Vet Trip and RI?

[Melicious]

Lastnight I was holding Ophelia after 48hrs of rest and relaxation only to hear that wheezing sound I definitely don't like. RI?!

So...I remember that there's a vet near by that does exotics and also remembered distinctly that it was $55 for the both of them. GREAT! No. It's now $50 for each of them. Fabulous! So...not only do I have to pay off my student bill for the rest of the semester, but I have little to no money to pay for my vet bills. Woohoo.

I hate vets. O_o

[adizziedoll]

Yeah, It's no fun... but if they gotta go they gotta go, ya know? Sorry to hear about the RI, but at least you are willing to take her the vet and properly care for her

[JLC]

Yeah....that's just part of the ball of wax that comes with pet ownership. Even though we aren't juggling pennies in college anymore, it still irks me to have to lay out those unexpected expenses sometimes. It's worth it, though.

[elevatethis]

Lastnight I was holding Ophelia after 48hrs of rest and relaxation only to hear that wheezing sound I definitely don't like. RI?!

So...I remember that there's a vet near by that does exotics and also remembered distinctly that it was $55 for the both of them. GREAT! No. It's now $50 for each of them. Fabulous! So...not only do I have to pay off my student bill for the rest of the semester, but I have little to no money to pay for my vet bills. Woohoo.

I hate vets. O_o

Are you sure its an RI? You said she had been having bad sheds lately...that wheezing sound can also be made from old scales around her nose.

Take a look in her mouth. Easiest way to do it is to gently but firmly hold her at the base of her head and support the rest of her body on another surface (or a buddy). With your other hand, gently pull the skin on her lower jaw down. A healthy mouth will look clean and pink, a bad RI will include symtoms like a foamy and wet mouth, crust around the lips, bloody mucuous, gurgling, and inflation of the chin area.

Is she arching her back at all when relaxed on the floor of her enclosure?

[elevatethis]

Also: seperate your two snakes if they are kept in the same general area....wash your hands in between contact with either animal and their enclosures....don't swap cage furniture or water bowls.....RI can be spread in these ways.

[Lucifers_Mommy]

if you just noticed it then up her temps....her air temp should go up about 10 degrees and drop the humidity to 40-50,the temp should make her ammune system kick in.....if you just caught it you might get lucky and it can go away on its own.

If it doesnt stop after 2-3 days of doing that you will have to take her to the vet. And even if it does stop you might want to just get her looked at anyways, and if everything is well at least it will save you the cost of the antiboitics and you will only pay the vet fee.

Good luck

[Adam_Wysocki]

if you just noticed it then up her temps....her air temp should go up about 10 degrees and drop the humidity to 40-50,the temp should make her ammune system kick in.....if you just caught it you might get lucky and it can go away on its own.

If it doesnt stop after 2-3 days of doing that you will have to take her to the vet. And even if it does stop you might want to just get her looked at anyways, and if everything is well at least it will save you the cost of the antiboitics and you will only pay the vet fee.

Good luck

Just an FYI ... In my experience, a captive ball pythons immune system is not strong enough to fight a respiratory infection on it's own ... bumping up temps will only boost the immune system enough to supress the infection, but not eliminate it totally ... which will be fine through the summer months, but then in the fall when temps are cooler and the air is dryer, the respiratory infection will return and likely be deeper in the lungs making it harder to treat.

If you even THINK that your ball python has a respiratory infection, take the animal to a vet and have a culture done ... The culture will not only identify whether or not your animal is sick, but it will also indicate the most effective anti-biotic for treating the infection.

Hope this helps.

-adam

[Melicious]

Also: seperate your two snakes if they are kept in the same general area....wash your hands in between contact with either animal and their enclosures....don't swap cage furniture or water bowls.....RI can be spread in these ways.

I've never kept them together and refuse to do so out of my own knowledge of the spread of infections, cannbalism, etc.

There are no bubbles. She's wheezing. I'm at school right now so I can't check her mouth, but I had her with me last night so there are no bubbles that came up. That, and there's a change of temperment. Sort of shy. She's never shy. O_o

I -do- need to get her to the vet though just for a general check-up. Her temps are normal. Humidity's a little low at about 41%, but that usually goes up mid-day to about 50%. (I hate glass vivs. Think I could borrow $500? Haha.)

[Melicious]

Oh, and Brad, I haven't noticed any back-arching. What does this imply?

[Boarder4l154]

back-arching is just another sign of an RI. Elevating their heads is a way for them to cope with all the mucus in their mouth. I know this is a different Brad, but i hope this helps!