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Ri?

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  • 08-19-2019, 02:41 PM
    Max12069
    Ri?
    I just went over to check on my ball python and i heard some popping noises when he breathed. Thats the only sign of an ri so far. He's breathing with his mouth closed no bubbling/saliva near his mouth and nothing coming out of it. He yawned once today a few hours after he ate. When i found him breathing weirdly he was right next to his water bowl. The temps are 95 warm side and 83 cool side. Could he have an ri.
  • 08-19-2019, 02:47 PM
    Bogertophis
    Lower your temps by about 5* immediately please...95* is too hot for him, low side about 80* is ok, but warm side best at or below 90*.
    That's probably why he's laying by his water bowl (the slight coolness).

    He might have some water in his nose from having just taken a drink...hey, even when we drink it goes down the "wrong way" sometimes...;)...but good on you
    for noticing, keep an eye (& ears) on him to make sure nothing develops.
  • 08-19-2019, 02:49 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Ok thx for the help. Im worried cuz i have been reading bad thing about ri’s
  • 08-19-2019, 02:51 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Ri?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Max12069 View Post
    Ok thx for the help. Im worried cuz i have been reading bad thing about ri’s

    Hope you noticed that I edited my post, please lower your cage temps.
  • 08-19-2019, 03:01 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Ok thank you. I think I'm gonna take him to a vet cuz he's making the sound and he's yawned twice. Even tho those are the only signs i think ill take him.
  • 08-19-2019, 03:05 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Hes also resting with his head elevated.
  • 08-19-2019, 03:22 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    How long can this take to become lethal. Im gonna try and bring him to the vet tomorrow.
  • 08-19-2019, 03:51 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Ri?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Max12069 View Post
    How long can this take to become lethal. Im gonna try and bring him to the vet tomorrow.

    Not a big rush, as long as his mouth isn't bubbling or full of mucus...because snakes cannot cough, they can choke to death with an RI. Usually an RI takes at least a few days to get going, but hard to say...just like people, some snakes have better resistance than others. Not so sure this even IS an RI, snakes can
    have a little cage debris, a bit of shed skin or water in their nostrils that can make a little noise & still be harmless. Yawning doesn't exactly indicate an RI.

    Have you lowered the heat on his warm side? That's an immediate need.
  • 08-19-2019, 04:01 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Yes i did, also Hes been elevating his head and ribbing against things . I want to check his mouth but i fed him this morning. Will it hurt him if i hold him for one or two minutes to check?
  • 08-19-2019, 04:12 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    He keeps resting his head on water bowl
  • 08-19-2019, 04:16 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    He's done this like 20 times today. He's constantly doing it. He sits there like that for a while.

    https://ibb.co/bvc17xd

    and this

    https://ibb.co/tcFCmsY
  • 08-19-2019, 04:53 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Hes also been doing this

    https://vimeo.com/354739973/description

    and this in the exact same spot before he does this he rubs his head against the corner wall but i didnt get that in the video

    https://vimeo.com/354742103
  • 08-19-2019, 05:01 PM
    Bogertophis
    Sounds like he may be trying to shed? What's his humidity like? Being too dry might cause the popping sounds you heard & also yawning, to loosen the
    skin around his face in order to shed. Try spraying him with water. The fact that his cage was too warm may have dried out his skin, making it harder to shed.
    (-do you know when he shed last?)

    As far as the pics above where he's stretching upwards...what's overhead? A screen top? If so, he might be wanting out, or the cooler air outside his cage
    that was overly warm (earlier).
  • 08-19-2019, 05:11 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    He shed around 3 weeks ago. I misted the tank 3 times today.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Im feeding him fuzzies but next feeding im gonna give him a hopper.
  • 08-19-2019, 05:25 PM
    Bogertophis
    Various reasons for a snake to push with their nose: trying to shed, or debris stuck in nose or mouth, or wanting out of a cage (for food or better temps.).
    Your BP is fairly active...he doesn't appear to me to be snake with an RI...his restlessness is most likely hunger or shedding.

    Most start their BPs on hoppers- fuzzies are a bit small for hatchling BPs. Your snake is probably hungry.
  • 08-19-2019, 05:29 PM
    Max12069
    Ok, i fed her a fuzzie this morning so should i wait to give the hopper or should i give it right away. Hes very active today only took like 20 minutes to rest.
  • 08-19-2019, 05:31 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Also do you know a reason why he was rubbing and putting his head under the substrate in that exact spot multiple times.
  • 08-19-2019, 05:58 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Ri?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Max12069 View Post
    Ok, i fed her a fuzzie this morning so should i wait to give the hopper or should i give it right away. Hes very active today only took like 20 minutes to rest.

    It's best for their digestion -if you must feed 2 items- that you do so at the same time (within an hour of each other). While a fuzzy is very digestible, I cannot promise
    that if you feed another item now that it won't cause a problem -ie. your snake could regurgitate -"barf up"- both items & then have to wait longer to replenish digestive
    enzymes, making the whole situation a set-back rather than helpful. Also, since your snake should be eating a hopper but already ate a fuzzy, the 2 items together might
    be a little much for her stomach, so I'd wait a few days before giving that hopper. You might get away with doing that now, but you'd be taking a chance. Wait 3 days &
    if she seems hungry, offer the hopper then.
  • 08-19-2019, 05:59 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Ri?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Max12069 View Post
    Also do you know a reason why he was rubbing and putting his head under the substrate in that exact spot multiple times.

    Nope, I sure don't. :snake: Could be many reasons, most I've already told you anyway. Like trying to shed.
  • 08-19-2019, 06:05 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Ok thank you for both of those answers im worried cuz he keeps climbing to the lid and getting close to the heat lamp and i dont want him to get burned.
  • 08-19-2019, 06:12 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Ri?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Max12069 View Post
    Ok thank you for both of those answers im worried cuz he keeps climbing to the lid and getting close to the heat lamp and i dont want him to get burned.

    How are you controlling the heat?
  • 08-19-2019, 06:37 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    I use a ceramic heat emitter.
  • 08-19-2019, 06:51 PM
    Bogertophis
    It still needs to be controlled so it's not too hot -which apparently it still is or was...you said the warm side of cage was 95*?

    At the very least, it should be plugged into a rheostat (aka "lamp dimmer" that's rated for the wattage of your CHE), or better yet, controlled by thermostat.
    You can kill a snake with too much heat...don't wait until something tragic happens, ok?
  • 08-19-2019, 06:55 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Ok im going to petco tomorrow so ill get all that stuff. Hes been so active im hoping hes just hungry.
  • 08-19-2019, 07:05 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Hes just been doing this all day

    https://vimeo.com/354765584

    and this

    https://ibb.co/VHLX3hb

    other than those two things hes been crawling around
  • 08-19-2019, 07:14 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Ri?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Max12069 View Post
    Ok im going to petco tomorrow so ill get all that stuff. Hes been so active im hoping hes just hungry.

    The more you tell me the more I think he's still probably too HOT & needing relief, hence the digging under substrate or laying by water bowl.

    How are you reading the temperatures in the cage? Petco is probably NOT your best bet for a thermostat...and it's definitely not the best bet for a simple rheostat (lamp
    dimmer)...for that, just go to your local hardware/home improvement store...they'll have them, just ask. You don't want one to install yourself in the existing cord, it's far
    easier to buy one that's already installed in an extension cord, ready to plug your CHE cord into. Thermostats- decent ones- cost more & you choose the temperature,
    whereas a lamp dimmer is just a rotary dial* that you'll have to figure out by trial & error where to turn it to, to get the temps. you want. Petco will likely have their own
    version of a low-quality rheostat control for more than you'll pay in a hardware store. ;) (*the rheostats that I use, I use a permanent marker on the dial for "hi, med, low")

    Is the CHE your ONLY heat source? Overhead heat works but it's not the best way to heat the cage of a terrestrial snake, as you waste energy: heat rises, so much of the
    heat from a CHE (or a light) simply never makes it into the cage and down to where the snake is on the bottom. That's why I mostly use over-head heat in the winter, and only to add to the UTH heat from underneath when the ambient temperatures in my house are lower.

    You might take a look at Reptile Basics or other online sources before you shop locally.
    https://www.reptilebasics.com/heating https://www.reptilebasics.com/thermostats
  • 08-19-2019, 07:21 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    It is my only source of heat. Ill probably get the thermostat and rhetostat online. I think he finally is resting. I use a zoo med thermometer to get the heat.
  • 08-19-2019, 07:23 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Should i use the ceramic heat emitter and a heat pad or one or the other.

    - - - Updated - - -

    Whats the best thermostat in your opinion.
  • 08-19-2019, 07:34 PM
    Bogertophis
    Depends on how cold your room (or house) gets year-round (like in winter, or even summer if you use a lot of air conditioning). So you may need both, but I
    cannot answer that for your house or the climate wherever you are. It's always better to have both connected & ready to use, you can just leave one off or on
    low, but when it gets to be cold in the winter, your snake could get sick if he gets too cold before you notice or can get to the store. Just be sure he has a cool
    side to the cage too, for safety & for your snake to choose what's needed ("thermo-regulate").

    Thermostat: start a new thread (or search existing ones here) to get input from others...I haven't bought one in quite a while & things change...ok?
  • 08-19-2019, 07:38 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Ok thank you, what i have been doing is making the ac blast rlly cold air so it cool inside the cage so it becomes the right temperature
  • 08-19-2019, 08:08 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    I there any other way to make the tank cooler while i wait for the thermostat and rhetostat
  • 08-19-2019, 08:13 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: Ri?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Max12069 View Post
    I there any other way to make the tank cooler while i wait for the thermostat and rhetostat

    Unless you live on the moon, go to the nearest hardware store & for under $10 (& probably far less than that) you can buy a rheostat with extension cord...do it now.
    Otherwise turn off the stupid CHE...what wattage is it? what is the cage (or tank?) size? 95* is a NO GO!!!! Stop cooking your BP.
  • 08-19-2019, 08:24 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Right now the temps are 92 hot side and 79 cool side and he's still moving around and going to the top of the tank. Could it be that he's hungry and knows that thats where the food usually comes from.
  • 08-19-2019, 08:26 PM
    dr del
    Re: Ri?
    Just wanted to add to what has been already said.

    Half log hides don't always make the snake feel secure enough so I would try a few things to make it darker and tighter - the easiest steps would be covering the glass on the sides and back of the tank with black paper or a decorative background, this will make the half log darker inside. I found the best hides are low enough so it touches the snake on all sides. The cheapest way I know to do this would be a plant pot saucer with a hole cut in one side ( I use things that look like these for smaller snakes - just pick the size that is close to them coiled up ).

    Then I cut a hole slightly bigger than twice the width of the snake, this lets it crawl out and in at the same time without getting "stuck"
  • 08-19-2019, 08:34 PM
    Max12069
    Re: Ri?
    Oh ok thx thats a rlly good idea
  • 08-20-2019, 05:17 PM
    Zincubus
    Re: Ri?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Max12069 View Post
    I use a ceramic heat emitter.

    Presumably there’s a guard around the lamp ??https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...8d2bec3e24.jpg


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
  • 08-20-2019, 05:20 PM
    Zincubus
    Re: Ri?
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Max12069 View Post
    Hes just been doing this all day

    https://vimeo.com/354765584

    and this

    https://ibb.co/VHLX3hb

    other than those two things hes been crawling around

    Those two videos kinda look as though he’s simply trying to find somewhere cooler ..

    Are you using a stick on plastic thermometer or a digital heat gun to check temps ?


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
  • 08-21-2019, 01:13 AM
    Zincubus
    Re: Ri?
    These are just around 9 dollars off eBay ... fabulous for testing surface temps

    https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/201...d0d0a16824.jpg


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro
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