Ball python rescue

[Peachylauren]

Hello! About a month ago, I rescued a ball python she hadn't eaten in 4 months, was kept in 60°F temps and was fed live generally without supervision. You all know where these problems lead. She was underweight, had a resperitory infection and had a gnarly bite on her face from live prey fighting back. I've delt with RIs before so this one was a little bit of a challenge being that her mouth was deformed. She's not doing so well, she's acting really odd and generally I would take her to the vet but I'm doing through a tough time and I CAN make up the money but I'd rather not go to the vet and have them tell me somthing I already know and have to pay $200 for it so I want to get some more insight on what's doing on before I take her to the vet. I'm aware that waiting is risky but trust me when I say 'tough times' ♡

Ok so first, I raised the temps to 95°F - 98°F, I take her into the room with my panther chameleon, it's 60% humidity in that room so the the humidity can help her get over the RI and I pat her gently to help break up the mucus in her body ( learned this technique from a reptile specialist, let me know if it is ineffective! ) she was eating OK for 2 weeks then she stopped, but seemed very interested in the food but never strikes ( what does this mean? ) so she no longer has the support of the nutrients to help her ditch the RI.

She started puffing her throat out every few minutes. I've never seen this happen or read about it? What does it mean? Is it a part of an RI?

I did a "mouth exam" to see how bad the RI was.. but I saw ONE BUBBLE in her entire mouth. For the sounds she makes I would assume she was in the late stages of an RI but her mouth says otherwise? She wheezes and clicks every 5 - 10 seconds. Do you think her bite is to blame for most of the noises?

Thank you for reading, and thanks in advance for the help https://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5a6e91a7..._191234331.mp4

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[Godzilla78]

I am as reluctant as any to go to a vet, but I have never had any health issues besides one case of mites, which I cured myself.

However, if I had a snake in the condition that yours is in, I would take it to a vet ASAP. That snake will likely die soon without treatment, by the look and your description of it.

[Crowfingers]

Her gums look a tad pale in the pictures (could be due to RI / malnutrition / lighting of the pic), but without the bubbles and such and a ton of mucous, the wheezing could also be the messed up nose. Looks almost like the majority of that nostril has been ruined, so breathing won't ever be normal. If it is from a bite then the bite itself could be infected as well. Antibiotics may be the only course of action for that.

As for temps, 95-98 is too high in my opinion. I'd have a hot spot on a regulated thermostat no higher than 92 and bump the cold side up to no higher than 85-87. You want to help her thermoregulate without cooking her - too high of a temp without being able to cool off will stress her just as much as too low of a temp. Bumping humidity to 70% would also help.

Trying to get her to eat, keeping stress at a minimum, and proper temps, are about all you can do on your own...I know things are tight, but sometimes antibiotics are the only fix. It does not look too infected yet, so she may have already healed the majority of the mouth / nose wound

[Godzilla78]

Also, your temps are way too hot. 80-82 ambient temps are plenty hot. 88-92 UTH hot spot.

[Peachylauren]

Her gums look a tad pale in the pictures (could be due to RI / malnutrition / lighting of the pic), but without the bubbles and such and a ton of mucous, the wheezing could also be the messed up nose. Looks almost like the majority of that nostril has been ruined, so breathing won't ever be normal. If it is from a bite then the bite itself could be infected as well. Antibiotics may be the only course of action for that.

As for temps, 95-98 is too high in my opinion. I'd have a hot spot on a regulated thermostat no higher than 92 and bump the cold side up to no higher than 85-87. You want to help her thermoregulate without cooking her - too high of a temp without being able to cool off will stress her just as much as too low of a temp. Bumping humidity to 70% would also help.

Trying to get her to eat, keeping stress at a minimum, and proper temps, are about all you can do on your own...I know things are tight, but sometimes antibiotics are the only fix. It does not look too infected yet, so she may have already healed the majority of the mouth / nose wound

Ok, thank you so much for the advice! I'll change her temps to be lower tonight and see how she reacts!

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[Peachylauren]

Also, your temps are way too hot. 80-82 ambient temps are plenty hot. 88-92 UTH hot spot.

Ok, thank you! I went to a reptile shop that I've known for a while and he said to bump the temps up but at this point it's not working so you are probably right, I'll fix the temps tonight!

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[Godzilla78]

Best of luck to a successful rescue. It will be a great little pet, if you can pull her through.

[Peachylauren]

Best of luck to a successful rescue. It will be a great little pet, if you can pull her through.

Thank you!

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[CALM Pythons]

Hello! About a month ago, I rescued a ball python she hadn't eaten in 4 months, was kept in 60°F temps and was fed live generally without supervision. You all know where these problems lead. She was underweight, had a resperitory infection and had a gnarly bite on her face from live prey fighting back. I've delt with RIs before so this one was a little bit of a challenge being that her mouth was deformed. She's not doing so well, she's acting really odd and generally I would take her to the vet but I'm doing through a tough time and I CAN make up the money but I'd rather not go to the vet and have them tell me somthing I already know and have to pay $200 for it so I want to get some more insight on what's doing on before I take her to the vet. I'm aware that waiting is risky but trust me when I say 'tough times' ♡

Ok so first, I raised the temps to 95°F - 98°F, I take her into the room with my panther chameleon, it's 60% humidity in that room so the the humidity can help her get over the RI and I pat her gently to help break up the mucus in her body ( learned this technique from a reptile specialist, let me know if it is ineffective! ) she was eating OK for 2 weeks then she stopped, but seemed very interested in the food but never strikes ( what does this mean? ) so she no longer has the support of the nutrients to help her ditch the RI.

She started puffing her throat out every few minutes. I've never seen this happen or read about it? What does it mean? Is it a part of an RI?

I did a "mouth exam" to see how bad the RI was.. but I saw ONE BUBBLE in her entire mouth. For the sounds she makes I would assume she was in the late stages of an RI but her mouth says otherwise? She wheezes and clicks every 5 - 10 seconds. Do you think her bite is to blame for most of the noises?

Thank you for reading, and thanks in advance for the help https://cloud.tapatalk.com/s/5a6e91a7..._191234331.mp4

Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

Im no Vet but that looks White & Filled compared to any snakes mouth I've ever had. Id say a infection. Doesn't look good. Kinda looks the color & swelling when a human gets Strep.

[Peachylauren]

Im no Vet but that looks White & Filled compared to any snakes mouth I've ever had. Id say a infection. Doesn't look good. Kinda looks the color & swelling when a human gets Strep.

I was also thinking that, about the swelling but I wasn't sure, thanks for letting me know!

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