Please help...should I take my snake to the vet?

[marenkae]

I'm really worried about my ball python. :/

I just drove him home from college over the course of two days. A couple days before the trip his eyes turned milky so I knew he was going to shed soon....he got SUPER wrinkly and dull two days before we left.

The first leg of the trip took about ten hours. I set up his tank when we got to the place we were staying and he seemed fine (apart from his skin obviously needing to come off) and was acting normally that evening and again in the morning. The second leg of the trip took about seven hours--I got home and have him all set up in my room now.

But I feel like things are not all well.

I just feel like he isn't himself somehow. I can't put my finger on what--it's mostly just a general sense of being off. He has maybe been a bit more sluggish than usual but I could be imagining it. He just doesn't seem to be moving the same way as usual.

He also seems to be having trouble shedding because it is still very obvious that he has an extra layer of dry skin all over his body. It has come up a TINY bit around his face but that's it. I started misting his tank and I tried to give him a bath when we got home but he curled up very tightly so I didn't let him soak long because he was obviously pretty anxious. His skin hasn't come off at all though. He feels extra leathery.

And NOW I have noticed a slight popping sound in his breathing. I only heard it a couple times last night so I wasn't sure what it was. However I tried to soak him again today and he freaked out and tried to get out of the tub frantically so I pulled him out and wrapped him in a warm damp towel instead. The popping sound is much more obvious now. Did he get water in his respiratory system? Is his nose possibly stopped up from the shed? Is he just stressed from the car trip? What can I do to help him?

Also today he is also due to be fed but I'm holding off until things seem better for him.

[AK907]

You should read this:

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...edding-Process

Also, do a search for respiratory infections (RI/URI). There are a million threads on it. With that, I believe that whenever you're in doubt, take them to a competent vet.

[Slim]

First off, Welcome to BP.net!

Second, stop soaking your snake. Do all you can to raise the ambient humidity in his enclosure, but all that soaking is going to leech out the essential oils he needs to slough off the old skin.

Most likely the poping is from the shed in his nose, but keep an eye on him after he does get the shed off.

Honestly, the best thing you can do for him right now is to get the humidity as high as you can, and then let him get the shed off by himself.

With the recent travel, I wouldn't feed him until after he's had a chance to shed and settle in.

[marenkae]

First off, Welcome to BP.net!

Second, stop soaking your snake. Do all you can to raise the ambient humidity in his enclosure, but all that soaking is going to leech out the essential oils he needs to slough off the old skin.

Most likely the poping is from the shed in his nose, but keep an eye on him after he does get the shed off.

Honestly, the best thing you can do for him right now is to get the humidity as high as you can, and then let him get the shed off by himself.

With the recent travel, I wouldn't feed him until after he's had a chance to shed and settle in.

Thanks. Yeah--I definitely am not bathing him again anytime soon, he obviously is not having it. I misted the tank a bit and let him be. A few bits of skin have come off which I'm happy about...he seems to be starting the process of shedding although it's definitely going to be a messy one. He still seems to be moving around somewhat pathetically but I'm hoping that will get better once his dry skin starts peeling off.

[Highline Reptiles South]

sounds like it is just having a jacked up shed due to being transport while being in the blue.

try raising the humidity BIGTIME. like 80%-90% use cypress chips and soak them, or even try adding wetted cypress moss. If you use a tank, cover most of this to keep the humidity in.

With a really bad shed you can try using Shed Ease. It has moisturizers and oils to help with a bad shed. I had good luck with it in the past with snakes that were kept in dry tanks.