Meatball is sick...........

[lasweetswan]

Poor Meatball.
Looks like we've got a URI (my thoughts anyhow). We have a vet appt tonight at 7 so we'll know for sure.
I noticed a VERY minor puffing noise during a few exhales about 4 days ago. So minor that I had to put his head right by my ear and wait for it to hear it again. He was in blue when I originally heard it, and I thought it was just because he was about to shed. I checked on him this morning and now that the shed is finished, the sound is worse and is coming from his throat, not his nostrils, however does not occur with each exhale. Anyway, vet trip in order =\

I've never had a URI before and haven't had any major flux in temps in his tub. He's in a rack with two other tubs and there is generally about a 3 degree variance in temps between the three tubs. The tub on top is generally about 3 degrees warmer (my spider is in this tub). Meatball's usually sits right around 89 on the warm end and ambient in the room is around 79-82 depending on whether or not the AC on the house is on, even though I have the vent shut in the room that they are in. His humidity is usually a few percentages higher than the others because he does have a bigger water bowl considering that he is the largest, but usually hangs around 60%.

I have gone through all of the old posts that I found using the search tool but couldn't find an answer to one question. He is already in quarantine. I got him 4 months ago, but when I got my spider, I reset the QT time clock. Do I now QT him from QT? If I move him away from the spider and the other normal that he is racked with, I don't have another Tstat for only him. What's the best solution for making sure that the 2 others don't get sick and still making sure that he gets better? When he starts meds, is it unsafe for him to be added back to the rack until all meds are finished? How did he get sick to begin with?

[Wh00h0069]

Improper temps and stress can cause them go get sick. They can also catch sickness from other snakes, but that doesn't sound like it is the problem. If it were me, I would QT him away from snakes that you believe are not sick.

Good luck at the vet. I'm sure he will be better in no time.

[Skittles1101]

He could have been sick before you received him, sometimes symptoms can take a long time to show up. As far as QT, I'd make sure he is as far away from the others as possible. You can always get a hydrofarm from amazon.com and have it shipped overnight or 2 day to you. It will definitely work in a pinch. I hope he's not sick. I know I got really nervous about my male pastel once, he was whistling when he breathed. Turns out it was stuck shed in his nose. If he does turn out to have a URI, I've heard bumping up to about 92-94 degrees is best. You can also buy a fogger and some F10 along with antibiotics and hopefully he'll pull through. Good luck, I hope it's just something stupid like stuck shed

[lasweetswan]

Do you guys think this could have came on from when he got stuck in the wall for 5 hours? I know the temps inside of there had to below 75.

[lasweetswan]

He could have been sick before you received him, sometimes symptoms can take a long time to show up. As far as QT, I'd make sure he is as far away from the others as possible. You can always get a hydrofarm from amazon.com and have it shipped overnight or 2 day to you. It will definitely work in a pinch. I hope he's not sick. I know I got really nervous about my male pastel once, he was whistling when he breathed. Turns out it was stuck shed in his nose. If he does turn out to have a URI, I've heard bumping up to about 92-94 degrees is best. You can also buy a fogger and some F10 along with antibiotics and hopefully he'll pull through. Good luck, I hope it's just something stupid like stuck shed

Leah!! You were exactly right. I took a closer inspection of his face and he hadn't shed near his nose/heat pits. It was so hard to tell see that, I would have never noticed if you wouldn't have mentioned it. I had my boyfriend hold him and I tackled him with my fingernails and managed to pull a gnarly piece of shed from the entire area. Each nostril was completely covered which is what I'm assuming was causing the puffing because the air was only escaping from underneath the sides of the stuck area. I believe that is why I saw his throat move earlier also because he couldn't breathe through his nose at all.

Good news is though is that that is clear and he can breathe and I haven't heard a puff since! I'm going to check on him again after work and sit with him for a while to listen and then if I still hear any odd noises, we'll keep our appt.

[Skittles1101]

YAY!!

I'm so glad he just had shed in his nose! Keep an eye out, but it sounds exactly what was wrong with my guy, and I haven't had a problem since

[PitOnTheProwl]

[lasweetswan]

[RestlessRobie]

X3

[Rawbbeh]