How can i check for bubbles on a RI..

[lewicki87]

im a first time snake owner and i have a bp, hes almost 3 feet long and i thought i might have heard wheezing noises coming from him today.
how can i check his mouth without him being scared of holding him close to/behind the head ?

thanks

[mpkeelee]

the best way is to just grab him with ur whole hand, almost like making a fist, on his neck with ur thumb and index finger at the base of his skull. he's gonna fight and squirm around but he will be ok. just dont squeeze too hard but u still want to be firm and have control. if he is sick u will start to see bubbles and saliva coming out of the sides of his mouth. also if he's fighting back he will start to breathe harder and that can cause the RI to be more noticeable than just holding him and listening

[bplover21]

im a first time snake owner and i have a bp, hes almost 3 feet long and i thought i might have heard wheezing noises coming from him today.
how can i check his mouth without him being scared of holding him close to/behind the head ?

thanks

On top of what's stated above, u can use a pen a Qtip a spactula anything safe basically to open up the mouth. If he's bubbling bad all u need to do is take your thumb and open up the top portion of his lip by the heat pits. Just a slight pressure will do you well. When using the pen or whatever object to open the mouth (I suggest q tip that's what I use) hell fight u put just keep gently pushing. After you've figured out if its an ri. You need to look at the causes. Ur temps, humditiy etc. Low temps dry air can all be causes of an ri. Then schedual an appointment time with your reptile vet to check him out further and ull want give them an ambient temp reading cool side and hot side readings and what ur humidity is cause when u start with shots ull need to increase either one to help fight it if one of ur readings is low. Hope this helps

[lewicki87]

On top of what's stated above, u can use a pen a Qtip a spactula anything safe basically to open up the mouth. If he's bubbling bad all u need to do is take your thumb and open up the top portion of his lip by the heat pits. Just a slight pressure will do you well. When using the pen or whatever object to open the mouth (I suggest q tip that's what I use) hell fight u put just keep gently pushing. After you've figured out if its an ri. You need to look at the causes. Ur temps, humditiy etc. Low temps dry air can all be causes of an ri. Then schedual an appointment time with your reptile vet to check him out further and ull want give them an ambient temp reading cool side and hot side readings and what ur humidity is cause when u start with shots ull need to increase either one to help fight it if one of ur readings is low. Hope this helps

thank you ! really appreciate it