Oh no... he has it... PLEASE HELP!!!

Spartan had RI.. He wheezed once today, and I can hear a very faint pop when he breaths. It's totaly my fault :(... his temps dip at night, although i think he caught it last night, so i bumped the heat up and trying to get the humidity low. i bought a moonlight light for him at night, he is in a tub. I'm gonna take him to a vet ASAP, but its hard when you only 16 and in debt. Advice for what i can do??

Please help!

Sorry to hear that. The only thing you can do is to bring him to a vet to get the proper care the snake needs. RI's don't happen over night, a snake may have an RI well before ever showing any signs of it.

You are going to need to find a way to get your temps right and keep them that way. Once that's done you can then start enjoying keeping your BP as apposed to stressing out constantly.

What ARE your temps currently, day and night?

Hi,


Yup, if in doubt a vet is the only way to know for sure whats happening. Is he shedding at all? or has he shed recently?

And I second the temp request.:)


dr del

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,


Yup, if in doubt a vet is the only way to know for sure whats happening. Is he shedding at all? or has he shed recently?

And I second the temp request.:)


dr del

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Okay here is everything.

His eyes were blue Friday, the blue went away last night. You can tell he is about to shed, I am going to book an appointment ASAP for a vet, my grandpa said he wants to help me out. The temps in the day are 93 hot, and 81-84 cool. At night warm is about 92 hot, and the temps on the cool side drop to like 76! I know I have tried everything! Thats probably what caused it, and I'm beating my self up because of it, I feel like such a bad person, but I am glad I caught it early. I just went out and bought a 50 watt moonlight bulb and i have that glowing on the cool side at night, during the day I have a regular 60 watt bulb glowing on the tub, *please note, that the lamp is not sitting on the tub* I bumped the cool side heat to 84, on the dot. Humidity has been at 65% because he is in shed, but I'm trying my hardest to lower it to 55%. Hope this is enough info. I am booking an appointment soon. Anymore advice?

thanks

Mitch

Anyone? :(

Temps sound fine and even 76 shouldnt be causing an RI although it can. If he/she has a warm side hide to go in you should be fine I just wouldnt let it any lower as Ive heard 76 is like the lowest you should let temps go unless your breeding... With a shed on the way it could also be just a loose piece of shed in the nose. I'd wait till after the shed and see if it continues then make the vet call. My first BP caught a RI because my humidity was way too low and she was holding her mouth open and it was VERY obvious something wasnt right. Is your humidity above 50%? Try bumping it up a little bit while in shed. If it is an RI its no biggie if you get to a herp vet.. theyll hook you up with some meds and you should be good but I wouldnt worry too much till after shed. Good luck

Keep humidity your humidity up too... dont lower it

Bright,

Just out of curiosity what is the ambient temps in your house or better yet, the room your snake is in? A tub is the best setup for keeping the proper conditions for your snake. I have read many of your recent threads and it's obvious you truely do want to do what's best for your snake. That being said I am sure you will get everything ironed out and your snake will be fine. Don't freak out just yet, even if it is an RI they are common and easy to treat if cought in time. For the time being I would try and figure out how to keep your temp from dipping at night.

Maybe a small UTH/thermostat on the cool side would keep your temps up? Regardless, keep us posted on how you make out.

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Originally Posted by JoshJP7

Temps sound fine and even 76 shouldnt be causing an RI although it can. If he/she has a warm side hide to go in you should be fine I just wouldnt let it any lower as Ive heard 76 is like the lowest you should let temps go unless your breeding... With a shed on the way it could also be just a loose piece of shed in the nose. I'd wait till after the shed and see if it continues then make the vet call. My first BP caught a RI because my humidity was way too low and she was holding her mouth open and it was VERY obvious something wasnt right. Is your humidity above 50%? Try bumping it up a little bit while in shed. If it is an RI its no biggie if you get to a herp vet.. theyll hook you up with some meds and you should be good but I wouldnt worry too much till after shed. Good luck

Keep humidity your humidity up too... dont lower it

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The thing with the humidity is that its so hard to figure ut what it is, i have 2 thermometers.. 1 for cool and 1 for warm, but the cool side had a big probe but can read humidity from the probe, the other one has a probe but measures humidity from the device. The cool side humidity reads 70% while the "ambient"? humidity reads 57%.

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Originally Posted by BostonMacK

Bright,

Just out of curiosity what is the ambient temps in your house or better yet, the room your snake is in? A tub is the best setup for keeping the proper conditions for your snake. I have read many of your recent threads and it's obvious you truely do want to do what's best for your snake. That being said I am sure you will get everything ironed out and your snake will be fine. Don't freak out just yet, even if it is an RI they are common and easy to treat if cought in time. For the time being I would try and figure out how to keep your temp from dipping at night.

Maybe a small UTH/thermostat on the cool side would keep your temps up? Regardless, keep us posted on how you make out.

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Well this new moonlight bulb is working with the temps, room temp is well not sure probably 76-78 my father won't make it any higher. Yeah I've tried. But yeah this bulb works great so far, I this heat will now be my least concern.

one of my snakes had that actually too and i never thought of a RI but i took her out and she popped like a burp and i actually felt wind off it so i boosted the heat and she was fine the next day

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Originally Posted by seanmcginnin

one of my snakes had that actually too and i never thought of a RI but i took her out and she popped like a burp and i actually felt wind off it so i boosted the heat and she was fine the next day

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Really? So you guys think boost up the heat? to how much?

So he hasn't shed yet?


Is he continuing to wheeze, or was it just the once?

Some snakes wheeze when they're shedding... it's caused by the loosening of the skin around the nostrils. If he just did it the once, I might boost your temps and humidity, wait until he sheds, and see what happens.

If he's wheezing a lot, and it sounds like it's getting worse---or you wait until he sheds and he continues doing it---definitely get him to the vet.

P.S. If he needs a vet and it gets expensive, I know I, for one, would be willing to chip in a few bucks to help... I was young once, too. ;) Keep us updated!!!

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Originally Posted by ladywhipple02

So he hasn't shed yet?


Is he continuing to wheeze, or was it just the once?

Some snakes wheeze when they're shedding... it's caused by the loosening of the skin around the nostrils. If he just did it the once, I might boost your temps and humidity, wait until he sheds, and see what happens.

If he's wheezing a lot, and it sounds like it's getting worse---or you wait until he sheds and he continues doing it---definitely get him to the vet.

P.S. If he needs a vet and it gets expensive, I know I, for one, would be willing to chip in a few bucks to help... I was young once, too. ;) Keep us updated!!!

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Thank you so much you guys, this is what I like to see, a fellow herper helping another herper in need, I will keep all of you posted. And BTW he only wheezed once, but I put him right close to my ear and hear a faint popping when he breaths. Once again I will keep you guys posted, Thank you for all of the responses.

Mitch

PS Ladywhipple02, that actually touches me, thank you for your kindness <3 :D

If you truly do thing your snake has an RI you need to see a vet, theres no way around it. An RI will not go away on its own, although by changing the husbandry the signs might get masked. If it is indeed an RI I would recommend insisting on a culture so you treat it correctly the first time. Also if you are able, try to bring some snake poop with you so they can test that for parasites (which can cause other health issues). This way you get it all covered with one visit and don't have to pay multiple costs just to see the vet.

Before you do anything to your enclosure, I would wait until I had a herp vet's. opinion.

I personally would wait until the snake sheds. If you only heard one pop/click, and it was while your BP was in blue, it's most likely that there is skin in the nostrils that is making this noise. However, it is impossible to diagnose something like this over the internet, so this is merely my speculation. When I first had my BP, she made the 'clicking' noises while she was in shed, and it turns out that it was just the skin loosening up in/around her nostrils. If the clicking persists after the BP has completed the shed (and no skin is left), then I would take a trip to the vet.
If your temps are already at 94-95ish, I would NOT bump the temps up on the hot side, because anything above 95 is increasing your chances of getting a burn. Since your BP IS in shed, I would suggest keeping the humidity around 55-60%, especally since it sounds like your snake will be shedding in the next day or two.
If you are absolutely convinced that your BP has an RI, check around the nostrils and mouth for any build-up of mucus. Watch your BP through the glass/plastic. Is your BP 'yawning' excessively? These are more definate signs of RI, rather than a clicking noise at the very end of a shed cycle.

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Originally Posted by Purrrfect9

Before you do anything to your enclosure, I would wait until I had a herp vet's. opinion.

I personally would wait until the snake sheds. If you only heard one pop/click, and it was while your BP was in blue, it's most likely that there is skin in the nostrils that is making this noise. However, it is impossible to diagnose something like this over the internet, so this is merely my speculation. When I first had my BP, she made the 'clicking' noises while she was in shed, and it turns out that it was just the skin loosening up in/around her nostrils. If the clicking persists after the BP has completed the shed (and no skin is left), then I would take a trip to the vet.
If your temps are already at 94-95ish, I would NOT bump the temps up on the hot side, because anything above 95 is increasing your chances of getting a burn. Since your BP IS in shed, I would suggest keeping the humidity around 55-60%, especally since it sounds like your snake will be shedding in the next day or two.
If you are absolutely convinced that your BP has an RI, check around the nostrils and mouth for any build-up of mucus. Watch your BP through the glass/plastic. Is your BP 'yawning' excessively? These are more definate signs of RI, rather than a clicking noise at the very end of a shed cycle.

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Nope no yawing, no mucus, I'm gonna wait till the shed is done.
Thanks guys!

Mitch

Hi,


Just wanted to chime in and say I would wait until the 'lil fella has shed as well.

Keep the humidity up to help with the shed as well but keep an eye out for the other signs of an R.I. like excess mucus or lying with head raised for extended periods.

Here's hoping this is nothing but the shed causing it and remember to check the shed to make sure the eyecaps are present and take a look at the nostrils too this time.:)



dr del

Quote:

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Originally Posted by dr del

Hi,


Just wanted to chime in and say I would wait until the 'lil fella has shed as well.

Keep the humidity up to help with the shed as well but keep an eye out for the other signs of an R.I. like excess mucus or lying with head raised for extended periods.

Here's hoping this is nothing but the shed causing it and remember to check the shed to make sure the eyecaps are present and take a look at the nostrils too this time.:)



dr del

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Okay guys! I listened to him this morning, and I didn't hear any popping, he is about to shed within about 2 days I suspect. I'll keep everyone posted on how everything goes!

Thanks everyone!
Mitch

Please go to a vet with it. Everyone who has any pets should have emergency money stashed away for their medical care; even if you have to take out lines of credit.. unless his wheezing magically went away overnight..

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Originally Posted by Bright202

Spartan had RI.. He wheezed once today, and I can hear a very faint pop when he breaths. It's totaly my fault :(... his temps dip at night, although i think he caught it last night, so i bumped the heat up and trying to get the humidity low. i bought a moonlight light for him at night, he is in a tub. I'm gonna take him to a vet ASAP, but its hard when you only 16 and in debt. Advice for what i can do??

Please help!

---

You should actually try to boost the humidity. It helps to break up the mucus in the lungs like a humidifier would with someone who is congested. It will help with the shed also. If your snake does indeed have an RI, then you would only be masking the symptoms by lowering it.

If you are concerned that your snake may have RI, then you should take it to a qualified herp vet. It is hard for any of us to diagnose your snake over the internet. Better to be safe than sorry. :)

Okay well I guess I was wrong, he wheezed again for the second time. I really need to bring him to a vet, how much does the medication cost? In Canadian (roughly)

It is hard to say because I have never been to a vet in Canada, but when I rescued one with a very severe RI, the total for the injections was around $40 USD. I had to get two rounds of it at twenty dollars each, but it really depends how much your vet perscribes. You may want to bring someone with you to observe how to give the injections. It is much easier with someone to help out. Good luck!

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Originally Posted by Bright202

Okay well I guess I was wrong, he wheezed again for the second time. I really need to bring him to a vet, how much does the medication cost? In Canadian (roughly)

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Call around if you don't already have a herp vet lined up, get an appointment and ask for an estimate of care costs for RI treatment. That should give you a ball park figure. There's just no way for anyone to tell you what any specific vet will charge. Hope all goes well at the vets.

Well he shed last night, I don't hear anymore popping!, so it must have been the skin ready to come off. I'm gonna post some new pics of my little dude soon!

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Originally Posted by Bright202

Well he shed last night, I don't hear anymore popping!, so it must have been the skin ready to come off. I'm gonna post some new pics of my little dude soon!

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I bet that is a load off your mind :D

I would go ahead and keep a close eye on her for the next day or so just to be safe.

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Originally Posted by lord jackel

I bet that is a load off your mind :D

I would go ahead and keep a close eye on her for the next day or so just to be safe.

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Yeah it feels great!
And I will keep a close eye on HIM (lol its ok)

thanks everyone!

Mitch