I'm making a separate but related thread of an ongoing topic of mine.

To catch the uninformed up to date, my little BP (Cookie/Wheatley) is suspected to have RI. To get a better look at his air way, I had to open the poor babe's mouth.

This is how I did it. I -gently- but firmly held his head in a three point grip. Two fingers on either side of his head, where his jaw bones meet, and one supporting his head as he was being a wiggle worm. I used a freshly cleaned pair of tweezers (as sterile as I could get them with rubbing alcohol then thorough washing and drying with warm water so the tool itself wasn't cold.) I used the soft edged part (where you hold it) to gently pry his mouth open. At first he bit at it a couple times, kind of vibrating his jaw a bit. Took a peek at his windpipe as much as I could see, and stuck my ear close to him. I couldn't hear anything. I slowly let go of him and took the tool away from his mouth, being sure not to touch any of his little needles the wrong way.

While he had his mouth closed, I put his nose close to my ear, and heard the clicking noise again.

I repeated the process of opening his jaw to listen as carefully as possible. Nothing. No clicking/bubbling. No visible mucus. And the flesh looks like a healthy gum color. (Like people who brush their teeth as often as they should. A soft light pink.)

He held still during all this, freaked out, of course.

I increased the heat in his tank out of concern, his cold spot sitting at 80°F, the hot spot being close to 100° should he choose to go in his warm hide. My room has been chilly, so I have not been removing him as often as I used to. Other than to check his mouth, and while preparing him food, he had not been out since he got home.

I haven't had time to see if he distrusts me now, but I have no doubt in my mind that he does. So is there any way to earn that trust again? Handling and such like you would with a new BP?


Herp Derp