my snake is squeaking when he breathes

[thepurplezebra]

My ball python has been making odd noises lately. they are definately breathing noises but now they are more of a higher squeak. they are happening a lot more frequently and i really am concerned. sometimes they are so loud i am supprised they are coming from him. just in the past hour alone its happened twice. does anyone have any ideas that can help him? im worried.

[citysnakes]

could possibly be symptoms of a respiratory infection. what is your setup like? enclosure size, temps, humidity for example? is he going into a shed? sometimes they may squeak or whistle during this time. if youre really worried then its best you take it to a vet so that you can get a professional opinion.

[PDXErik]

twice in the hour? Listen very closely to it, is it doing it with every breath?

I have a little 125 gram monster that hisses at me FEROCIOUSLY. Except that it sounds like it's wheezing. It's really just trying to not be my next dinner! Because I am quite prone to eating my snakes starting with the tail! (Or so this little guy believes)

[LadyParvati]

If you decide to take your snake to a vet, be sure the vet is herp certified. I've been told by others on this forum that taking a snake to a vet is very stressful for the snake, so not to be done lightly. I know Julian already asked the important questions about temp, etc. Consider night temps also--could the temps be getting too low at night?

Check the BP's mouth for wetness/foam/mucous--another symptom of a possible respiratory infection. Also observe behavior--is he arching his back? Snakes can't cough, so arching is a means of coping with fluid-buildup in the lung. Does he yawn or gape frequently (not just after eating)? Any or all of these can be signs of potential respiratory infection. Respiratory infections can result when the humidity in the enclosure is too low--or too high, when the temps are too low, and when the enclosure has a screen top and is in a drafty area.

Good luck!

[thepurplezebra]

my setup in the cage is that the bottom is lined with paper towels that i change often, i have a rock-made type water dish, a wooden den, 2 logs, and a suspended leafless branch that he used to lay on under the night lamp. i do have a screentop but whatever space isnt being taken up by the lights i have coverred with 2 bath towels. also i mist his tank frequently. he has been to a vet before so i plan to go back to that one. it could be about the temperature. i live in ohio and my house is around 70 with his tank on the floor. what should i do about extra heating in the winter? he has a uba/uvb light thats on during the day along with a 60 watt bulb. at night he has a purple night glo 75 watt bulb. when he wast my snake he was badly burned by his previous oner for too much heat on him so i worry about overheating the enclosure.

[PDXErik]

you're misting frequently? What are the actual temperatures in the enclosure? What is the humidity?

No ball python I have ever seen likes anything more than 60% Sustained higher than that and you'll get yerself an RI.

Go get a thermometer and a hygrometer. Maintain the cool temp at 80 and the hot at 95. Put the hygrometer on the cool side and maintain 60% peak, dropping to 40-50%.

Change the paper whenever it is soiled, but not until then. Let him have some stability, don't go screwing with his surroundings too much. That leads to stress.

UVA/B sometimes helps picky eaters or always sick snakes, but it isn't necessary for ball pythons. If you need to, go get an under tank heater, but hook it up to a thermostat to control the temp (the probe should go right on the glass directly above the UTH and the temp should never get higher than 90). It is VERY easy for a snake to kill itself by convection.