respiratory infection help

I suspect my ball python has a respiratory infection, as I noticed some mucus in his mouth, gurgling sounds, and he is lifting his head a lot. However, the vet won't be around until Monday. Is this something that can wait until then? If so, is there anything I can do in the meantime?

Also, he's due for a feeding...should I feed him as usual, or wait to see the vet?

He'll be ok until Monday but definitely take him ASAP. You can bump the heat and humidity up a little until then. He might have mouth rot or ri that can be treated with antibiotic injections most likely.


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Originally Posted by crispit1023

I suspect my ball python has a respiratory infection, as I noticed some mucus in his mouth, gurgling sounds, and he is lifting his head a lot. However, the vet won't be around until Monday. Is this something that can wait until then? If so, is there anything I can do in the meantime?

Also, he's due for a feeding...should I feed him as usual, or wait to see the vet?

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If you are able to get a vet appointment ASAP, I would skip the feeding. It's pretty stressful to take him for a car ride and to be prodded, and it would SUCK if he was to regurge.

What are some other signs or things to be on the lookout for when it comes to RI and can it be confused with mouth rot?

my girl started making popping sounds and also coughed a couple of times, more like an exaggerated exhale

People go back and forth about messing with the humidity. Some say more humidity is good, some say more is bad. I would say don't mess with it since the jury is out on it. Bumping the temp a couple degrees is a good idea because it augments the immune response.

Signs of RI:

Popping or wheezing sounds (put your ear right up to the bp's face if they are not biters)

Bubbles around the mouth or nose holes or mucous in the mouth (open the mouth with the aid of the "bar" of a q-tip. don't even think about sticking the cotton part in there, but the bar can help pry the mouth open so you can get a good look)

Lack of feeding can signal an RI, but of course that could be for any reason. If they are eating steadily still that's a good sign that they are pretty healthy in my opinion.

Bump up the temps to 95.
Personally, I decrease the humidity. But others will tell you otherwise...
But my reasoning is that you don't want your enclosure to become a breeding ground for bacteria (aka hot damp environment)....