Quote Originally Posted by nghtylilrubrduky
i took it to the pet store and the specialist said it doesn't sound like RI but inside his mouth was very white, not pink enough, he said. he also said i shouldn't need a heating pad the light is sufficent. so i'm going to boost the humidity and heat.

First off, welcome to the forum!

I'm glad that you took the time to seek help for your snake. From what you described, it could be a URI, but it could also be a loose shed in its nostril. Sometimes they will make a wheezing sound if a flap of skin is loose when they didn't shed completely or if he is close to shedding.

However, it's better to be cautious and assume it's a URI because the illness can come on very fast and will quite often be fatal to your snake. The only way to tell for certain is by taking your snake to a qualified vet.

To cover what others have mentioned, that analog thermometer is not appropriate for that cage. Even if it was completely accurate, it would only tell you the temps surrounding it right by the glass which is probably quite a bit different from what your snake is experiencing. And your snake could come down with a URI if the temps were even a few degrees from what they should be.

Finally, I wouldn't put much faith in pet store "specialists". If he gave you advice without checking out the cage or accurately measuring the temps, it's pretty clear that he was talking out of his... well, you know.

There are many, many people on this site that have years of experience dealing with hundreds if not thousands of these snakes. I would much rather put my faith in their advice than a pet store specialist.

Good luck, and I hope your snake gets better!