Is it ever normal to hear a high pitched squeak from a BP?

[shelliebear]

Today I got Nergal out and again heard him make a high pitched whistle/squeak sound. He doesn't make it when he's sitting still, only when he moves, and even then not all the time and not that often.
He hasn't shed recently, maybe 3 weeks ago.
He isn't eating either, none of my BP's are.
His heat mat is set to 88 degrees at bottom of glass tank, not sure if he can feel that much through his aspen.
So i checked his mouth after the sound, there is no clicking accompanying it, and he had a bubble on the side of his mouth when I pulled his lip down a little, used a q-tip to open his mouth, no bubbles or excessive liquid.
So is it ever normal for a snake to make this sound, or does it always mean an RI or stuck shed in nose?
Please help.
Thanks.

[shelliebear]

Also he does not lay with his head tilted up or on the side or resting anywhere funny.

[rabernet]

I've never heard a high pitched squeak from any of the kiddos in my collection. So in comparison to my modest collection of about 60 ball pythons, it's not normal.

[jamie334]

My BP lays in his enclosure with his head tilted up resting on the side of the cage and hasn't eaten since I got him 2 weeks ago. What is this a sign of? Temps are 88-92 on the hot side but he stays mostly on his cool side.

[MasonC2K]

Not sure about a squeak but a whistle can be loose or stuck shed around the nose.

[decensored]

not sure about the squeak. Are you using Aspen shavings, or chips, and what grade are you using? I ask because aspen, like many other substrates can get ingested or stuck in the mouth. Not sure if it would warrant squeaking but it might be something to consider. Check her mouth for shavings and mucus.

URI's can sound squeaky but usually its more wheezy. My boas had a URI and sounded squeaky/whistle-y because tehir nostrals were plugged with mucas. I would up her warm temps and check her ambient temps. 88 sounds low for a UTH. Is your UTH your only source of heat? Do you mist/ what is your humidity like? During the winter and spring months, high humidity and low temps are one of the leading causes of URI's. A lot of times you can clear up a URI by raising the temps and cutting back on misting.

If your still having problems you should see a vet. I know they can be pricey but my opinion is based solely on my own experience, where as a vet is qualified to make an actual diagnosis.

Check those things out, and let me know so I can give you better suggestions.

Cheers,
Chris.

[shelliebear]

Hi,
I'm not misting much right now, but his last shed 3 weeks ago was in 2 pieces, head and body. I used a towel to get some shed off his nose and push it back a little so he could rub his eyecaps off, which he did in his tank.
I do use aspen shavings.
No, the UTH is not the only heat source, he has a ceramic heat emitter on a dimmer switch turned up to about middle heat, on the same side as his heat mat to help with temps.
Lately he won't go in his hot spot hide, he sits out in the middle of his tank where the temps are lower, around 80 ish.
The others bp's make this sound too, but only when they move and even then not often, or if I stretch them out, i.e. unwrap them from my neck or try to measure length by stretching them out. It sounds like air coming through their nose really fast, and I can feel air come out of their nose as well. It's not blocked with mucus if I can feel the air come out on an exhale, right?
I could turn up his heat emitter but temps in the house fluctuate because our temps in WA state are going nuts. It gets freezing at night, warmish in the morning, hot in the afternoon, freezing at night again, so I have to constantly adjust the heat, and when I'm not there like today (i'm out working on the rack system) I can't constantly adjust the lamp. Maybe I should plug the lamp in the thermostat instead of his heat mat? I don't know how high a wattage it is though and don't want to burn out the thermostat.
Anyway, if they can make it to this Friday we will have them in the rack system and they should be warmer and humidity higher.
I just hope the rack will be warm enough with the heat tape. i'm worried about ambient temps a little. maybe I will shine some heat lamps on the rack to warm it if it's too cold.