Does this sound (and look) like a respiratory infection? Help please :(

Disclaimer: I have a vet appointment for tomorrow at noon. But I still want your guys' opinions :(

I just got my baby Kenyan Sand Boa two weeks ago. She is 12 grams. On 3-4 inches of crushed walnut. Hot side above UTH is 92 degrees, ambient hot side is low 80s, cool side is mid 70s. She came from very improper husbandry. She ate for me last Wednesday, a f/t pinkie.

Today I picked her up and could hear the clicking and popping Hallmark of an RI. I could also feel it in her little body. She keeps puffing her throat out, and adjusting her mouth. Yawning a lot, as well as sitting with her mouth open a little bit. She seems perky and alert otherwise, but I know that she's sick. Does this seem like a standard RI?

Here are some pics I took holding her today. Ones with her mouth open, etc. Unrelated- I just noticed her lower jaw is shorter than her upper jaw. Is that a normal sand boa thing? How did I not notice that before? (My mind immediately jumped to mouth rot, but her open mouth pics says it's not!) Also, do you think this is something that could have been brewing since I got her? My husbandry is spot on for KSBs, idk how I could have caused it :(

Please look, and tell me what you think. What is the usual treatment? Just wanna know what I'm in for.

https://imgur.com/a/1QdETQJ

Poor baby, so glad her appt'mt is tomorrow, she seems to need help to breathe. Looks like a classic RI to me, & likely the result of her prior "very
improper husbandry". Her lower jaw looks a bit like maybe her teeth are caught up? Sometimes when they grab prey roughly or strike the glass,
their jaw can roll inward just enough that they snag their mouth with their own teeth...they can be gently unhooked if so, but I'd wait & let the vet
have a look & do it, if so. (it's hard to tell, but the vet, in person, will be better able to see & will be checking her mouth anyway) Likely she'll be
on a course of antibiotics & "TLC" (warm temps, minimal stress) I'd avoid handling her, as that makes her breathe harder & she already has enough
trouble from the RI. Remember that snakes cannot cough, so if left untreated, an RI can kill them if they cannot breathe. She'll likely make a good
recovery following the vet's care.

I sure hope the little guy pulls through for you

Just got back from the vet. When I took her out to get her ready, she sounds like rice Krispies when she breathes. I was also right yesterday with the mouth discomfort- she's got a touch of mouth rot starting. Nothing visibe yesterday, but today starting to be visible. I attached a pic of the affected side of her mouth I took when I was walking out to my car. I'm very glad I not only caught this early but was able to get her a next day appointment.

She's too small for actual blood work, but the vet listened to her lungs and checked her out and put her on a course of antibiotics. Injectable, every 3 days for 21 days. Vet said that would help both the RI and the mouth rot. Everyone at the vets vet's office loved her. She's still perky and curious, which is good. No lethargy at all. I have high hopes she'll pull through with a little TLC. :)

Just preparing a small clean tub for her while she gets better, just paper towel, a hide and some water. Vet said I can keep feeding like normal, so while yesterday would make the 1 week mark I'm going to wait til Monday and feed her with my ball python to get them on similar feeding track, especially with all the stress today.

Here's a pic of her mouth from today:

https://i.imgur.com/h4HWYyT.jpg

Good job :gj: on getting her help quickly, & thanks for the update. You're a great "snarent"! :) Hopefully she'll make a good (quick) recovery from all.

I try to be! She's only been mine two weeks but if I'm going to be her caretaker, and this have her rely on me for *everything,* I'd better pony up when she needs it! I'm already so attached to her already (even if she doesn't have a name yet!)

I'll keep updating as she progresses. Fingers crossed! I'm glad this forum exists, it's the main reason I was able to recognise the signs of illness right away.

I'm having a little trouble deciding how warm to keep her. I have her in a small 1 gallon Tupperware tub with a vented screen lid, nestled into the sand in her big cage for warmth. This is both for cleanliness while she fights her infection and so I don't have to dig around and unbury her to check on her and stress her out. Originally I put it at the hot side, where the temps in the Quarantine Tub were around 90. But, I thought that was maybe too hot, since she then doesn't have an option to seek cooler temps. Right now she's in the middle where the ambient temp is mid-high 70s, and the half with the hide is sitting over the UTH so the floor of the tub is probably a little warmer than ambient.

How hot is too hot? How cool is too cool? Can't do much to give her a thermal gradient so I'm trying to find a happy medium.

She must have a name. It will help her heal faster. LOL. Happy you caught it quickly.

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Originally Posted by Spoons

I try to be! She's only been mine two weeks but if I'm going to be her caretaker, and this have her rely on me for *everything,* I'd better pony up when she needs it! I'm already so attached to her already (even if she doesn't have a name yet!)

I'll keep updating as she progresses. Fingers crossed! I'm glad this forum exists, it's the main reason I was able to recognise the signs of illness right away.

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She will! I am just terrible at naming animals and it takes me *forever!* I want something desert-inspired. Not required, that's just what's bouncing around in my head. I've always been bad at naming!

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Originally Posted by Spoons

She will! I am just terrible at naming animals and it takes me *forever!* I want something desert-inspired. Not required, that's just what's bouncing around in my head. I've always been bad at naming!

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How about the name Sage? or Sandy? Those are desert inspired :D:) I am happy to hear you got her the help she needed promptly!

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Originally Posted by Spoons

I'm having a little trouble deciding how warm to keep her. I have her in a small 1 gallon Tupperware tub with a vented screen lid, nestled into the sand in her big cage for warmth. This is both for cleanliness while she fights her infection and so I don't have to dig around and unbury her to check on her and stress her out. Originally I put it at the hot side, where the temps in the Quarantine Tub were around 90. But, I thought that was maybe too hot, since she then doesn't have an option to seek cooler temps. Right now she's in the middle where the ambient temp is mid-high 70s, and the half with the hide is sitting over the UTH so the floor of the tub is probably a little warmer than ambient.

How hot is too hot? How cool is too cool? Can't do much to give her a thermal gradient so I'm trying to find a happy medium.

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Bump for questions asked & not answered...(I have never kept these) needing a response from someone here who does or has?

So, just an update. It's 3 days after her vet appointment, I gave her second shot today. Let me tell you how AWFUL it was! She's *tiny,* she's only around 10 inches and 10 grams. Like thick pencil size. And then to give a shot to the wiggly little thing without going too deep?! I'm so scared I went too far. I'm a Paramedic by trade, and on top of that I used to work in a wildlife rehabilitation center and frequently had to inject hatchling birds the size of a quarter amd other small animals (I primarily worked with birds) to give them subcutaneous fluids when they were dehydrated. So I'm no stranger to needles and I think I wield them pretty well. But this was so much harder! I've never done a snake! If it was my BP it would be no problem! My hands are shaking so badly. That poor snake, only 5 more to go.

She still crackles, I see no change, but I don't expect to see any change so soon after her vet visit. She's a little quieter than usual, preferring to chill in one spot under her log hide, but she still kicks it into cruise mode when I poke around in her quarantine tub and seems curious so I'm not too worried yet.

I did scooch her quarantine tub a little more to the warm side. I'm hopeful for her!

That's a miserable task for sure, injecting such a tiny wiggling patient. I sure hope she gets well! (I'd hide too if I was her, lol...she must think you've
gone all "predator" on her?)

It sounds like she's getting the best care possible. I hope she gets better soon

Second injection today (well, third, but second under my hand). It was a lot easier than the first. We had a bit of time where she stopped eating again - possibly due to impending shed, but I'm sure the stress and sickness didn't help - and she dropped 2 grams. A full 20% of her body weight. After some struggle she finally ate yesterday.

I was SO happy that when I took her out for her injection I didn't hear a single crackle through the whole process, so obviously she's on the upswing! She's also on the move and back to her active self, cruising around and checking everything out. She's been so patient with everything, what with getting jabbed and all. She really is a sweet snake. I found that she keeps going underneath the paper towel in her quarantine tub so instead of a half log I gave her some shredded paper towel to kind of 'burrow' into.

Four more injections! I think she will be ok!

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That's great news! Seems she's starting to feel better already, & while "not out of the woods" until done with meds, this is exactly what you hope to see. :gj:

I thought I was the only one that "shredded paper towels"? I've used that for various 'baby' snakes to hide in, they really seem to love it.

I want to still be able to find her easily and not have to stress her by digging her up, and paper towel is sanitary and easily moveable. Win win! She slithered right into the pile. I think she appreciates it much more than her log hide.

In her tank she likes to dig into the sand inside the log hide and poke her nose out. Can't burrow in the quarantine tub though!

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Injection today, and only two left, then she can go back into her tank! She has, however, decided that's too long to wait and instead decided to try a prison break in the middle of the night. This is how I found her this morning, looking pleased as punch. Must be feeling back to her usual self!

However, she went back into her tub until the last of her injections are up, for my ease of checking on her and for sterility. I'm glad the tub is nestled into her tank so her "escape" wasn't actually an escape. Looks like I snapped the lid down on the corners but not the middle and she squeezed out!

Then again, if it wasn't nestled in her tank, I'd probably be using a far more secure quarantine tub, too. I made sure to snap the WHOLE lid down this time! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...21b4e02164.jpg

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That's the cutest almost-escapee I've seen in a long while...maybe ever? Like you, I'd take that to indicate she's feeling pretty good. :gj:

She must know something I don't, because only an hour later and this is what I find... I guess if i can't figure out how she's getting out, she might be allowed back into her tank after all! Little goof. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...127a325795.jpg

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Score: Snake 2...Spoons 0 :rofl: She's darn cute & she knows it, haha!

So, probably final update, unless she relapses! I finally let her back into her tank since she escaped quarantine so many times. She's very happy about it. Today is feeding day, and she is not at all a shy snake (in fact is quite friendly and curious), and the ruts dug in the sand from her pacing along the tank glass overnight tell me she is hungry. So given that she is feeling better even though it's broad daylight in the morning, I dug her up and offered her a f/t pinkie (I will not be home tonight to try). She took it happily, but she's a weirdo and instead of constricting it like she did the live one last week she just very gently took it from my tongs and ate it even with me standing and watching and went on her merry way. Her previous owner said she did that but I didn't quite believe it. Well, now I do! I'll take it given that many baby KSB are real picky about eating even on a good day. She is quickly stealing my heart.

Here's to health from here on out! https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...2a01cb912e.jpg

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She's awesome! :love::love::love: And yes, many snakes learn they don't need to bother constricting, that prey is already D-O-A & they can just "eat".

(you do realize that you're making me want one of these...? thanks!)

It's really awesome to see a healthy happy snake

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

She's awesome! :love::love::love: And yes, many snakes learn they don't need to bother constricting, that prey is already D-O-A & they can just "eat".

(you do realize that you're making me want one of these...? thanks!)

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Do it! So much personality in one little snake. And it's cute as hell to watch her burrow and then peek her little head out and just check stuff out, then go back under and peek up somewhere else. Like whack a mole but with a snake and nobody is whacking her. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...43b162ed83.jpg

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