Oh, crap.

Spaghetti · 02-26-12, 10:53 PM

Well, my little burm, the one who arrived in bad weather after being delayed for way too long. He still doesn't have a name...it's not my most pressing concern right now.

As others have warned me might happen, he has developed a wheezing/clicking when he breathes. He did eat, however, and seems happy in every other aspect.

Since raising the humidity didn't seem to have the effect of heading off the RI, should I instead try to make the enclosure very dry? I've already gotten his temps way up.

I'd really like for him to be able to fight this on his own, but if he develops any other symptoms I'm taking him in to see a vet.

theapexgerman · 02-26-12, 11:01 PM

I don't know to much bout sick snakes I never had a sick snake best thing to do is go to a vet

Caylan · 02-26-12, 11:09 PM

I really don't know who recommended high humidity to fend off an RI, but with Burms I find it's the opposite... 40-50% is what you want. as for curbing the RI, I would take it in myself, but you could try increasing temps as well. I would go for 82 cool side and 94 warm... It's really unfortunate this little guy had to go through all this, luckily he came to you. I would try a dryer enclosure for a bit, see if that helps. But considering what he want through a vet visit may not be that bad of an idea... but might not be necessary yet. They are resilient like I keep saying lol. Glad he ate for you, thats a great sign. What size meal did you give him?

Spaghetti · 02-26-12, 11:14 PM

I gave him a small adult mouse. It was about as big around as he is at his widest point. I tossed some wadded-up newspaper in the enclosure to lower the humidity.

BarelyBreathing · 02-26-12, 11:15 PM

Take him to the vet.

Caylan · 02-26-12, 11:24 PM

Wadded up newspaper won't help much... My set up would look like this:

A good sized cage with lots of ventilation, a large water dish to soak in, hide on cool side and warm side, 82* and 94* respectively. Newspaper substrate and nothing else for now... Also Burms don;t need mice, he should eat a small adult rat probably... You may think thats too big, but its not... You want him to look something like this I would think(this is a jungle carpet python, I don't have a burm any more)

She's eaten an L3 rat(350-400g) and she is about the girth of an adult mouse....
If the symptoms don;t clear significantly in the next day or two, I would take it in for baytril or something. Good luck, hopefully that picture will help you pick his food.

Spaghetti · 02-26-12, 11:29 PM

Got it. Yea, if I don't see a significant improvement within 24 hours, I'm taking the little guy in.

Strutter769 · 02-26-12, 11:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spaghetti

Well, my little burm, the one who arrived in bad weather after being delayed for way too long. He still doesn't have a name...it's not my most pressing concern right now.

As others have warned me might happen, he has developed a wheezing/clicking when he breathes. He did eat, however, and seems happy in every other aspect.

Since raising the humidity didn't seem to have the effect of heading off the RI, should I instead try to make the enclosure very dry? I've already gotten his temps way up.

I'd really like for him to be able to fight this on his own, but if he develops any other symptoms I'm taking him in to see a vet.

Get to a vet, my friend! S/he should give you some injections (I forget the name of the drug) to give to the snake. Just past the first 1/3 of the body, if I remember correctly, I where you would give the shot. I think I gave 3 injections and Lucy was fine.

Best of luck! Keep us posted.

Caylan · 02-26-12, 11:31 PM

Good call. Any more questions we're all here. I'm up all night and most other people are up during the day so you have someone helping you all the time lol. Just make sure that guy gets the food he needs, my only concern. He'll beat the RI with flying colours I imagine, you're doing the right things coming about it early enough. But no more mice lol.

theapexgerman · 02-26-12, 11:42 PM

I work 12 hour shifts I'm up all times and since I'm on my phone everytime there's a new post my phone makes a noise and it goes straight to the post altho I'm not much of a help on sick snakes

Caylan · 02-26-12, 11:45 PM

I think air exchange is most important when it comes to RI's, and even though your cage is vented, there might not be much air movement. So I open the cage usually for about 10 minutes at a time every couple hours or so as well, just help it out a bit, and get the snake more used to me being around while its sick.

Spaghetti · 02-26-12, 11:52 PM

Quote:

So I open the cage usually for about 10 minutes at a time every couple hours or so

That's a great idea! I'll start doing that, at least until my vet can see me. Sometimes it's hard to get in, there aren't a lot of reptile vets in the area but there are a lot of reptile keepers.

Caylan · 02-27-12, 12:06 AM

What you will need likely is Baytril Injections, at least that's what I assume they will try first. All you really need is one good reptile vet, so if you have more then one in your area that's awesome. Makes getting in a lot easier. In the mean time just use the above suggestions, and it make even go away on it's own. But personally, like we've all suggested and you've agreed to already, a vet visit in the next 24 hours would be best. I actually do the above for my blood pythons as well as any snake in shed that I've increased the humidity of. I've never had an RI either... So worth trying! I just notice that air can;t be moving around much regardless of ventilation, and too much ventilation makes humidity impossible... so I go with a gentle breeze approach since I'm always home lol. Lets me see them all that much more often too, and they are no longer startled by the opening of the cage. Sometimes they just climb right out, that's when you know they can be handled more then normally would. It all works out in the end lol. But you can just do it in the meantime for RI if you wish, its not necessary practice at all.

Strutter769 · 02-27-12, 12:14 AM

Lucy had a URI when she was younger.I gave her injections about 1/3 down her body (if I remember correctly), underneath her scales. I think she liked it just about as much as I liked shooting a 7+" Boa in the first damn place! Hahahahaha

Caylan · 02-27-12, 12:22 AM

Yeah typically that's where injections are given, and no they don't enjoy it much. I think it might be able to be administered orally as well by injecting it into the rat, but I'm not certain on this. That may be a remedy for something totally different, I wish I could remember... I still think you'd be doing injections into the snake for this case though.
Just curious what his set up is like, what size cage and stuff. Not a big deal, just curious lol. I miss my burm...