Snake spitting up water!?!?!

[Linseylou]

so my 7 year old ball python (I’ve only had him for about 3 months) was given a bath, at 84 degrees Fahrenheit, with something in the bath for him to grip onto, and the water was only half way covering his body. He started to act “funny” in the bath and sat for about 15 seconds on top of his rock sitting with his mouth open, but was not yawning. It looked almost like a bearded dragon “gaping” it’s mouth while basking. He also sat with his head police and merged under the water for close to 30 seconds, but it didn’t look like he was drinking he would just sit with his mouth under water. I took him out and he started gaping his mouth again for almost a minute this time, and after I set him down he started spitting up clear liquid that looked like water. After he did that I set them on the floor and he started tilting his head down with his nose, and his was nose was on the floor. He also just started setting up his body and just staring, but he does this sometimes anyways while he’s exploring. He also started to do what sounds like huffing.
This is the first time he’s ever acted like this and has always been great. Please help me! I couldn’t stand for something to happen to my Rob (that’s his name), please help!
( I would like to make it clear that I am going to call the vet as well, it’s just very late at night and no one is open right now, so I will do that first thing in the morning!)

[Bogertophis]

You really don't usually need to bathe a snake, & it sounds like your interference might have made him gulp or aspirate water, & snakes CANNOT cough. Snakes can hold
their breath under water (or above) for quite a long time (& way longer than we can). I think you need to let him relax. When was he fed last? Before a snake regurgitates
they often open their mouth the way you described, & again, if that's what he was doing & you interferred, you could have caused him to aspirate (into his lung) & that's
NOT a good thing, but not much you can do about it now. I hope he's OK, but just let him rest...& instead of bathing him (which is more stressful for a snake) next time do a "sponge bath" if he is really dirty.

[Linseylou]

That makes sense.
The last time I fed him was 3 weeks ago, as he refused his small rat, so I highly doubt it was a regurge, and I always wait at least 2 days before handling.
I also forgot to mention that I wasn’t giving him a bath just because. The reason I was giving him a bath was because he had some small pieces of stuck shed that wasn’t coming off, and I am currently treating him for mites (he finished his shed about 2 weeks ago). His humidity while shedding was around 80%, as he didn’t want to use the humidity box I gave him, but he still had some stuck shed for some reason. His humidity now is around 50%.
I seldom give my snakes a bath as I know it can be very stressful to them, and only do it when I think it’s necessary.
I also forgot to menton that I didn’t see excess saliva (or really any at all), when he was “gaping”, so I figured I would mention that.
I put him away in his enclosure, and I’m just letting him rest right now.
Hope that cleared up any misconceptions lol!

[Bogertophis]

OK, makes sense...he still might have just been yawning. Pity they can't talk, eh?