Hi All!

I suspect my BP may have RI (and am planning to take her to the vet tomorrow). Before my questions, a quick description of our set-up and events in the past month relating to temperature:

She is in a Neodesha enclosure with an fake rock "den" (two parts, comes apart and has a hole in to crawl in and out of), a large water dish (big enough for soaking if desired), a fake plant with lots of leaves that spread out and provide cover, and a terracotta plant saucer filled with a thin layer of Repti Bark and one of those half hollowed log "Critter Refuges." I have a humidity gauge in the middle of the enclosure and to gauges for temp - one on either side of the cage, about a third of the way up the back. The heating unit that came with the cage is attached to the bottom and covers two-thirds of the enclosure on the left side. The lamp attachment has a Zoo Med infrared heater in it - it is on the left side as well. The terracotta saucer is on this left side, water and plant are in the middle (plant in front). and the rock den thing is on the right. She spends the majority of her time in the rock den, which has some Esu Reptile Terrarium Moss in the bottom, which I mist (very lightly) with water when replacing it. The bottom is covered in astro-turf.

When temps got cold at the beginning of November, the temperatures dropped from 90-100 on the warm side to 80-85 and from 80-90 on the cool side to about 15 degrees or so lower I closed and covered the vents (yes, I know that was a mistake - messed up circulation of fresh air <sigh>) and got the temp to raise to 80-90 on the warm side and 70-80 on the cool side. I was concerned that she was staying on the cool side, because she liked the rock den, not because she liked the temperature, so I tired moving the rock den around. When I moved it to the warm side or the middle, she still spend most of her time curled up on the cool side. I didn't want to cook her and know that temperatures change in the wild, so I put it back the way it was, so she could have her den back and figured she must know best. (I got her last April, so the temps weren't so low.)

However, today when we were holding her, she started drooling. That is the only symptom we have seen so far ... no popping, gurgling, wheezing, or the (debated) coughing or sneezing. She HAS yawned, but she did that before. The drool is mostly clear, though some is a bit cloudy (not yellow). I looked into her mouth (very gently!!!) and saw no discoloration or sores. She is still eating everything we put in front of her! (Fuzzy rats, thawed.)

We are in the middle of the process of thoroughly cleaning out her cage, which prompted me to come post my questions earlier, rather than later! My questions are:

1. Is there anything I should clean more than usual?

2. Should I leave out something? Perhaps put the den on the warm side and leave in only water, so she is encouraged to get warmer? What about the bark and the moss? Could they cause problems with her respiratory system?

3. I've opened the vents to increase air circulation, but I know this will make the temp drop. What other measures should I take to warm her enclosure for the winter? Another heating pad? Another lamp? A portable heater next to the cage? Or?

4. Is there any reason NOT to hold her? (My husband has very warm hands and has been holding her and keeping her warm since the drool was discovered. She has not drooled since he warmed her up. )

5. I have seen the (I think only) local vet who sees herps in the past with my other snakes ... being the only herp vet, he charges outrageous prices, sometimes over-prescribes (based on what I read on forums like this!), and in general is someone I avoid when I can. :p What SHOULD he do to treat RI? What options will he (likely) offer me that are unnecessary? Is there any information I should be armed with before I go?

Thanks in advance for your replies!

Peggy