Respiratory Infection Help

[Diasnis]

Hey all, new here. I came across this forum while looking for info on a possible respiratory infection that my Ball Python has, and would appreciate a bit of help/input from some of the more well-experienced owners.

My male Ball Python just recently started to show obvious signs of a respiratory infection. It started with a little saliva on his mouth here and there, clear, thin, but quickly developed into other signs - excessive "yawning", him puffing his throat occasionally, cough/sneeze/hiss sounds every once in a while, rubbing his nose and side of his face against his tank, and lethargy. My wife and I sadly do not have the financial ability to take Mephisto into any clinics, so we have been looking into home remedy options.

We recently found, researched, and began implementing a treatment using a mixture of hot water, "Vicks", and eucalyptus oil in a bowl placed in a large container, with Mephisto in a smaller container with air holes placed into the larger container. We do this treatment twice a day for about 15 minutes. Already he has been showing signs of slight improvement, as well as showing general improvement by raising the temperature of his tank to 95*.

I was curious if anyone else has used this style of treatment, and if so, was it successful and after how much time? This is the first Ball Python I have owned that has come down with this, and since we have 14 other snakes, I'd like to get rid of this as quick as possible. Any advise/tips/etc would be amazing!

[The Serpent Merchant]

Welcome to the site!

I would be careful how much Eucalyptus oil you use. Eucalyptus oil contains the same toxic chemicals that cedar and pine contain. In an extreme case like yours it might be worth the risk, but you might just end up causing more damage.

If your snakes RI doesn't go away quickly you are going to have to get it to a vet. There are multiple possible causes of RI, and they require different treatments. Only a vet running a culture can tell you which.

[Neal]

If it's a slight RI then sometimes by upping the temperature you can beat it, I've done this once when I was a kid. If it's bad enough though I highly doubt that will work. Watch your humidity as well.

[cschneider]

From the symptoms you've described it sounds like its getting pretty severe. It's either ri or mouth rot most likely. You really need to take him to a vet. It's probably going to be around $50.00 for a culture and injections. If u wait longer sometimes they need double the meds so it gets more expensive. Not trying to be rude but if u can't afford that, you may seriously want to consider adopting out to someone who can provide vet care if needed.

Overall, while you decide what to do, I would bump the temps up a few degrees and make sure it's super clean. I'd suggest putting him on paper towels to make sure it's really clean.

[Stewart_Reptiles]

My wife and I sadly do not have the financial ability to take Mephisto into any clinics, so we have been looking into home remedy options.

I'd like to get rid of this as quick as possible. Any advise/tips/etc would be amazing!

The fastest and best way to go about this is to take your animal to an herp vet have a culture done and have the proper anti-biotics prescribed.

Most vet will do payment plans and there are also credit cards designed for medical emergencies.

With pet ownership comes great responsibilities, providing proper veterinary care is one of them and since you have 15 snakes in your care it might be something you want to give some thoughts.

This is not like a human having a cold this is a RI in a snake that requires proper care and what you are doing right now is just alleviate the symptoms.

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...tory+infection

http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showt...ce-Reptile-Vet

[bcr229]

Definitely get the sick one to a vet quickly. I had one pop up with an RI earlier this year and the visit + meds was under $100. The vet thanked me for bringing the snake in at the first sign of a problem as it's cheaper and faster to treat the illness early than if you wait; he said most people try home remedies for a few weeks and then only bring the snake in when it's really sick. The other thing is that the longer this one is sick the more likely one of your others is to end up getting sick also. Even if you QT the sick one, if you have central air it'll spread the germs through the house.
ETA: My vet did recommend steam treatments like you've been doing, but without the additives. Just use the warm water, the steam will help the snake expel mucus. While the snake is getting treated, completely clean and disinfect everything in its enclosure - the more germs you remove from his surroundings, the fewer he'll have to fight off.

[Diasnis]

Jumping back in here after that hiatus.

First off all, we weren't expecting to have the 15 snakes - 7 of which were recent births before the RI set in. Also, my wife had just recently lost her job - not something we were anticipating or expecting. Had she still her job, then the cost of medical visits for our animals wouldn't be an issue.

However, with everything said and done, we were able to help Mephisto kick his RI with an induced fever and utilizing the steamer/Vick's option. It took him a little time, but from day one he was showing improvement in breathing, then after twice-daily treatments, he finally started to show more and more progress. As of now, he is practically finished with the ick, and seems to be in the clear. Once finances are more stable, we will still be taking him in to a vet to do a look-over on him just to make sure, but with our observations and help, it seems that he was able to get this kicked on his own. He is eating again, no mucus/saliva, has shed, and was able to keep away any mouth infection.