Ball Python Wheezing.

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Pardon me if I make a mistake, this is my first time ever using a forum. But here it goes. I have a roughly year old normal ball python. The past 2-3 weeks I have noticed a slight whistling noise when he/she breaths. I have 3 hids in the 40g breeder. 1 with no heat source near by, 1 ontop of a heating pad (covered in sheddings of course), and 1 under the lamp. The lamp is a 75w day bulb. No light at night. The BP has been staying in the no heat source hid. Active a few times a week roaming around the cage. Eats 1 thawed mouse every 1 - 2 weeks. Never refuses. I checked inside the mouth and found no bubbles or discharge. Been about a month since last shed. Any ideas what this could be?

[bcr229]

Sometimes with an RI you can feel a gurgling in their lungs when they breathe when you hold them. Have you tried this? Are there any of the other symptoms - resting with the head elevated/nose pointed up, or excessive yawning?

[dr del]

Hi,

If it is coming up to a shed that can cause a whistling from the nose.

I would use a red bulb so that you can leave it on 24/7 to avoid temp drops though

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I haven't noticed any gurgling or having the head tilted upwards. I added a red bulb 2 days ago incase it was the temp. The only thing odd is the whistling noise. No loss of appetite and is active. In fact 2 weeks ago he/ she got out of the cage twice ( I have since then added more locks). So I know it's active lol. Plus it's choosing the cooler side of the tank. Never had a problem with shedding. Comes off in one piece. He/ she doesn't look dull or pink on the belly, so I'm sure it's not close to a shed.

[Ash]

The whistling noise can be from a piece of leftover shed skin (or loose skin from an impending shed) hanging weirdly in his nostril. I wouldn't worry too much unless he starts making a sort of wet gurgling or hissing/clicking sounds. If he's still making this sound after his next shed, you might want to think about taking him to a vet. These things are easier to handle if they're caught early.

Pick him up in a very quiet place and put your ear near his body. Do you hear any soft clicking/snapping coming from his body? That's a clear indicator of an RI.

It's getting close to winter, and a lot of snakes do come down with RIs around this time. It probably wouldn't hurt to bump up his ambient temp just a little bit, to err on the side of caution.

Edit: Do you know what the temperature is in the cool hide he seems to prefer? Are the hides all different from one another? He might just like that hide in particular and isn't choosing it based on the temperature. It might be too cold for him there. Maybe you could try moving his favorite hide to the warm spot and see what he does.

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I dont know what the temp is on the cooler side. I have a thermometer in the middle of the tank and it read 88-90. On the cooler side I have a clay pot with a chunk knocked out of it. The middle is a stone cave thing I bought at petco right ontop of the heating pad. And on the lamp side, I have a large log. Forgot to mention that I also have a second ball python in with him and 9 out of 10 times I see them sleeping in the pot together. There are occasions I dont see them together. However the other ball python doesnt have the whistling/ wheezing sound. I also wanted to mention that I have to literally put him up to my ear in order to hear it. It is a very faint sound.

I did take him out last night for about 2-3 minutes while I was changing water and didnt hear it. However I will take him out longer tonight and see what happens. I will keep everyone posted.

Thanks everyone that has posted so far.