going into shed and possible RI

So, this is Brutus' first shed with me. So exciting. ^^

During playtime this morning, I noticed that he kept opening his mouth. Now, this isn't unusual, I know, but it wasn't the normal yawn/stretch sort of mouth opening. He would either open it just a little or open one side, close it, then open the other side. And, whenever he did this, there would be little popping noises.. like a really really super small bubble wrap bubble being popped.

I'm in the process of finding a nice reptile vet in my area, but until I do.. is there any precaution that I could take? Raise the humidity? Poke him with a stick? And, could the noises and the mouth opening be because he has some loose skin in his nose? [I'm guessing the breeder didn't take the time to check all his holes after his last shed. When I got him, his nose was crusty.]

Thanks, everyone.

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Originally Posted by resisted

So, this is Brutus' first shed with me. So exciting. ^^

During playtime this morning, I noticed that he kept opening his mouth. Now, this isn't unusual, I know, but it wasn't the normal yawn/stretch sort of mouth opening. He would either open it just a little or open one side, close it, then open the other side. And, whenever he did this, there would be little popping noises.. like a really really super small bubble wrap bubble being popped.

I'm in the process of finding a nice reptile vet in my area, but until I do.. is there any precaution that I could take? Raise the humidity? Poke him with a stick? And, could the noises and the mouth opening be because he has some loose skin in his nose? [I'm guessing the breeder didn't take the time to check all his holes after his last shed. When I got him, his nose was crusty.]

Thanks, everyone.

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Please tell me you are not serious about the poking with a stick idea:eek: .If you suspect RI do not raise up the humidity as it will make it worse.Find a vet and have him looked at and go from their.If you are hearing little popping noises it might be URI and if caught early on it will be easier to knock out.Keep us posted

Here's a quick update on Brutus and our situation.

I've been calling all the local vets and none of them take snakes. There are still a couple left to call, but I figured they'd be closed on Labor Day. Still, at least there's hope. One of the ads in the yellow pages says, "Special Interest in Exotics" so that's always helpful. Mom and I will tackle the rest of the phone numbers first thing tomorrow.

As for Brutus.. He's having a super hard time breathing. He is very lethargic and will only move when handled. Also, he stays in his warm hide whereas he usually spends the day in his cold hide and the nighttime in his warm hide. Thankfully, there's no drooling or bubble blowing.

He and Hayden have been in separate rooms, so there's basically no chance of spreading the RI.

This just goes to show.. get your snakes from reputable breeders. Ask questions, and when they say they don't know the answers.. there's a problem. The guy who I got Brutus from didn't even know if he was captive bred, the age, or what he had been fed.
The other snakes in the tank at the show all showed obvious signs of a severe RI. Brutus was the only healthy looking baby. Oh, what a rescue.