything but it still is the leading drug used for ri in reptiles because it works well. I always keep it on hand so i have it when needed. Havent had a snake die in 15 years from a ri. But im not saying do as i do. What i do works for me is all my point is.

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## Skiploder

> Skip,
> I hear this can also be used to power the heating units too!? Ever heard of that??


No, but it works wonders on my erectile dysfunction.

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## Homegrownscales

> There are several ways of solving it without going to a vet - that's the problem with this darn forum, all these hens are so dang judgmental.  Some approaches you may recommend to your, "friend":
> 
> (1)  Take off all of your clothes,with the exception of a zebra print thong, oil your body up with Crisco and dance around the snake while humming the chorus to "It's Raining Men".
> 
> (2)  Drink a six pack of diet coke in less than 45 minutes.  Urinate into a copper bucket.  Run this through a humidifier in the room that the snake resides in.  The dissolved metals in your urine mixed with the chemicals in the diet coke will react with the copper creating the seebeck effect.  When nebulized, it will act as a potent lung tonic.
> 
> (3)  It is possible that the snake does not have an RI, but is possessed by a malevolent spirit.  In that case, you need to urge your friend to get that snake to a qualified herp exorcist immediately.  If not, that poor animal's soul will be  damned to eternal torment.  Is you friend too cheap to save this animal from HELL?
> 
> You could have saved yourself a lot of drama and just found all these cures on Anapsid - the most informative reptile site on the intrawebs.
> ...


Skip I think I just peed my pants laughing.  You always crack me up. 

Op- vet is the only answer. At the stage that that snake is in it should have received treatment months ago. I understand your friend just got the snake but it needs a vet like yesterday. Hopefully he learned that the dirt cheap good deals are there bc the smart people won't go near them. You do get what you pay for. I hope he realizes that there are no other options at this point. 


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

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Stewart_Reptiles (04-19-2012)

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## rabernet

> Thanks for the help, my friend is scheduling a trip to the vet in a week, but what other types of methods are used to help treat RI?


I really don't understand why your friend is scheduling a trip to the vet in a week. Why not immediately? All vets will see animals immediately in case of emergency - and this qualifies. 

I never understood why some owners of reptiles will allow their pet to suffer another week, and look for home remedies that don't work, but wouldn't hesitate to rush their warm and fuzzy pets to the vet immediately. 

Would you look for a home remedy for the dog or cat if they were in breathing distress and just wait to take them in, in a week? Hell, for that matter, if YOU were in breathing distress, would you just suffer for a week and hope that over the counter meds help while your lungs are filled with fluid? At least you can cough to somewhat help, snakes cannot.

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## mr.spooky

heres what R.I looks like...


in the second pic, the upper part of the lung (the red part) is the affected part of the lungs, and the lower part of the lungs (the whiteish part) is what the "normal" lung should look like.  does your friend want this???
 spooky

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_AJs Snake House_ (04-20-2012)

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## AJs Snake House

Make sure your friend researches herp vets in his/her area and doesnt just take the word of others.  I took my rescued BPs to a "highly recommended" herp vet in my area, I was referred by several different people that own reptiles...this "herp vet" didnt even do cultures to see what kind of bacteria it was, she just prescribed oral baytril and sent me home...its not worth the extra $$$, time and suffering (on the animals part) to make two visits to two different vets because the first vet thinks hanging pictures of reptiles up in her exam room shows that she must have a vast knowledge of herps... :Mad: 
I know I'm just ranting now, however I believe my experience happened so others can avoid the same thing happening to them and their snakes.

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## kgronsbell

I don't appreciate the stupid response. And my "friend" as you put it is my friend from school who lives 2 blocks away from me, so I am always helping him out with his animals considering he has like 16 total reptiles. Help or please don't comment at all.

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## Slim

> I don't appreciate the stupid response. And my "friend" as you put it is my friend from school who lives 2 blocks away from me, so I am always helping him out with his animals considering he has like 16 total reptiles. Help or please don't comment at all.


Grow up.  You got the best advice for your friend's situation.  The only thing stupid in this thread is your inability to take it.

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## kgronsbell

And to all you who said schedule it sooner, take him to a vet immediately, and that I'm ignorant while it truly is my friend, stop. He couldn't get into the vet for a week because first off, there is one reptile specialist in my entire county and the one next door, second of all, the vet was booked for the next 3 weeks, but was able to get his bp in in a week, and thirdly, I was just seeing if there was anything that could help him out in the mean time. People on here really don't know how to read a simple question, and give a quality answer without throwing their 2 cents in there. Thanks for the replies, just wish they were constructive rather than critical.

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## Slim

> People on here really don't know how to read a simple question


You have shown a gross inability to understand good advice.

Your continued insistence that people on a free and public forum respond only in the way you wish them to is both sad, and highly amusing.

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## laughingtree369

Start with making sure the enclosure is 90-95degrees. I'm not sure about Balls, but I was told by the Vet to keep the humidity low for a couple of days. My Tiger Retic just had this problem because we kept her in a bathroom until her new enclosure was built. Apparently, the linoleum and porcelain zap the heat from animals, which is particularly bad for a snake. Now we know. 

Check around the nostrils and see if she has black or discolored patches around the nostrils and see if she is mouth breathing. She'll be holding her mouth open to breath because she can't breath from her nostrils, which means she can't eat. 

The Vet is the best thing to do, but, some of us can't always afford it when needed. If you can't, raise her temp immediately. Go to a local pet store and buy vitamins for her water to help her fight the infection and lack of nourishment. We were told to keep the water dish small so she didn't spill it or lay in it, but had just enough to drink.

We weren't able to see the vet for 3 days, and when we got there, our python was already better. 

Also, if you bought it from someone who didn't know what they were doing, check it for scale rot and mites too. I've rescued a lot who have these problems. If she has multiple problems to fight, it makes getting well harder.

Good Luck.

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## laughingtree369

> I really don't understand why your friend is scheduling a trip to the vet in a week. Why not immediately? All vets will see animals immediately in case of emergency - and this qualifies.


I don't know if this is the friend's case, but some of us live out in the boonies. There are other people with animals just as sick. I had to wait 3 days for an appointment recently. I thought I was going to lose my python. Snakes are a specialty. Not all vets will see snakes, at least where I am. There is only one Vet who sees snakes here, and sometimes, it takes a while to get in. In the mean time, you do what you can do to help it.

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## SlitherinSisters

Tell your friend if he wants the snake to live, take it to a vet, if your friends doesn't care one way or the other, then try all the at home "remedies" you want. IMO you are well past curing the infection just by raising the temps. 

As for the F10 you mentioned, I know there are videos on youtube from breeders that use it. I'm personally not sold on it. No where does it say it cures respiratory infections, it does say it kills viruses like parvo, but nothing about infections. Infections can get into the blood stream, no fogger can cure that. F10 is marketed as a disinfectant to sterilize tubs/rooms/etc. One of the meds commonly prescribed for RIs in snakes is the exact same med humans get for respiratory infections and blood poisoning. I'm wondering if F10 is more of a band-aid than a cure since serious infections need antibiotics. I could be totally wrong, but I will keep using prescribed medications until I get some serious proof that a disinfectant is better for treating RI's than antibiotics.

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## Homegrownscales

Just so that tid bit of information about dropping humidity with ris doesn't actually get used .....

Keeping the humidity low will only dry the lungs out causing scarring which will cause EVEN MORE issues. You never want to drop humidity with an Ri. Ever.  Low humidity is also a cause of Ris. 
Keep humidity up. That allows the mucus to come up and out and not sit in the lungs. 
Think of it like when you have a really bad cold or bronchitis a hot steamy shower always helps clean that crap out. 


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

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_Inarikins_ (04-28-2012)

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## kgronsbell

UPDATE: The ball python is cured of her RI and is now eating well and thriving, no thanks to that vet. He was clueless so thanks for recommending a vet everyone! I continued to treat his ball python with the F10 and repti fogger and cured it myself after a week and a half of treating once a day. This might show you all why I just wanted a little help, rather than criticism from a bunch of you. Me being ignorant? Please. Just wanted some advice rather than suggestions, wish you guys and gals on here could've helped me a little more, but whatcha gonna do? Oh well, I will just call a breeder or something next time.

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## Homegrownscales

Good luck with that one. But I have serious doubts from what you were saying on the condition of the animal, it was cured with f10. 
But If you say so.......


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

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## Don

I have a hard time believing that the snake recovered on the F10 too.  That could work in the early stages of an RI, but given the symptoms of this snake I think it is highly unlikely that it would recover from this treatment.  If it did, you are very lucky and I would not rely on that type of luck again.  A good herp vet was the correct answer in this situation.  

BTW, you had many breeders here give you advice and you ignored it.

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## Homegrownscales

^ exactly.......
Problem is, is it may look "cured" now....... If thats even the case....But it will come back full force worse the next time with 10x the complications.  Even us breeder use antibiotics and vets. 


Check out what's new on my website... www.Homegrownscales.com

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## slithering house

well here is my experience with ri i had a female loaner come in with it and i told the owner and the owner couldnt afford a vet visite so i researched a little bit and found vetricine i use it on my other animals but you can use it on any animal so i sprayed this stuff in the mouth and around it i took pic of before and after to see if it was doing any good and within 3 days a horrible ri  was cured i took the snake to the vet and she did a culture and came back saying the snake had a ri but is healing and asked did i take it to a vet asap i told her no i used vetricine and she said being the circumstances it probably saved the snakes life of couse the vet  put her on antibiotics just incase  but incase i see it again im keeping the vetricine around

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## kgronsbell

I honestly don't think any breeders on here "helped" me. They just consistently said go to the vet. FYI he went to the vet after I treated his snake personally and said after culturing the snake has an extremely small case of recovering RI. So thank you for honestly, nothing but unhelpful criticism.

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## Don

Well obviously you are an expert keeper and all of the other people here are below your mighty skills. It is now obvious that you only came here to show your vast knowledge and humble us poor idiots.  :Worship:  :Worship:  :Worship:

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## kgronsbell

> Well obviously you are an expert keeper and all of the other people here are below your mighty skills. It is now obvious that you only came here to show your vast knowledge and humble us poor idiots.


 Don, just shut up. Not to be rude, but no one here gave me any real advice for a home remedy. A vet trip is obvious, and already planned. Asking for other advice and being ticked off that only criticism was given just pisses me off. And people like you who think they are funny commenting on my post with little jokes like this are just ridiculous. Please help or just let it be.

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## Rob

> Don, just shut up. Not to be rude, but .


lol I like how that works, say something rude but it makes it all better by saying not to be rude. Well this is why children shouldn't argue with adults when they give them advise but don't like it.....not to be rude.

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## Mike41793

> lol I like how that works, say something rude but it makes it all better by saying not to be rude. Well this is why children shouldn't argue with adults when they give them advise but don't like it.....not to be rude.


Ahhh the good old days, i remember when i used to know everything...

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_Rob_ (05-06-2012)

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## kgronsbell

Amazing how you did not include the rest of the sentence. In it includes how I said "not to be rude" to other breeders, not Don. I am in no way saying I know everything, I have only been really involved for 2 years, but people keep throwing in their 2 cents that is just no use, and it feels as though everyone is trying to ridicule one another, and I feel you are not responding to my questions like I would like? Sorry everyone for the misconception, please forgive me for any harm, hard feelings, or tensions I may have made with any of you.

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## Double B Reptiles

High heat, low humidity. I have been to several herp vets, and all say the same thing. They say that keeping the water in the enclosure with the animal is not recommended as well. Offer the animal water in a small drinking dish multiple times daily, to ensure that the animal stays well hydrated. Baytril is your antibiotic that you will want to get. You must keep the animal well hydrated when administering baytril, as it tends to dehydrate them. Here is a great site that my help you out regarding the use of baytril, and they also sell it on their site(very hard to come across).

http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Reptilestore.html

http://www.beautifuldragons.com/Drugs.html

First link is the store, where you can purchase the baytril.
The second link is regarding baytril dosing.

Since you haven't dealt with RI like this before though, you really need to take that animal to the vet.

Hope that helps a little.

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## satomi325

Old thread alert....

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk 2

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## qegalpal

first - I have a nebulizer from when the boy was little,
what would you recommend I use to treat a snake with an RI?
I've only ever used albuteral in it.

second - let's say one of my snakes gets an RI,  would it be 
prudent of me to treat them all? I only have a dozen snakes, after all. 
especially if it happened right now, in the middle of breeding season.
my albino male has been in with 3 females in the past two months. if 
he came up with an RI should I treat him and all the females he's been exposed to?
I work from home, so it wouldn't be a big deal.

thank you

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