RI no vet help now what?

Just came back from the vet. Irritated that I am really no further than I was in finding if my BP has RI. So I heard occasionally a whistle sound when breathing deep on my BP. On the safe side went to vet. Eating normal, activitily level normal. No mucous doesn't look to be straining to breathe no other symptoms. The vet says your husbandry is wrong you need an aquarium not plastic container. Most likely Aspen is causing RI cause you can't put a heating pad under Aspen or any other substrate. And ambient temps need to be 75 with hot spot 90. I'm like he has that now can you check him to see if he has RI instead of telling me why you think he has RI. So mouth check negative. Lung check negative. I asked his belly is pink you think it could be he is just going to shed, that's why he's noisy. She said a pink belly means he is septic probably cause of the infection. I'm like you haven't proved to me there is an infection everything has checked fine. So at this point she was like whatever and prescribed me Orbax orally for 2 weeks. Frustrated I went to local reptile shop they told me wait till he sheds out if still noisy then treat . They obviously have more experience than the vet but not experts not exactly sure what to do at this point.

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Originally Posted by walzon1

Just came back from the vet. Irritated that I am really no further than I was in finding if my BP has RI. So I heard occasionally a whistle sound when breathing deep on my BP. On the safe side went to vet. Eating normal, activitily level normal. No mucous doesn't look to be straining to breathe no other symptoms. The vet says your husbandry is wrong you need an aquarium not plastic container. Most likely Aspen is causing RI cause you can't put a heating pad under Aspen or any other substrate. And ambient temps need to be 75 with hot spot 90. I'm like he has that now can you check him to see if he has RI instead of telling me why you think he has RI. So mouth check negative. Lung check negative. I asked his belly is pink you think it could be he is just going to shed, that's why he's noisy. She said a pink belly means he is septic probably cause of the infection. I'm like you haven't proved to me there is an infection everything has checked fine. So at this point she was like whatever and prescribed me Orbax orally for 2 weeks. Frustrated I went to local reptile shop they told me wait till he sheds out if still noisy then treat . They obviously have more experience than the vet but not experts not exactly sure what to do at this point.

This vet sounds like she has little to no experience in snakes.. Saying that, based off of what you told us what is the problem? Sounds like the snake is acting normally, feeding normally and no other symptoms of RI other than an "occasional" noise.. I'd make sure that the conditions are within normal limits, let the snake shed and relax a little bit. Maybe search around for another vet with a little more experience in snakes.. Also, has nothing to do with aspen..

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From all that you describe, IF that was my snake, I'd hold off on giving the Orbax; I actually agree with the reptile shop...see if the pink belly & noisy breathing are
still there after the snake sheds. Antibiotics are not without potential risks & harm: they destroy the good bacteria right along with the bad, & they can be hard on
the snakes organs & all, not to mention the risk of making resistant germs. If your pet doesn't need them, don't give them.*

You might want to see if a more experienced herp vet is in your area, if your snake does prove to be sick- as Moose84 said as well. Chances are he's OK though. ;)

http://arav.site-ym.com/search/custom.asp?id=3661

*Don't know if you started the prescription or not...but it's important with antibiotics to give the whole course as prescribed once you start them.

I was thinking if it was the early start of an RI I would try to catch it before the major symptoms presented themselves.

I kept it short it was like talking to a vet from 1980 that's probably when she went to veterinarian school hasn't picked up a book on reptiles since. Horrible

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Originally Posted by walzon1

I was thinking if it was the early start of an RI I would try to catch it before the major symptoms presented themselves.

I kept it short it was like talking to a vet from 1980 that's probably when she went to veterinarian school hasn't picked up a book on reptiles since. Horrible

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Vets for herps are a bit like antibiotics for herps...make SURE you really NEED them before you use them. ;) The thing is, they mean
well but their training is mostly MEDICAL, not basic husbandry that you might assume they'd be up on. So things like the pink belly- yes
it can be a sign of "septic" /infection, or a "burn" from excessive heat (UTH), but in BPs it's pretty typical for oncoming shed too. (I'd
be checking his eyes in a dark room with a mini flashlight, shine across the arc of his eye & if a shed is coming it should look a bit milky.)

Slight whistle without other symptoms aren't that rare when snake is in shed...but I applaud your good motives, sorry it didn't go well.

Find a new vet obviously this one a little to no experience with snakes and or how RI happen if this is what you are dealing with

If you suspect a RI and obviously this cannot be diagnose online here is what need to be done.

First a culture to determine the type of RI you are dealing with

Second if diagnose with a RI a course of injectable antibiotics for no less than 30 days.