HELP?!- Breathing hard, Scales Wrinkly

TQ is absolutely right. You do not need more humidty, and this is a great place for information
http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...s%29-Caresheet here is the link to the caresheet on this site for BP's.

I would avoid handling her for a few days too as a precaution just in case she is stressed.

Thank you. :)

Check the belly to see if it's pink, I'd guess she's huffing and puffing at you since she's in shed and scared of the shadows your throwing over her ;)

Uhhh.... no. She knows me quite well and wasn't huffing and puffing at me.

okay,i am understanding the breathing,you say you had her on pine or cedar which caused for the bad breathing,i am not understanding the wrinkled skin,thats a sign of shed and or dehydration,being she is breathing funny i would say ri or dehydration.Too much humidity can cause Ri's too, i would get her to the vet and check that out.

Just my two cents.

Hi,

To be honest I think she'd going into shed which makes them more nervous and lethargic.

But, to try and find out for sure, here are a few things to rule problems in or out.

If the wrinkles in her skin run tail to head then (ie along the body ) they can be a sign of dehydration.

If they run top to bottom from the back down towards the belly it is usually just either a fat snake or going into shed.

Heavy breathing by itself is only a sign of slight stress. If hewr mouth is open and her head elevated for any length of time with it it can be a sign of an RI - but you still need to look for excess mucus in her mouth and listen for noises when she breathes ( note: noises also happen during a shed ).

Higher humidity does not cause RI's - in fact it helps with the symptoms if you have one.

I would probably try and get it to 70-80% since I think she is shedding.

As to the bedding then unless it was cedar, camphor or another very smelly timber it shouldn't reallt be a massive problem - exactly what is it you are using and where did you get it? I seem to have missed that info.

I have the nagging feling I am forgetting to ask for some info so if anyone spots what I missed post up.


dr del

She is definitely shedding. There are little sheds allll over the tank.
And I think it's cedar- I'm not sure. It came with the tank and is only a few weeks old.
Her breathing has evened out and she is much calmer, one of the eye scales has already come off and it is much clearer.

Ah,

I think you may need to read this;

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...hed-No-problem.


dr del

I'd get her off that bedding and onto something else since you're not sure of what she's on now. Paper towel or Aspen is good.

I highly doubt your humidity is as high as the gauges are telling you. Since you mentioned you are using a lamp and a tank for one thing, and she is having a bad shed now as well.

Get a humidity/temperature digital gauge with a probe. You can get them at Walmart for $10-$15. You tape the probe on the glass right above your Under Tank Heater. That should read 90-95 degrees. Then you put the unit itself on the other end and that'll give you your humidity and ambient temperature.

Make sure you're regulating your heat sources with a thermostat of some kind so you don't burn your snake.

Until then, keep an eye on her and try not to bug her too much. :)

Just to clarify what sarin is saying.. The probe is taped to the bottom of the tank, on the inside above the UTH.

You dont want any exposed tape, in the enclosure. Thats why I prefer the probes with suction cups.