Health question

AZretic · 10-21-15, 10:23 PM

So just got my retic out and noticed every breath sound wheezy or hissy. First thought is RI but there is no secretions around the mouth or any white stuff. She's acts and eats just fine....docile as can be.

I bumped her temps from 90-94, about 80 on cool side and her humidity generally stays between 55-60%

Thoughts?

**Minkness** · 10-21-15, 10:58 PM

Not a retic person, but I have a BP that for whatever reason gets this every so often. I clean his tank with menthol alchole, get it super dry, bump the heat way up (make sure he has water of course) and it's gone in about a week. Sounds like you did right by bumping the temps.

If still wheezy in a week or two, I would suggest a vet so that you can get meds if needed and stop it before it's bad if it is any form of RI.

(I had a rescue with severe pneumonia that was open mouth breathing and it took 2 months of super high temps/low humidity and some injections. It did clear up even though the vet wasn't sure he'd make it because he was a tiny 16 gram male hoggie =( he's currently my biggeat male now though and full of sass lol)

**Tsubaki** · 10-22-15, 12:12 AM

Is it when you hold or disturb her? Or also when in rest? If it is just when handled/excited, you could try raising humidity a bit (70s) and see if it stops. If it doesn't stop, does not immediately mean your snake is sick. A vet visit can not hurt of course, but some retics/burms always seems to wheeze/hiss slightly when getting overly excited. Xena did it a bit (especially when near a shed), there was nothing wrong with her and it always stopped when she calmed down. If it doesn't stop, or anything changes bubbles/heavier breathing/other strange behaviour or when the wheezing seems present in rest i would suggest taking immediate action.

MDT · 10-22-15, 06:32 AM

retics (at least in my experience, which is average, not extensive) are pretty "noisy" animals. I have 3, they all are "huffy" breathers. Moreover, the gas that you move around in the intestines while holding them is quite noisy. I have just come to understand that if they are eating/drinking/pooping with vigor, the noises are "just them".

that being said, a baseline vet exam is probably never a bad idea.....BUT, if they try to smack your retic with antibiotics, ask them what they are treating, and should they culture the suspected source first. the answer to that is YES btw.

IW17 · 10-22-15, 05:51 PM

As said above, retics just seem do make noises when they breath. Both of mine do when I hold them. I thought they were weezing for the longest time but it's only when I'm holding them. I agree with MDT that it's gasses in their body. As soon as I set them down and they no longer have pressure on them it stops. Try setting yours down and listening to the breathing then.