Whistle Breathing, Vet Not Concerned?

[PecanPied]

I want to preface this with: we brought our BP to the vet yesterday, the vet heard the whistling, and there’s no mucus or bubbles or yawning.
My BP has been whistling/wheezing when breathing for a while, and we brought him into the vet (because we know RI’s are common). The vet acknowledged it’s likely an early sign of RI, but said there’s nothing they’d do unless things got worse. Seeing as I don’t want things to get worse, is there anything that could be done to prevent an RI in this stage? Or do we just have to wait and see if things really do get worse?

[Bogertophis]

Listen to your vet- wait! Antibiotics can help an RI but ONLY if they're the right one for the pathogen a snake has. That means either (1) you & your vet gamble as to what antibiotic to try, or (2) your vet does expensive lab work first to make sure that the Rx prescribed is the right one that will work.

Meanwhile: Assuming this is the beginning of an RI* your snake's natural immune system may be successfully fighting this off & no treatment is needed att, as your vet said, so to give antibiotics now could mess that up.

*This might NOT be an RI at all- you didn't mention how long you've had this snake & that would help to know here, but either way, snakes may have a minor deviation in their nose, just as people & other animals can. Such imperfection could cause some whistling but there's nothing "wrong" to fix. Snakes also get debris, water or bits of shed skin stuck up in their nose that can result in some minor sounds (whistling, popping, crackling) that may or may not go away. You'll just have to "wait & see".

Antibiotics are NOT without drawbacks: they kill off good AND bad bacteria, meaning (for example) your snake will have trouble digesting food after a course of antibiotics. Such meds are hard on their kidney & liver also, & if not used properly, can make an animal sicker by allowing "resistant" germs to grow. And another BIG downside: antibiotics are not effective when given orally to snakes- that means your poor snake has to endure a series of injections, & either YOU need to learn to do them, OR you go back to your vet for each one. Does that sound like fun? NOT fun for you OR your snake.

I agree with your vet- wait & see. ALSO: IF this is a beginning RI, you can improve your snake's ability to fight it off by giving him the BEST care possible. Don't handle him (that increases his stress, as did the vet visit) & let him rest, keeping his humidity & temperatures where they're supposed to be, or maybe a tiny bit raised. If he's eating, make sure he's getting good quality food & keep his water bowl cleaned daily, & keep his home clean too.

BTW, I give you a thumb's up for paying close attention to your snake & caring enough to seek a vet's help for him. Listen to his advice- that's what you paid for- his experience & expertise.

I also give "props" to your vet, for not caving in to "patient (or in this case, "owner") pressure" to give antibiotics whenever requested- that's not practicing "good medicine" & ends up causing more resistant germs for everyone to deal with in the long run. (Same thing happens with our family physicians- trust them to know when to say "no".)

IF this changes- IF you see excess saliva in or around his mouth, bubbling around your snake's mouth- frequent yawning or open-mouth breathing (may also keep his head up), please get in touch promptly with your vet to take your snake back to get help.

Snakes cannot cough effectively, & they can choke (& die) from serious untreated respiratory infections. Your snake, fortunately, is not at that point yet- let's hope he never is- just keep an eye on him.

[PecanPied]

Thank you so much! I’ll definitely be keeping an extra close eye on his enclosure, temp, humidity, water, etc. and hopefully see if it gets better/worse/doesn’t change.
We’ve had him (BP) for 2-3 months now (he’s about a yearish old), and the whistling only started very recently that I can recall. I appreciate the response, and I realize now that I really do appreciate the vet not jumping the gun with a treatment that could have made it worse. Thank you again!

[Bogertophis]

You're welcome, & "don't be a stranger around here"- let us know how he's doing?

Also, IF he ends up needing to be on an antibiotic, do consider giving probiotics* afterwards (but ONLY after the antibiotic is completely finished) to help restore his digestion.
("Bene-Bac" or "Nutribac" for reptiles).

I'm not surprised that you've only had him a short time: turns out, snakes are a little bit like us & other creatures in that stress can hurt their immune system. New homes for snakes are scary & confusing, & also stressful for their bodily functions. When we're excited to have a new pet, we also may tend to over-do handling them, which can make it worse without meaning to. I've been keeping snakes for a long time, & I was the same way with new pets at first- but I've learned that it's better to keep hands off for a while as much as possible while they "settle in". That usually helps their appetite too- it takes a while for some snakes to get braver & feel at home. It's just a small investment (of patience) for a pet you'll likely have for many good years to come.

[Mr. Misha]

If this continues and you don't see any bubbles or any other sign of RI, it might be a healed injury.

My normal girl has been whistling now for years. I'm thinking she took a fall while climbing. Anyway, not saying thats the case. But just something to consider.

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[Homebody]

My BP has been whistling/wheezing when breathing for a while, and we brought him into the vet (because we know RI’s are common). The vet acknowledged it’s likely an early sign of RI, but said there’s nothing they’d do unless things got worse.

I had a very similar experience with my ball python. Two months after I got it, I noticed whistling. There was no other sign of a respiratory infection. My vet suggested a bigger heat mat. I installed one and the infection cleared up soon after.

[Albert Clark]

You may want to consider also raising the temperature gradient in the enclosure as a whole by a few degrees. Cool side and warm side then monitor the reptile closely for any changes. Increasing the temperatures is believed to boost the animals immune system somewhat.

[Bogertophis]

You may want to consider also raising the temperature gradient in the enclosure as a whole by a few degrees. Cool side and warm side then monitor the reptile closely for any changes. Increasing the temperatures is believed to boost the animals immune system somewhat.

Agree, as long as you're not already keeping him at the upper end of safety- if that's the case- you could try slightly increasing the warmth on the "cool" side, rather than making the warm side "too hot" for safety.

[PecanPied]

Hey all! For anyone that wanted an update:
Pecan (BP) shed about a week ago! We found some dirt and a tiny piece of bedding in the nostril parts, and funnily enough I haven’t heard him whistle since!
I’ll still be keeping a close eye on him just to be safe, but I’m pretty sure he just had a stuffy nose. Thank you to everyone who chipped in with tips and advice! I appreciate you endlessly. <3

[Bogertophis]

So now you just have to teach him how to blow his nose. Hahaha! That's great news!