Please help ball python drool

Good afternoon everyone! I have a ball python female named dreya. She just finished a beautiful shed three days ago and i took her out of her enclosure to handle and check on her an hour ago and she drooled on me. Ive never had this happen. It was very clear looked and felt like water i didnt believe it was her until i looked at her mouth and saw it drip. After she dripped about three times it was over and no more drool. I grabbed a credit card and tried to check her mouth i got her half way open and didnt see any saliva so i will check again when my husband is home to help. I listened to her breathing and i didnt hear wheezing bubbling or popping. Since she was in shed i had her humidity between 75%-80% and heating pad set to 89 now that shed is over her heat is still 89 and humidity is back to 60% is this a sign of RI? Do i bumb temp and humidity? Do i call the vet? Im freaking out this is my baby!! Her last meal was august 28th and she hasnt opened her mouth to breath at all so i guess thats good

Any chance she was just drinking prior to you picking her up?

First thing, stop freaking out...more than likely she recently took a drink of water that hadn't yet "gone down" all the way. Keep an eye on her but I'm betting
this is all it is, from what you said. A snake's body is a long tube laying sideways...gravity helps us swallow, since we're vertical, but not much help for snakes. ;)

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Originally Posted by Stewart_Reptiles

Any chance she was just drinking prior to you picking her up?

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I havent been in my reptile room all morning so i can not confirm if she drank:(

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

First thing, stop freaking out...more than likely she recently took a drink of water that hadn't yet "gone down" all the way. Keep an eye on her but I'm betting
this is all it is, from what you said. A snake's body is a long tube laying sideways...gravity helps us swallow, since we're vertical, but not much help for snakes. ;)

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Im trying to stay calm im sorry. I can not confirm her drinking since i hadnt been in my reptile room pior to checking on her. I hope your right i will just keep an eye on her then

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Originally Posted by Salmon26

... It was very clear looked and felt like water...

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Willing to bet it was just water...:D -you're not the first one this ever happened to, lol.

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Originally Posted by Bogertophis

Willing to bet it was just water...:D -you're not the first one this ever happened to, lol.

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Sorry if i seemed like a crazy lady lol i didnt know they could "spit up" water just always hear or read about RI and that seems scary

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Originally Posted by Salmon26

Sorry if i seemed like a crazy lady lol i didnt know they could "spit up" water just always hear or read about RI and that seems scary

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Not only that but if you handle a snake after feeding it, it may also throw up (regurgitate) on you...this is why we suggest no handling for at LEAST a day after feeding.
What goes down into a snake comes back up & out pretty easily, especially if you don't know to hold their head up (above their body). ;)

It's not crazy to be concerned for your pet's well-being...:gj:

The thing with RI is that if you were at such an advance stage that mucus would just fall out of your BP's mouth, you would be at a VERY advance stage which means you would have noticed earlier signs such as crackling sound/whisling , open mouth breathing, rubbing etc.

Mucus just does not appear overnight, another thing the consistency between mucus and drool (from an animal drinking and being startled) is very different. Finally you mentioned a clean mouth.

I would keep an eye on the animal over the next few days and if you really have doubt take the animal to a vet and have a culture done.

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Originally Posted by Stewart_Reptiles

The thing with RI is that if you were at such an advance stage that mucus would just fall out of your BP's mouth, you would be at a VERY advance stage which means you would have noticed earlier signs such as crackling sound/whisling , open mouth breathing, rubbing etc.

Mucus just does not appear overnight, another thing the consistency between mucus and drool (from an animal drinking and being startled) is very different. Finally you mentioned a clean mouth.

I would keep an eye on the animal over the next few days and if you really have doubt take the animal to a vet and have a culture done.

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I deffinatly will be keeping a close eye on her thank you all for all the help sorry for my panic lol this is a wonderful forum to help those in need!

My first thought was she probably had some water, many times when I pick up my ball python, Crowley, he has drips on the bottom of his mouth. Many times he just dips his face in the water bowl while pacing at the glass asking to come out, so it could of been that too. So drinking or just simply passing through the water dish are likely what it was if there are no other symptoms or any reoccurence. You don't sound crazy at all, I worry about every little thing my Crowley does different or that just doesn't seem right, so far in the 6 years I've had him it was always just me worrying about nothing. :)

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Originally Posted by Valyndris

My first thought was she probably had some water, many times when I pick up my ball python, Crowley, he has drips on the bottom of his mouth. Many times he just dips his face in the water bowl while pacing at the glass asking to come out, so it could of been that too. So drinking or just simply passing through the water dish are likely what it was if there are no other symptoms or any reoccurence. You don't sound crazy at all, I worry about every little thing my Crowley does different or that just doesn't seem right, so far in the 6 years I've had him it was always just me worrying about nothing. :)

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I really hope it was water lmao i feel dumb now cause i over reacted alittle but its better safe than sorry. I read way to many horror stories about snakes dying due to RI so that didnt help! Glad im not the only one whose snake has scared them

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Originally Posted by Salmon26

I really hope it was water lmao i feel dumb now cause i over reacted alittle but its better safe than sorry. I read way to many horror stories about snakes dying due to RI so that didnt help! Glad im not the only one whose snake has scared them

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You have lots of company in the "worry club"- but it's better to worry too much than too little. Snakes are pretty subtle when it comes to symptoms...we have to pay
attention & it often takes time (experience) to know what's going on. The only dumb question is the one not asked...:snake: