Bloated BP?? Deep, Heavy breathing, not normal! This is my 2nd thread since last nigh

UPDATE: after watching him and reading ALOT, I gave him a bath at 2am for at least 20 min because I thought it was constipation but he only pooped a tad bit in the tub and his symptoms are the same this morning. Long, deep inhales & exhales, rocks side to side slowly with each breath like he's rolling. I saw his mouth slightly open this morning which leads me to believe that it could be a RI.
What happened: during a meal he missed his 1st strike and I believe he ate some dirt. He lifted his head and opened his mouth, turning it from side to side like he was trying to swallow it. After about 10 min he went back and resumed to kill/eat. The next day I could still see the lump which is unusual, then later it looks like half his body is swollen and he's taking deep breathes.

Get him to a vet immidiately. Theres nothing anyone on this sight can really do to help you. If you're worried that your snake is sick in any way it's time to get it to a vet especislly if you think it's an RI.

I hope he is okay.


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2nd the vet


if he is half as bad as you say he needs medical care of a qualified reptile vet

I called a vet this morning but they want money as they treat him and I do not have a dime until this Friday! I am thinking about going to a cash advance place but I just don't want to bring him in if it's something common or just constipated. It sucks that they will not 'bill' you but need cash immediately, I hate how things work sometimes but I understand it's a business... Next month I am setting up a herp emergency fund just in case I ever run into this problem again but that still doesn't help me with the NOW.

I don't want to sound "preachy" and I am not saying you don't take good care of him, but if you need to go get a cash advance do it. remember he is your animal and your responsibility. I have, and would again get a loan to take a pet to the vet, as anyone who has had a pet (i am sure you have at one point, we all have) even if you need to ask family, vets are not cheap and a good one even less so. even if it is just he is constipated better safe than sorry. just asking here but could you ask your work for a advance on your pay? a lot of employers have a advance policy

now on the lighter side I do hope it is nothing serous and he makes a full and fast recovery. please keep us all informed on what happens

I've been through some really awful things since 2006. DONT take on a super high intrest loan, just don't. Find another way.

Call a couple extra vets - some will bill later. Otherwise check out the like vet credit cards that are available for emergencies


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I think the heavy breathing is simply from the stress of all this interaction. I'm worried it will make him regurge - a far more serious problem for a snake than you think.

I thought maybe because he missed his first strike he mightve ate some dirt and messed him up some trying to eat his mouse. I had my wife calling different vets while I gave him another bath this morning. He did poop a lot but he didn't look like he was constipated, he had a rough shed and I gave him a second bath and he seems to have bounced back 100% although he still have a piece of shed high on his neck.
Alot of the story I wrote last night on a dif thread and didnt want to retype it all again today. I knew he was in shed but his eyes cleared up and it was 9 days since his last meal so I made the decision (a bad one looking back at it) to feed. He missed and seemed to have ate some dirt, lifted his head up and moved his jaw around for a solid 5 minutes, I think he was trying to clear his throat. I could have taken the mouse out at that point but I didn't want him to be grumpy for coming so close to eating and then having it taken away so I let him have the mouse. My wife who is deathly afraid of snakes (i have 4) sat up til 2 am and then almost didnt even go to work because she was so worried. After he started to shed he started looking better, I gave him a second bath and helped him shed the rest although I couldnt get his neck/head. After his second bath he now looks great! I think it was dirt stuck in his throat and he might have been bloated because he kept opening his mouth and moving it trying to clear it out mixed with being uncomfortable because of the shed. I am not a vet but I'm almost wondering if the heavy breathing and rocking I was seeing was actually him trying to shed while having a belly ache at the same time

So glad this had a good outcome. Its agonizing how cryptic reptile symptoms can be. May i ask, what kind of bedding do you use that may have irritated him so much?

OK, I'm a gecko person who has snakes and not the other way around, but it sounds like he may have been stretching his jaws to help loosen up the skin in that area prior to shedding it, and the side to side might have been to loosen the skin in that area.

I use Eco Earth coconut substrate. I just read a thread on here this morning about someone else having a ball python missing his first strike and eating some of the substrate. This lady rinsed her snake's mouth out to help with it getting caught but for the most part I believe that over 90% of people really like this substrate