Good Morning,
So to keep this as short as possible - I've had my retic for about 6 weeks now and he has just had his first shed. When he first went into shed he started wheezing (which after some research seems normal for retics around this time).... Where my concern starts is that it has been 2 days since he shed out, and he still has a very very very slight wheeze (It is only possible to hear this wheeze if you put your ear directly to his face, whereas before the shed it was audible the moment he was out of his tub).
Should I be concerned that the wheeze has not gone away? He has not been pushing or showing any signs that he is uncomfortable - I have him on unprinted paper, the hot spot is at 32.5 degrees, the cool side is around 28 degrees and the ambient room temp is at 24 degrees. He has a water bowl big enough to soak and a hide over his hot spot that doubles as a perch.
I know the most obvious answer will be to check for excess saliva to identify an RI - HOWEVER, He came in as a rather stressed animal, after 6 weeks he is finally stress free and trusts me and I feel like shoving a card into his mouth might bring back some stress that I would prefer to avoid.
Do you have any advice for a first time retic owner? Should I wait a few more days and then check for saliva, should I soak him? Any experience you have would be greatly appreciated!
Again, the wheeze is barely barely audible and has improved GREATLY since his shed - There were no signs of wheezing before the shed began.
TIA!