False Wheezing?

**Minkness** · 12-21-15, 10:28 PM

Hey all. I have a BP that seems to wheez alot. Ihave noticed it mostly if he's active or eating. I have taken him to the vet for an RI before and they went into detail about how to listen for different types of sounds meaning different things.

Well, tonight he was around my neck and squeezing quite a bit as he moved around (almost uncomfortablly tight) and heard him wheezing AGAIN. So, I pulled him back and pressed my ear to the spots the vet told me to before and listened...no wheezing in his lungs. I listened for a long time, on both sides, in multiple spots and there's NO internal wheezing..but when I put his face close to my ear....wheezing!

Is this false wheezing, a form of hissing, stuck shed on his nose that I can't see? (Looked super close at nostrils and mouth and saw nothing), or something more serious? I know before when he had a vet confirmed RI Icoukd hear the internal wheezing that the vet mentioned, but now there's no sounds other than from his mouth/nose.

Also, he is one of my hissiest snakes EVER. Not sure if this means anything, but figured I'd throw that out there just n case.

Also, no open mouth breathing, haven't caughtany yawning or any other signs of a possible RI that he showed when he had one months ago....

I hope he's just being a drama snake...but if not...yeah....

Oh! Also, enclosure stats are all spot on ambient temp of 78 belly heat hot spot of 89 humidity fluctuates between 60-80 depending on time of day and if the house heat is on. I mist if it drops below 60.

PaleStag90 · 12-21-15, 10:39 PM

is it audible at a distance or just when he's close to your ear?

AlexCrazy · 12-22-15, 11:32 AM

hi! in not a pro but if it helps... my BP Hercules did "false" wheezing... he had a fungus on his head.. so EVERY night i took him out to put the cream on.. after 4-5 days.. one day when i had him out after the cream.. he was reckless (just a little bit) and he was wheezing, it was sort of each time i picked him up.. i asked and i was told that is was cos he was not liking being over handled.. when he was cured and i handled him less he never did it again..
PS( he is a very nice and a bit shy..)

**Minkness** · 12-22-15, 11:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by PaleStag90

is it audible at a distance or just when he's close to your ear?

Mostly when he's just close to my ear, but if he gets agitated I can hear it from a distance.

He doesn't really enjoy being held (not that any snake enjoys it, but some 'seem' to more than others) so I thought maybe that's just his way of showing displeasure.

Other than the whistling/wheezing sound, there are NO other symptons or odd behavior. Which to me is odd in and of itself.

ManSlaughter33 · 12-22-15, 11:48 AM

I think this wheezing you're hearing is a type of hissing lol. huffing and puffing. A few of my younger ones do it and only a couple older ones. It's usually more of an "I'm uncomfortable, but not going to bite you" sort of gesture.

**Minkness** · 12-22-15, 12:09 PM

Good to know. So he's owning his nickname of mr. Grumpy scales lol.

So sad he's such a jerk about it.....so many people find him pretty and want to hold him, and of all my snakes, he's the one I trust the least lol.

Also, it's usually when he's squeezing around something (like my neck) so I see that as a form of possible insecurity.

I'm torn between working with him more, or just leaving hima alone.....any ideas on that?

**Minkness** · 12-22-15, 12:18 PM

Well...I decided to pull him out to check on the wheezing...he of course was grumpy. Hissed up a storm. At the same time my ohone went off that I got a text so I went over to ot, still holding him.......

The jerk struck the hand that picked up my phone! Not bad bite by any means...just...wtf and ironic since I JUST posted on here that he'd be the 1st of my snakes to tag me....apparently the butt head had toprove me right.... -sigh-

I think I'll just be more hands off and admire him from afar.... I still have Amara and she's a dream to handle...and Persephone...though she's still small lol

Moko really is my problem child....I guess every collection needs one lol.

ManSlaughter33 · 12-22-15, 12:36 PM

Don't fear it. bites dont hurt theyre just suprising.
Just limit handleing to occasional and while cleaning for a bit

Don't have to stop completely.

**Minkness** · 12-22-15, 12:57 PM

I didn't plan on stopping, just less. Like once a week instead of 3-4 times. Also, it doesn't huet, I'm not mad at him or anything. He only caught me with like 2 teeth and it itches more than anything. I got bit waaaay worse by a 10 gram rough scale sand boa at the reptile store the other day lol. Just surprising and in a weird way hurt my feelings.

ManSlaughter33 · 12-22-15, 01:35 PM

my 8" sand boa hurt more than my 4.5-5 foot BP bite. My first BP bite happened to be by my second biggest snake lol

**Aaron_S** · 12-22-15, 08:17 PM

It's probably nothing. I have hissers and wheezers or at least experienced them. I've noticed it more often when the lazier snakes are active. Kind of like heavy breathing.

It's also possible he's letting out smaller hisses since he's known for it.

**Minkness** · 12-22-15, 08:26 PM

Thanks guys. Good to know it's probably nothing.

And yes, when in his enclosure he's not terribly active, but is super active outside of it. (Leading to heavier breathing) but he's also at a good body weight and muscle tone.

Meh....who knows....he's been grumpy since the day I got him.

Though....I could be wrong about this, but he is at a good breeding weight. Could the 'extra' grumpy be cause by upcoming breeding season?

**Aaron_S** · 12-23-15, 05:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Minkness

Thanks guys. Good to know it's probably nothing.

And yes, when in his enclosure he's not terribly active, but is super active outside of it. (Leading to heavier breathing) but he's also at a good body weight and muscle tone.

Meh....who knows....he's been grumpy since the day I got him.

Though....I could be wrong about this, but he is at a good breeding weight. Could the 'extra' grumpy be cause by upcoming breeding season?

I've never really experienced grumpy snakes during breeding season. The only ones who might be are the females later on in the process. Males don't seem to differ in attitude.

**Tsubaki** · 12-23-15, 06:06 AM

My male Nicaragua is Extra grumpy during breeding season, my other males are not (So far, but they have not reached sexual maturity). Some snakes don't have the hormones affect them much, others do. This particular boa also leaves icky presents all over the place during breeding season... Think he's got a bit of an 'alpha male' thing going on. My labyrinth burmese python is also never audible until you touch him, he then starts to wheeze and sometimes hiss. It's all show on his part though. Have one other snake that wheezes, my tiger retic Xena. She wheezes only when annoyed or picked up.

IW17 · 12-23-15, 07:29 PM

Both my retics wheeze when held. Very light, almost inaudible. Once they're sat down it stops. Concerned me for a while but I just came to realize it was just a character trait.