He just sneezed, cause for concern?

[DJ__RAY]

Hi everyone, first time posting on here but I have been reading various threads for a while now.

I have a male pastel called Basil who is one year and 3 months old who I have had for a year now and has just sneezed a couple times within a minute for the first time.

Events leading up to today:

Saturday: came out of a very bad shed (first shed since me moving house, changing from heat mat to ceramic bulb which both lowered humidity. It was around 55-65%, but with good temps during shed. I know they were too low but I struggled to keep them up)

Monday: Bathed Basil and removed almost all retained skin which he happily let me do and help me by pushing against my hands to pull the skin off. Only skin left is on his neck.

Tuesday: cleaned his viv (I use aspen bedding)

Wednesday: attempted feed, was interested but did not take

Friday: took Basil out for a while, let him roam around on the sofa, also for the first time let him roam around on the carpet (he did not seem to like the carpet) (the carpet has also not been hoovered for a while)

Saturday (today): I went to a visit a reptile rescue centre to for a few hours with my fiancee. I was told that some of the ball pythons had been isolated due to respiratory infections. I bought some lignocel bedding for when I clean his viv next time, and I also bought him a large wiener rat from the rescue centre (frozen) which he has been happily eating for a while now. I have also bought him a porcelain plant pot for him as a hide (I have used this in the past and he absolutely loved it). I widened the Hole in the pot using a drill, which caused a lot of dust. I washed the pot after and put in his viv replacing his cold hide.

He strike fed his wiener rat in approximately a minute and ate with no problems.

Once he swallowed the rat he sneezed and they yawned to realign his jaw and then sneezed again. I have never heard this from him before and was wondering if it's because of any of the things that I have dine recently or possible respiratory infection?

He is approximately 3-4ft long in a 3.5ft viv, 1 year 3months old, and weighed 550grams today before I fed him)

Temps are good and humidity is currently at 68%

Please help, any advice, suggestions or information will be gratefully accepted.

I am in the UK it was Saturday 11th March when I started writing this and now it's Sunday, just saying so days do not get confusing.

Sorry for writing a story.

Thank you very much in advance

[Trisnake]

What did this "sneeze" sound/look like? Snakes don't have diaphragms, so I'm having a hard time picturing what happened.

Monitor your animal in the meantime for any other symptoms of respiratory illness; mucus and/or bubbles at the mouth/nose, star gazing (extended sessions of periscoping upwards or propping the head/neck up to appear gazing at the cage top), wheezing noises, labored breathing, and food refusal can all present with RI. Research accredited reptile vets in the area in advance.

Also, I have to say; going to a reptile rescue and then heading home and interacting with your own reptile without changing clothes or cleaning up was putting your animal at a huge risk. Even if it's highly unlikely he would catch something and start presenting symptoms the same day as exposure, it doesn't change the fact that he WAS exposed to all sorts of nasty pathogens and that he may very well end up infected with something gross. If you're going to interact with sick reptiles or reptiles you arent 100% positive are healthy (even if you think they are) then you NEED to take the necessary precautions to keep your own collection safe and that means changing clothes in a separate room from your reptiles and taking a shower before you interact with your own animals. Reptile rescues are great but they tend to be full of mites and disease and you need to make sure you don't transfer nasties from yourself to your animals.

[DJ__RAY]

Thank you, I had only handled a corn that was out for 'handle the reptiles' which I used disinfectant and washed my hands after. When I got home I washed my hands and changed my clothes in a different room.

Yes maybe it wasn't the best idea and that was my mistake.

The first sneeze was like a body twitch and a high pitched squeak (just after he had swallowed his food) then the second was as he was yawning, again a high pitched squeak but no body twitch. I will continue to monitor him and look out for those symptoms.

I got home around 3.30pm and did not handle him until around 10.30pm to take him out to feed him. He took the food very quickly. The staff at the centre held the frozen rat with hands so this could also be exposure, I have a local reptile vet that I have taken him to before for a check up so I am ready to make the appointment but hoping I don't need to.

I had fed him on Saturday night and it is now Sunday night, I will be taking him out to check on him tomorrow evening when I get back from work.

I hope this information is enough to help with your advice.

Thank you

[dr del]

The shed cycle can also cause obstruction of the nostrils and thus cause sounds when they breath hard in times of stress/ exertion.

[DJ__RAY]

What did this "sneeze" sound/look like? Snakes don't have diaphragms, so I'm having a hard time picturing what happened.

Monitor your animal in the meantime for any other symptoms of respiratory illness; mucus and/or bubbles at the mouth/nose, star gazing (extended sessions of periscoping upwards or propping the head/neck up to appear gazing at the cage top), wheezing noises, labored breathing, and food refusal can all present with RI. Research accredited reptile vets in the area in advance.

Also, I have to say; going to a reptile rescue and then heading home and interacting with your own reptile without changing clothes or cleaning up was putting your animal at a huge risk. Even if it's highly unlikely he would catch something and start presenting symptoms the same day as exposure, it doesn't change the fact that he WAS exposed to all sorts of nasty pathogens and that he may very well end up infected with something gross. If you're going to interact with sick reptiles or reptiles you arent 100% positive are healthy (even if you think they are) then you NEED to take the necessary precautions to keep your own collection safe and that means changing clothes in a separate room from your reptiles and taking a shower before you interact with your own animals. Reptile rescues are great but they tend to be full of mites and disease and you need to make sure you don't transfer nasties from yourself to your animals.

Hi I had replied but forgotten to quote your response as I am new to the whole forums thing

- - - Updated - - -

The shed cycle can also cause obstruction of the nostrils and thus cause sounds when they breath hard in times of stress/ exertion.

Thank you, it was a bad shed which I have now learnt from.