Metacam by mouth

[Craiga 01453]

Ok. Then I will just stop giving it then. If that's not what I should do then just tell me.

What could that noise be he makes every so often when coming up, then? No discharge, open mouth breathing, wheezing, etc. Seems perfectly healthy besides that. And it's occasional so it's confusing. Lol

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Without hearing it I cant really say, but snakes make noises. They fart, breathe, sigh, etc...
So I'm guessing it's nothing worth worrying about.

That being said: I'm not a vet and can't hear it. I would just keep an eye on it and make sure it doesn't get worse or more frequent.

[HeathBish]

Will do.

Deb... I'm sorry if I came off as being mean. I didn't mean to. I value your opinion and advice. I was just worried he was going to aspirate in front of me or something.

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[bcr229]

Many snakes huff, puff, and make noise under exertion. It's perfectly normal. The giants like retics and burms do it more often, but ball pythons will do it occasionally as well.

[HeathBish]

That's good to know. I always thought any noise besides "hissing" was unnatural and something to worry about.

Thanks!

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[Bogertophis]

HeathBish, is this vet listed as an exotics vet? how much experience (years in practice) does he/she have treating snakes? (did you ask or try to find out?)
It's really important, because meds that are safe to use for snakes are mostly NOT the same as for typical pets (dogs, cats, etc). Some vets are willing to
try (despite a lack of experience) either because they truly want to help you & your pet, OR because they make money for doing something, even if it's wrong.
Well-meaning but inexperienced vets can & do cause harm if they don't know what they're doing.

[HeathBish]

HeathBish, is this vet listed as an exotics vet? how much experience (years in practice) does he/she have treating snakes? (did you ask or try to find out?)
It's really important, because meds that are safe to use for snakes are mostly NOT the same as for typical pets (dogs, cats, etc). Some vets are willing to
try (despite a lack of experience) either because they truly want to help you & your pet, OR because they make money for doing something, even if it's wrong.
Well-meaning but inexperienced vets can & do cause harm if they don't know what they're doing.

Yes. They are. I was referred by the owner of an exotic pet store. It's Specialized Care for Avian and Exotic Pets in Clarence NY. The vet had the heat warmer on so he was comfortable while on the table. He knew exactly how to open his mouth, give him the medicine, and first try found his heartbeat and we listened to it. And like I said he didn't push anything he said "we could try. " I kept saying I wish he would make the noise blah blah so maybe he did it to make me feel better. I don't know. I do know they said I can come in for injections instead or bring the oral med and they can give it to him for me.

I like to think positively. I'm not a Dr but do have a medical background and didn't get any bad vibes and everythi g he did was fluid and smooth moving. Also there were other patients from turtles to birds and ferrets and I talked with some of the owners and they had nothing but good stuff to say. No other snake parents though.

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[Armiyana]

Oral meds for a snake can be really frustrating. I did orals for one of mine for a bout of septicemia. There was no way to order the proper injectable meds to start treatment for at least a week, most likely two because of some distributor shortage at the time... So we went the old fashioned way.

Snakes are like kids who hate the taste of cough syrup. They will drool and protest. Lizards take meds much easier.

Having an extra set of hands to help manage the back end while you work the front is great. What worked best for me was keeping his head slightly elevated so he could swallow, but not too high where if he drooled he would aspirate too much too quickly. And not let him droop so he dribbled meds out. And keep them at that level for a few minutes until they stop fussing over the taste and settle down.

That said.... yes, metacam is a great anti inflammatory even though it smells like ferret musk. Lol. I've used it in lizards, mammals and birds before, but never a snake. So not sure on things there myself...

I have a snake that will huff like that when grabbing on and straining themselves for a climb or better grip. It could have just been positional. If it had been my snake, I would probably take the meds just in case, but monitor my snake a bit more first.

As someone else mentioned, snakes can be pretty noisy at times! Is this a new snake for you? Sometimes just a little notepad and observations can help keep track when you notice the sounds.

2 of mine are 'talkers' and one just gets 'frustrated.
2 will huff and puff up when handled, spooked or when I check in on them. One is a big hisser too, the other was when being medicated for burns but had warmed up after healing up well. Because of that, I expect some noise from those two when working near them. I do keep watch for other signs or if the sounds seem different tho, just in case.
My big boy just seems to get frustrated when he starts to roam his habitat. Usually it's when he stretches up to sniff at the mesh lid, he lets out a big sigh before moving on to the next spot. He's the one that sometimes give a good sigh when adjusting himself when wrapped on my arm as well.

In the case of one of my geckos.... he constantly makes popping sounds when handled or excited. Sometimes he'll take a quick gasp as well. Not because he has an upper respiratory, but because he has very small nostrils. Not sure what the reason for it was, but he's fine otherwise.

Observation is a big part of keeping these guys healthy. So it's great to notice something like that. Sometimes it's not the big bad we worry about. Just a little quirk. I hope that's the case for you noodle!
Obviously, if anything else seems off or lethargy kicks in, another trip to the vet would be in order.

[Armiyana]

Also... adding in as well just in case!

Your baby might refuse food for 2 weeks after the meds. Just because of the hassle with the oral meds and such. Or the way it makes thier mouth and belly feel.

Don't offer food while medicating because the handling needed is just asking for a regurge. Offering food 3 or 4 days after the last dose you give is fine, but the baby may still refuse it.

[HeathBish]

He's new to me. I pretty much rescued him at the end of October. My daughter said she noticed this when we first got him and I hadn't so I guess he's been doing this. We handle him together but she will usually get him out while I spot check, etc so I missed it at first.

I didn't give it to him yesterday because I scared myself out of it. I had it all ready and something made me stop and not do it. When the vet gave it to him he made it look so easy. He said to watch for a couple swallows and then let him go and do what he wants. He swallowed so obviously at the vet and no issues. Then this disaster. I'm afraid I'm going to make him sick if this keeps happening when I give it to him. I did notice he didn't make the said noise yesterday when we had him out. I don't know if there's any corralation.

I'm struggling with to give or not to give lol. As mentioned above he isn't showing any signs or symptoms of illness. The noise just scared me because I didn't think they make noises.

Thank you for your help. It's nice to have these different views and opinions. Happy New Year!

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[HeathBish]

Also... adding in as well just in case!

Your baby might refuse food for 2 weeks after the meds. Just because of the hassle with the oral meds and such. Or the way it makes thier mouth and belly feel.

Don't offer food while medicating because the handling needed is just asking for a regurge. Offering food 3 or 4 days after the last dose you give is fine, but the baby may still refuse it.

I was actually wondering about this because he's supposed to eat tomorrow. I don't know if I will continue the med right now and see what happens but if I do then I'll wait to feed him. Maybe I'll give it a week after the last dose. What are your thoughts on holding the med?

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