HELP!! Emergency!!

OMG!!! I think I need serious help! My male is now making this squeeking noise followed by a hiss. I just heard it. This is the 3rd time in an hour. I thought the first time it was my dog cuz he is so gassy, but as I walked past him, he did it and was sorta rubbing his face on the side of the water bowl. There is not any bubbles or mucus. What do I do??? My vet isnt open till Monday and the emergency vet does not see reptiles....HELP!!

Some of you may have read my first post titled What is up with my BP???
Well this must be it. I dont have any idea whats wrong, and to top it off, My new babies that I just bought are in the same room about 3 ft from him. can anyone help?? Will my new babies get it? oh and what can I do till Monday? He is sorta looking at the top of enclosure now and hasnt come out of water bowl since Wednesday. His tems are fine and Humidity is ok...HELP!! Im freaking out!

I wouldn't be worried unless you see open mouth breathing, and/or bubble/snot coming out of his/her mouth.

If it is R.I. it is contagious, but im am not sure if it will effect any snakes across the room, IF you practice good hand sanitizing.

Hope this helps, you should be fine for a few days unless he starts showing these signs more.

-Theo

I wash my hand and Germex between every snake, its a habbit because I have small kids. Can I go anywhere and get something to help him till monday?? I have a bottle of Chlorhexidine that I got from someone to help with this same snake but for a different problem. I have not had him long, but I got him from someone who had 4 snakes in one tank and till like this week, they were all still together. I just started reading and was informed that I should seperate them. My biggest fear was reproduction, never this. Is he going to die? There is some open mouth breathing. One or two breaths I guess, he tilts his head up to do this. My new babies were only about 3 ft from him. We're almost done builing their new rack so I had to put them there for the ability to stack the tubs and keep them high and safe. I have kids and dogs. OHHHH I am so stressed. I feel terrible cuz I thought he was just a jerk of a snake, but he was sick :(

I also have all 4 of those other snakes. They are all in their own tubs now. They have been all week but can they be sick also and not showing the signs?

My normal guy will make a quiet little whistle noise if he is nervous.

You really need to get him out of the water bowl and into a tub. If he is just striking out in defense it won't hurt too bad if he gets you.


Open mouth breathing is a distinct sign of an RI, you should listen for any popping/wheezing noises. If you have lids for the tubs just put his in a seperate area.



-Do not medicate your snake with anything until a vet examines it and gives you proper meds!

If he is indeed sick it is possible they are sick as well. Just keep an eye on them.

Look for:
*clicking/ popping noises
* excessive saliva (it will be bubbly and sticky)
*open mouth breathing and wheezing
*rubbing their faces on the cage and leaving saliva smears on it
*drooling
*anything that is really wrong/out of the ordinary


I'd recommend practicing tight quarantine procedures with the male in question. As in deal with him last, and don't mess with anyone else in the day afterwards. Wash up well before and after handling each snake. Etc.

From personal exp. :They won't catch an RI just being 3 ft from him. It takes direct contact with contaminated objects (cage, bedding, your hands, etc.) or sick snakes. Although for safety's sake, I recommend putting him as far from the others as possible, such as in a seperate room.

Keep in mind none of us are vets. Just try to take a deep breath and relax.

Its not a big deal, just calm down.
He may be fine till Monday, though getting him to a vet asap is recommended.
i can recommend to bump up his heat, and make sure he isn't soaking.

If your vet prescribes Baytril, see if you can get a little extra or pickup some for backup. Baytril works great, and he should be fine in a week or so after his first treatment.

He should be fine.

-Theo

Ok, so i am taking those recommeded deep breaths now - AHHHHH OK, Now did I mention that he is also in full shed, and everytime I try to get near him he is stricking like crazy! He is also almost if not completely the entire 5ft!! He's a bit scary right now! When I got him, I was actually trying to buy the small two, but the guy just gave me all four in the tank with the tank and accessories! I was new, and didnt know better and left them together till this past week. He has always been a little jumpy but I always manage to get him out and such, but this time is proving to be very difficult. My husband got us a snake hook, so I will do this in the a.m. when he can help me. Am I supposed to take away the water dish?? He hasnt gotten out of it since Wednesday. That was my original post, plus that is when the aggression got real bad and the next morninghis eyes were capped. I kinda thought maybe it was the shed making meaner...I feel terrible. I just emailed BoasandBalls to postpone my recent purchase so as to not bring anymore animals in to an environment that might make them sick...This makes my gut hurt! I just spent 1200 on mew babies! I did give the new babies a piece of drift wood that was in the other tank, but I froze it a long time ago and just pulled it out and put it straight in their tub. OMG - I also weighed them in the scale that I used on the other 3 snakes on Wednesday...Man the horrible thought of how expensive this is gonna be with 9 snakes...

If the other snakes seem just fine, odds are that they are indeed fine. It wouldn't hurt to get them checked over by a vet, but I wouldn't worry as long as they seemed normal.


Please don't beat yourself up, your new to this and learning.


Aggressiveness during shed and a time of stress isn't abnormal really.

Just a heads up, sometimes snakes whistle quite bad in shed, due to the skin it their nose getting loose. Its like us trying to breath out of our nose with a stuffy nose.

The other snakes may be fine, just make sure you sanitize very well.
I recommend to bump up his heat though, and if he is open mouth breathing i would remove the water bowl for the night, then re-evaluate tomorrow.
It sounds like a respiratory infection, it is very easy to prevent, and most snake keepers will experience it at one time or another. Its pretty tough because he is in shed to keep the humidity down though...I hope someone else will chime in with a idea on that one... haha

Just watch the snakes, and take him to the vet. everything should be a-ok.

-Theo

so is it a possibilty that he is just in shed and this weird noise is because of that? You know that part of shed when the eyes are so so grey-blue that they look blind? Well my other snake and him are on the same shed cycle and the other snake is now at the point that his eyes are clearing up but he hasnt shed yet. Could it be that this males shed is really just making that noise due to the shed being so close to coming off and maybe being so loose in the noseand mouth? I hope so, but i havent ever seen him do it before...plus the fact of him rubbing his face on the bowl and opening his mouth directly after the noise does truely have me worried. (Man, my hubby is goona kill me if there is no problem and I stopped the other snakes from being ordered yet.)

Here is what I have done for now. I went ahead and covered the entire top of the tank except for about enough room to put a heat lamp on the screen(yes hes still in it cuz he is the only one we cant get out and into a tub.) I got 2 extra heat lamps and put heat bulbs in, 2 lamps beacuse its pretty cold here right now. the temps are raising now, i figured if he gets to hot he'll go to the cool side right? If he does that I can get the water bowl out!
And guess what - it seems to have helped because I havent heard any noises anymore. I just walked over and he is breathing with his mouth closed, like normal. But still in water bowl. When Hubby wakes up, Ill get him to hold the tank lid up (It weighs about 30 pounds) and I will use the hook to get him out. I will put him in a tub and put it in another room ...So hows that till Monday??

If he is open mouthed breathing, it is a very large sign of a respiratory infection, rather than the shed. Though the shed could effect the whistling.

raise the heat to low 90s!
not too much, we arnt trying to kill the little fella haha.
This should be fine till monday, just watch him close, and keep us updated.


(oh and before i forget)
if its too hot, he might not leave the bowl. The water will keep him cool, and many snakes soak when in shed.
i hope someone chimes in to give better advice, these are just the basics.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ClemonsKimberly

so is it a possibilty that he is just in shed and this weird noise is because of that? You know that part of shed when the eyes are so so grey-blue that they look blind? Well my other snake and him are on the same shed cycle and the other snake is now at the point that his eyes are clearing up but he hasnt shed yet. Could it be that this males shed is really just making that noise due to the shed being so close to coming off and maybe being so loose in the noseand mouth? I hope so, but i havent ever seen him do it before...plus the fact of him rubbing his face on the bowl and opening his mouth directly after the noise does truely have me worried. (Man, my hubby is goona kill me if there is no problem and I stopped the other snakes from being ordered yet.)

Here is what I have done for now. I went ahead and covered the entire top of the tank except for about enough room to put a heat lamp on the screen(yes hes still in it cuz he is the only one we cant get out and into a tub.) I got 2 extra heat lamps and put heat bulbs in, 2 lamps beacuse its pretty cold here right now. the temps are raising now, i figured if he gets to hot he'll go to the cool side right? If he does that I can get the water bowl out!
And guess what - it seems to have helped because I havent heard any noises anymore. I just walked over and he is breathing with his mouth closed, like normal. But still in water bowl. When Hubby wakes up, Ill get him to hold the tank lid up (It weighs about 30 pounds) and I will use the hook to get him out. I will put him in a tub and put it in another room ...So hows that till Monday??

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I'm sure that Lynn will be happy to hold your animals for you until you get everything worked out, and everyone there healthy. I would have no problems holding an animal if one of my customers contacted me and needed me to hold their animals a little longer.

I answered in your other thread - keep the humidity UP (helps break up mucus), which may be challenging now with the heat lamps, keep a hot spot about 95 degrees, and make sure his enclosure is away from any drafts.

The fact that he's rubbing his face (especially if you see slime being left behind) sounds like it's an advanced case of RI. You may indeed need to treat the other three that were housed with him, since they shared the same water dish with him.

Have the vet do a culture (may be more expensive) by doing a swab, but it will help the vet determine the right medication to prescribe.

In the meantime, listen to this episode of Reptile Radio - it has a lot of good information from the leading herp vet in the country (some would argue in the world), Dr. Scott Stahl, and he specifically addresses RI's and the protocol for treating them and why getting a swab is so important to determining which medication will be most effective. I also believe it will help you be a better armed to ask your vet the right questions when you take him in on Monday.

It's a long episode, but I've listened to it many times, even MY vet has listened to it when I recommended it to him.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/reptile...ile-veterinary

Maybe he has a little of non-shed skin around his nostril...

Wait a second...did I read this right. Did you say you're new to having snakes and you already have 9?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rabernet

In the meantime, listen to this episode of Reptile Radio - it has a lot of good information from the leading herp vet in the country (some would argue in the world), Dr. Scott Stahl, and he specifically addresses RI's and the protocol for treating them and why getting a swab is so important to determining which medication will be most effective. I also believe it will help you be a better armed to ask your vet the right questions when you take him in on Monday.

It's a long episode, but I've listened to it many times, even MY vet has listened to it when I recommended it to him.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/reptile...ile-veterinary

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Im only quoting this because it refers to the episode where Im pulling this information from...

Based on that episode, Dr Stahl explains that RIs arent contagious, they are caused by opportunistic bacteria that exists in a snake's respiratory system from birth, and surfaces when agitated from humidity or temperature...resulting in a respiratory infection. So as far as quarantine procedures go, I wouldnt trip out too much. Just work with him last, and keep your hands clean in between.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by justinsane82

Wait a second...did I read this right. Did you say you're new to having snakes and you already have 9?

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...is that weird?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by pavlovk1025

Im only quoting this because it refers to the episode where Im pulling this information from...

Based on that episode, Dr Stahl explains that RIs arent contagious, they are caused by opportunistic bacteria that exists in a snake's respiratory system from birth, and surfaces when agitated from humidity or temperature...resulting in a respiratory infection. So as far as quarantine procedures go, I wouldnt trip out too much. Just work with him last, and keep your hands clean in between.

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Well, if the other snakes were being housed with this one at one point, they were most likely sharing water bowls which means they all could very well have it.


I personally would wait until the snake finished the shed cycle. If you still hear the noise, still observe face rubbing, or if you see mucous or hear popping and clicking, take the snake to the vet.

If treated early on, a respiratory infection is nothing to worry about. It is when you let it go that it becomes a problem. Be aware that there is no home cure for a RI. You need antibiotics. You will be more successful if your vet does a culture on it so you can treat the snake for the right thing. Some RIs are not affected by baytril injections.

O.K. so all these things that I have done have helped for sure! The noise has stopped, no rubbing the face, no open mouth breathing...ALL GOOD THINGS RIGHT? So yes, now my husband and I have been able to get him out with out the striking thing...not even once! Now hes in his own tub, no water dish - instead wet papertowels..is that o.k.?
Also, he is now in a seperate room.

And let me just say that yes, I have a lot of snakes. Yes, I am kinda new to them, but only in a sense, The whole time growing up, we had them in our home as pets, or atleast my brother has. So I am pretty used to having them around. He didnt have balls though, he had burms. But that doesnt make me a pro on them. They were just in my home, I didnt take care of them. These are my personal firsts. The fact is that when I got the first 4, I didnt intend on getting them, I just fell in love with them. Before I knew anything was wrong with keeping them in the same tanks, I had ordered 3 more and put 2 on hold. I was actually researching for the new ones enclosures and that is how I found out about needing to seperate them. I did that immediately. They all went in individual tubs except the big male, he has a tub but I couldnt get him out. So long story short - yes I have a lot of snakes and am kinda new to them, but they have been fine till I seperated them. I think it was just a matter of time till they were gonna act sick. Is there something wrong with someone who is new having several of them? I have the financial means to care for them and I think I am resposible enough to take every measure of care for them that they need. If I have a problem, I can come here and look for an answer, plus the vet is on my speed dial, since I also have Pitt Bulls. I didnt think that having one was going to be any different than a few, afterall, how often do they really get sick?? I mean I spend Thousands on my dogs every year, These snakes are not gonna be near that kind of trouble. Just so happens that when I got the first 4, they had been cared for wrong and its a matter of making them better, afterwards they should be fine. Right?

I will be visiting the vet Monday, and I will bring all of them with me to have check ups, but for now, it seems all has calmed down.

Keep the snake on DRY paper towels. Wet ones will cause scale rot.

Hi,

I would still give him a waterdish as well. :gj:


dr del

See My Update!! YAY!!!!!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FIEND_FO_LYFE

Just a heads up, sometimes snakes whistle quite bad in shed, due to the skin it their nose getting loose. Its like us trying to breath out of our nose with a stuffy nose.

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That's exactly what I was going to say... some of mine (especially my new black pastel) whistle quite audibly during shed, and occasionally for one shed cycle following. I guess they get skin up their nose, and it doesn't always come off! As long as it goes away within one shed cycle, and no other RI symptoms are accompanying, I'd wager it's probably just some dry skin. JMO, of course. :oops: