possible respiratory infection

[phil_7870]

i have a ball only started eating awhile ago it was on newspaper then on aspen but back to newspaper now incase sick shed about 2 weeks ago i can hear a poping comin from the snake no mucus or open mouth breathing temps are good 90 95 and humdity is 50 to 60 do i need to bring it to the vet i dnt want to stress it out because it a 2 hr drive up and 2hr back and its pretty cold

[phil_7870]

and the aspen was kinda dusty so it proble didnt help much

[Smilts]

How loud is the popping and even though you cant see mucas does the popping sound wet? It doesnt need a vet which you will hear alot real soon:). I would make sure that the heat is perfect and maybe raise the humidity slightly.




Without being there I couldnt say maybe some others but not me.

[phil_7870]

no it not real loud what would u say it is an RI

[phil_7870]

could it have been the aspen

[Smilts]

My bp's are on aspen with no problems. Are you sure the slight popping you are hearing isnt when its flicking its tongue?

[phil_7870]

yeah im starting to go crazy incase he get reeli bad but if i bring him to the vet it will cause alot of stress what should i look out for

[Kmef07]

dont take it to the vet just leave it be and try and keep the temps and stuff good. my bp did the same and i took it to the vet and it did nothing. it was better for a couple days and the vet said it was fine but then it died. but i think it was the stress and stuff that made it all messed up.

[phil_7870]

should i bring up the temps

[Kmef07]

i would up the temps a little and maybe the humidity but just let it be. it will stress it out to change stuff too drastically.

[citysnakes]

i understand the fact that many vets may not be experienced with reptiles so much and therefore it may be a better option in some cases to speak with an experienced herpetoculturist instead but if your snake has a respiratory infection then its gonna need antibiotics.

you can get those from a vet...

[phil_7870]

yeah but the stress of a long drive could kill it .i reeli want to be sure it has a ri b4 i take that risk

[Aaron_S]

[QUOTE=citysnakes.com;545731]...but if your snake has a respiratory infection then its gonna need antibiotics.
QUOTE]

This isn't always the case. Only for the very bad ones would you need antibiotics.

[phil_7870]

im really confused now its due to be feed on wednesday will i feed it .will i weight or go to the vet

[Kmef07]

offer food to see if it takes it.

[citysnakes]

This isn't always the case. Only for the very bad ones would you need antibiotics.

I feel that if you think your snake is displaying minor symptoms of a possible respiratory infection then only small husbandry changes may be needed to correct this problem but if your animal has actually developed a respiratory infection then antibiotics are needed to reverse it. correcting husbandry after the development of the infection will only mask the symptoms but will not remove the infection.

[Aaron_S]

I would have to agree if you can catch the onset of an RI (much like a cold) you can act quickly to change things. If it's showing up with mucus and a lot of gaping then you're in for the long haul if you can change it. Personally, I'm still iffy on giving snakes antibiotics which has to be injected via a needle. I've seen burns from baytril in a large retic, it took a long while to heal and was quite gross.

By the way I think that's the first time we've outright agreed to anything Julian :D

[phil_7870]

so i'll keep an eye out for muscus and open mouth breathing other than that he doesnt need to go to the vet am i right

[citysnakes]

By the way I think that's the first time we've outright agreed to anything Julian :D


or is it...?:suspicious: haha im sure theres more stuff we agree on!

[phil_7870]

no eat 2nite i think i might just bring it to the vet even if theres nothing wrong because im start to go crazy

[Chu'Wuti]

Phil, you said it's a two-hour drive to the vet--is that vet even herp-certified? If not, I would not take the snake to that vet. As you know, it would be a very stressful trip, and it could be worse than just doing your best at home.

Raise your temps some, as everyone has said. Wash and disinfect the water bowl and give your BP fresh water every day to help reduce the potential for reinfection and to ensure that it stays well hydrated--that's especially important for an ill snake. Keep the enclosure really clean and ensure good humidity.

These are also all suggestions that John Rossi, DVM and Roxanne Rossi make in their book, "What's Wrong with My Snake?" They say that "environmental correction and supplemental heat are always the first steps in treating a suspected respiratory infection." (p. 114)

Good luck--let us know how things go!

[phil_7870]

i have that book to yeah the vert is herp qualified

[Chu'Wuti]

i have that book to yeah the vert is herp qualified

Well, that's good! Hope to hear your BP is doing better soon!

Wow, Julian and Aaron--it's great to hear you guys can agree on something! (just teasing!)

Seriously, I'm pretty leery of using antibiotics most of the time for any animal, including humans! We strengthen our immune systems by fighting off infections ourselves, and overuse of antibiotics is contributing to the development of nastier germs. However, there are definitely times when antibiotics are appropriate, and a serious infection is one of them.

Personally, I'm still iffy on giving snakes antibiotics which has to be injected via a needle. I've seen burns from baytril in a large retic, it took a long while to heal and was quite gross.

The problem is the difficulty of giving snakes antibiotics without injections. If it comes down to the snake dying of a serious infection or being given an injection that may cause burns or scarring but will save its life, I'll go for the latter.

[Aaron_S]

The problem is the difficulty of giving snakes antibiotics without injections. If it comes down to the snake dying of a serious infection or being given an injection that may cause burns or scarring but will save its life, I'll go for the latter.

I don't think it's possible give antibiotics to a snake any other way. You can't inject the medicine into the prey items because most sick snakes just refuse to eat.

[Chu'Wuti]

I don't think it's possible give antibiotics to a snake any other way.

I sure don't know of any other way. I can't even imagine pilling a snake!

Also, I'd think that even if the snake were willing to eat when ill, it would smell the antibiotic in the prey and refuse to eat it.

That's why I said giving snakes antibiotics without injections is a problem!

Here's hoping Phil's snake isn't that sick and upping the temp & humidity will help it recover.