Hi! and a few questions?

First off hello! I have a ball python that is 3ish years old and tonight I could hear her breathing for the first time and thought it was a little odd. I don't know a huge amt about snakes but I fell so in love with her when I met her and my friend had little to no intrest in her so she was not being fed offten enough and rarely being handled yet she is still very sweet. When I hold her she is active for a bit then cuddles up and just chills out on my chest. I'm not sure what info will help but just ask if I can tell you I will! =)

Thanks much
Michelle

welcome.

what kind of sounds was it making when it was breathing? was it eating at the time? can you notice any bubbles or mucus around its mouth or nostrils? what do your temps and humidity look like?

just when I was holding her just sounded like breathing not really sure how to discribe it. No bubbles or anythign else her temps stay in the low 90s on oone side and mid 80s on the other but I have no clue about the humidity.

How are you measuring temps?

A sign of a RI is noticable wheezing, so I would just keep an eye on her (and an ear out) to see if her breathing becomes louder, more noticable, raspy and otherwise not normal (if you hear a whistling sound as well), or is followed by any visible bubbles or excessive mucus. I would even take a peek inside her mouth and see how her throat and trachea looks.

Sometimes they'll make a whistle sound if they just took a drink and is expelling water from their nostrils OR a piece of stuck shed it making a sound while the snake breathes (if your snake just shed).

I just have 2 little therms that I picked up from petsmart I think one at each side of the tank. I just moved her from my friends house down to my house a few days ago so I was only seeing her a few days a week before this. She shed in the beg of dec but I don't really know how offten they do? Also I have no clue what it should look like inside her mouth?

lol if it sounded like a sigh it should be fine, if it sounds like wheezing its prob a respiratory infection.

Thank you =) I will keep an eye and ear out for sure if any new signs show up ill find a vet. Anything I should know about keeping her happy?

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Originally Posted by coloradocupcake

Thank you =) I will keep an eye and ear out for sure if any new signs show up ill find a vet. Anything I should know about keeping her happy?

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when did you get her, what substrate are you using? whats your source of heat? what are you feeding and how often? are you using hides? the key to keeping your bp happy is in meeting its husbandry requirements.

I got her in Sept. of last year but she has only lived at my house this week. She was being fed once a monthish but after I got her its been once a week largerrat pups. I have a heating pad kinda thing that sticks to the bottem of the tank and a red heat lamp on top of the tank. I have been using I want to say its called reptibark? She has a large water bowland a log in her tank as well. Is a hide the half log things I have seen?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by coloradocupcake

I got her in Sept. of last year but she has only lived at my house this week. She was being fed once a monthish but after I got her its been once a week largerrat pups. I have a heating pad kinda thing that sticks to the bottem of the tank and a red heat lamp on top of the tank. I have been using I want to say its called reptibark? She has a large water bowland a log in her tank as well. Is a hide the half log things I have seen?

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3 years old she should be eating much much bigger than pups - my 3 y/o eats large rats every 10days but I imagine yours is a little small due to it's previous ownership. hides can be half logs but they are not great. This are in almost every pet store and are the best IMO. http://www.exo-terra.com/en/products/reptile_cave.php

I would invest in a thermostat or a rheostat - personally i don't like rheostats but not everyone can get a proportional thermostat. http://www.zoomed.com/db/products/En...I7czoxOiIwIjt9 this works okay for a beginner but ideally you would like to have one of these - http://spyderrobotics.com/products/herpstat.html