sick boa!?!? :(

boaking · 03-30-05, 04:02 PM

i have a RTB and he is in shed, when i took him out today to hold him hes been opening hes mouth a little and making a wierd noise, does ne one know what this might be !?!?

fErReTs · 03-30-05, 05:05 PM

It sounds like a respitory infection .The normal signs of this is open mouth breathing , frothy saliva , popping or wheezing noises and elevated head .If your boa has most of these symptons I would recomend to raise the temperature and consult a veterinarian in your area that deals with reptiles .Good luck .

augerdvm · 03-30-05, 05:05 PM

well my first thought is its likely air passing throught the nostrils which are "thickened" because he's in` shed
Also...handling when in shed can be streesful and it shouldwait till he's complete dthe shed....

If you're seeing bubbles at the glottis (hole near the toungue that leads to the lungs) or if his saliva seems thick the nhe might have a RI (rspiratory infection) and needs medical attention

Let us know

boaking · 03-30-05, 05:13 PM

ok thanks guys.. but the only thing hes doing is crackins his mouth open a little every once in a while and breathing.. should i go to the vet!?!?

fErReTs · 03-30-05, 10:57 PM

Try raising his temps and if the problem continues with the next few days contact your vet or if the problem gets worse go to the vet asap. It is hard to say exactly what it is . To be on the safe side I would go to the vet for an exam so they can find the cause of the problem and find the best treatment . Good Luck .

Lrptls · 03-30-05, 11:04 PM

i had that same problem once, it was so scarey. i thought it had to be URI but i took him to my friend first who knows alot about snakes and she said he was fine and probably opening his mouth alot to stretch it and break the skin so he could shed. he made weird sounds and opend his mouth alot. his temps and humidity was on the dot and finally thigns slowly got better, once he shed he was back to normal and perfectly healthy. if you get worried take him to a vet though, if it is URI you realy dont want that geting worse!

boaking · 04-04-05, 06:08 PM

ok cool my boa has just shedded and i was holding him and he seemed to be allright... i guess it was just because he was shedding