?confused?

[mysticman22]

hi
im really worryed about my BP. when i hold him, somtimes he has a breath that is like a jolt thru his body. every 3 breaths he "jump" when he breaths???

whats goin on!

[tigerlily]

That sounds like you might want to take a trip to the vet.

[mysticman22]

it only happens somtimes. i think mostly when he gets nervous, could this just be out of nervousness?
i really dont got the means to take him to a vet right now, but i will soon if i cant figure out what its from or it dosnt go away.
thanks for replying by the way

[mysticman22]

no one has any other ideas?

[jglass38]

If you "got the means" to purchase a Ball Python, house it properly (which I hope and assume you are) and feed it properly then you NEED to do whats right for its health. What you describe or the way you have described it leads me to believe that a vet trip is in order.

Jamie

[reptile-girl]

yes, you definately need to go to a vet.

[mysticman22]

ive noticed some new, peculier, behaviors. he yawns after almost every hold and about twice a day raises his head and neck and scopes the room out( somtimes he looks pretty high up, but usually his head is level and is jsut watching the room. i dont think what he is doing is "stargazing.
also he rubs his head( sides and top and chin) on things like his branches and stuff as he moves around the enclosure.

[Adam_Wysocki]

also he rubs his head( sides and top and chin) on things like his branches and stuff as he moves around the enclosure.

Could be a sign of a respiratory infection. The mucus from the infection builds up around the corners of their mouths and they try and wipe it away by rubbing the sides of the heads on objects in the cage.

It's impossible to diagnose a snake over the internet, so this is just a thought based on your concern over it's breathing.

If it is a respiratory infection and you do not correct your husbandry and take your animal to a vet for anti-biotics, it will not go away on it's own and your snake will die.

Hope this helps.

-adam

[Shelby]

I agree with everyone.. vet visit! It need not be expensive. An average office fee for an exotic pet visit is $50 and antibiotics are usually in the $20 range.

Here's a nice site to help you find a herp vet in your area:

http://www.arav.org/Directory.htm