Hissing or wheezing

[Pokey]

I cannot tell if my new hog island boa is hissing at me or just wheezing heavily. Do they even hiss at all? If not then I think she is sick. She is about 6ft long and I got her yesterday. She was dropped off at a local pet store and I took her in. I am going to get her check out regardless, but i want to know if anyone has experience with their hog islands hissing at them when upset or something.

[Shelby]

Oh yes, they hiss. lol

Does she gurgle? Get something like a small rubber spatula to open her mouth up. See if there's stringy saliva or bubbles.. wait for her glottis (windpipe) to open, and look for goo.

[Pokey]

ok... but not i gotta ask a stupid question... i am assuming that its an indication that she wants to be left alone, so is there a major risk of a strike if i don't? don't get me wrong, i am not into messing with a 6ft snake who whants to be left alone, and i am sensative to a pet's wishes, but if i need to inspect her mouth i don't want to get tagged.

[Shelby]

Well, I can tell you that my hoggie hisses at me ALL THE TIME. She has good reason, I had to give her antibiotic shots.

However, she has never struck at me, with exception of a stupid feeding error (completely my fault)

If it helps, grab a pair of work gloves (if you have a hook, use it to get her out) pick her up, grasp her firmly behind the head (she'll pull back and coil around you most likely, but don't let her intimidate you!) I find if I sit on the floor, I can sit on most of her body so she doesn't coil over what I want to see (her mouth)

[JimiSnakes]

If you are scared of getting bit the chances are you will! Just grab her and open her mouth up. Intimidation reversal. six foot or twelve foot...doesn't matter. only thing that changes is the extra person to help .

[Shelby]

Sit on her body though! Take my word for it, it's not easy to look in their mouth when they're squeezing your arm.

Alternately, get someone else to hold her body.

[Pokey]

ok... definitely wheezing going on here. i am holding her right this moment and her head is next to my hear and she is wheezing. no gurgling, just wheezing. i am making an apointment with the vet asap.

[Shelby]

Did you look in her mouth? Sometimes they can hiss quite loudly.

[JimiSnakes]

Boas are very noisy snakes. Is she blowing her throat at all? Shelby is right, look in her mouth for sticky fluids. The bigger they are the louder they are, so it might not be a RI. Better to be safe than sorry, but they just are noisy breathers when out and about.

[Pokey]

by blowing her throat do you mean puffing her throat at the base of her head? cause yeah, she is doing that. I haven't looked in her mouth. she wasn't having any of that. i will leave her alone for the night and look tomorrow.