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Ball python respiratory infection
I made a huge mistake, I've been keeping my ball python tank 47-50 humidity during the day and spraying to 80 at night.
I'm so stupid, I thought It would be okay.
The reason I started keeping it so low was to prevent mold (I spotted some last month and cleaned out her tank) In fear of developing more, I've been keeping It pretty low.
A couple minutes ago I went to check on her and she started drooling while I was handling her, Her tongue still splits and I don't hear any raspy breathing, She just started drooling.
Do I need to go to the vet and give antibiotics or something similar?
How do I fix this? I'm going to start keeping her enclosure 60-70 again.
I'm such a horrible owner, Please tell me what I need to do to fix this!
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First off, calm down & stop beating yourself up. Your daytime humidity is a bit low, & your nighttime spraying is rather high, unless your snake is in shed. But yes, 60-65 % is the goal.
What are the temperatures she is kept at?
IF you aren't seeing bubbling, or open mouth breathing, & not hearing raspy, whistling, crackling or squeaking sounds with her breathing, I'm willing to bet the drooling you saw was just because she recently took a drink of water shortly before you picked her up, & you caused the water to backflow. Snakes' bodies are a long tube, & sometimes a drink doesn't go down as fast as you might think- it depends on how they're laying.
BTW, to be given the "horrible owner" award, you'd have ignored what you saw. Remember, the only "dumb question" is the one you don't ask- and GOOD owners do what you did- ask.
If you're not sure when your snake last drank water, it's a good idea to keep their head higher than their body- to help keep water (& food, if they ate recently) down where it belongs.
Last edited by Bogertophis; 06-09-2023 at 08:03 PM.
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)
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The Following 4 Users Say Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:
Ailuros (06-09-2023),Armiyana (06-10-2023),Kesp (06-27-2023),Ruby (06-09-2023)
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Registered User
Re: Ball python respiratory infection
Her temperatures are 80F on the cool side and 86F on the hot side with a 90F basking spot, She was near the water when I picked her up, but the drool kept coming, It looked like a lot.
Last edited by Ruby; 06-09-2023 at 08:12 PM.
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Re: Ball python respiratory infection
Originally Posted by Ruby
Her temperatures are 80F on the cool side and 86F on the hot side with a 90F basking spot, She was near the water when I picked her up, but the drool kept coming, It looked like a lot.
Her temps sound fine, & just keep an eye on her (& her water bowl filled, lol). I suspect she's fine- snakes are allowed to be thirsty too- but listen & just watch to make sure. Vet visits are stressful & are best avoided UNLESS really needed. If your snake has difficulty breathing due to an RI, you'll know it. You aren't the first snake owner to get "drooled on"-
Rudeness is the weak man's imitation of strength.
Eric Hoffer (1902 - 1983)
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The Following 3 Users Say Thank You to Bogertophis For This Useful Post:
Ailuros (06-09-2023),Armiyana (06-10-2023),Ruby (06-09-2023)
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Registered User
Re: Ball python respiratory infection
Thank you so much, I was a bit hysterical when I wrote this.
I'm handling her now and her "drool" is gone. I think she had just finished drinking when I checked her.
I'm going to raise her humidity a bit. Thank you for the helpful info + reassurance.
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The Following User Says Thank You to Ruby For This Useful Post:
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I was going to say the same as Bogertophis. I honestly don't think you did anything wrong at all.
If the bedding stays a little damp, you might be able to try putting some springtails in to help with things as well. Or make sure to have some damp sphagnum to keep them happy at least and they'll still do a decent cleanup without needing a whole bioactive setup.
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The Following User Says Thank You to Armiyana For This Useful Post:
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Registered User
Re: Ball python respiratory infection
That's very helpful, I'll have to look into springtails + bioactive setups.
Thank you!
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