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My Ball Python is having breathing problems

Posted By:

mytwoloves

In Relation To:

Buddy

My 6 year old ball python is weezing and seems to be struggling to breath...I am taking him into the vets first thing tomorrow morning but was wondering if anyone has had any similar experiences? He is just starting to get ready to shed but isn't quite there yet and I was wondering if that may have something to do with it or not?


Points:	250
Topics:	Respiratory
Tags:	Health, Illness, Infection, Python, Regius, Respiratory, Wheezing
Species:	Pythons > Pythons > Python regius
Administrative:	Show/Hide

Accepted Answer

12/16/2009 6:41:23 AM

xanaxez

sounds like a repiratory infection too me. if it's strugging to breathe you better get it to the vet immediately. and for the 2nd question... him getting ready to shed has nothing to do with it. you need to check your cage temps and humidity. what do you have it housed in? what type of heat do you use for it? do you have a thermostat? everyone will ask you these same questions to help you get your husbandry set properly but you will need to get him to a vet ASAP

Member Comment

12/16/2009 9:22:00 AM

Synath

agreed

Assisted Answer

12/16/2009 10:14:21 AM

WhiteHillReptile

Not to say you don’t need to take him to the vet, but half of my collection will sound like its wheezing or having a popping noise to their breathing when they head into a shed cycle so it could indeed have something to do with that. Usually the wheezing or popping sound comes just before they go opaque. I also agree that a vet check would be appropiate if you are in question of the situation, but in many snakes URI's are not particularly life threatening if caught early and there is no real need to panic or beat yourself up over it.

FWIW
Tre

Assisted Answer

12/16/2009 11:14:02 AM

shellboa

If this is your snakes first time wheezing when going into shed then it probably is a respiratory infection. Any bubbly goo? Either way taking it to the vet is a good idea. Knowing temps etc will help the vet know how to help you and your snake. Often a mild RI can be "cured" by increasing temps and allowing the snakes metabolism to fight off infection. Sadly this doesn't always work (just lost my JCP this way) so again the vet is in order. As for why or how they get them...well I'd give all Nates Iherp points for the answer to this one!

Author Comment

12/16/2009 12:09:38 PM

mytwoloves

His temp and humidity in his tank are the same as it has always been this time of year..His thermostat is reading normal..The only thing that has changed recently is we have moved...He isn't showing any signs of and goo or bubbles coming out of his mouth or nostriles....Thank you all for your help....

Member Comment

12/16/2009 1:39:02 PM

xanaxez

Gasping for air clearly shows he has a problem and a vet visit is needed.

Member Comment

12/16/2009 5:13:14 PM

Aimee

how recent is that picture? when I clicked on Buddy and got a larger version, I noticed that he seems very dry to me. vet visit, for SURE - you don't want to mess with RI and they can become fatal quickly - but you might wish to address humidity for him in the future.

Member Comment

12/17/2009 2:20:47 AM

Synath

When Harley got his RI it was due to stress of being moved.

Member Comment

12/17/2009 4:59:12 AM

masterfulpoopsie

RI's are not the end of the world, from now on just try to keep better temps and keep the snake hydrated, humidity should be fine depending where you live you may need to work on that too.

If theres no mucus or snot spewing, and he is not opening his mouth to breath, Id say wait until after the shed and see if it disappears with the shed, but if hes spewing snot and gasping for air with his mouth open Vet visit ASAP

Ball pythons are super sensitive to temp changes, light changes, and there also big panzies when it comes to getting sick, so just something to take into consideration

Member Comment

12/20/2009 9:30:57 AM

cheryl Todd

My 2 cents worth: If nothing has changed except that you moved, your snake is stressed. You need to focus on getting the temps and humidity correct for his new location. The concern I have with taking an animal to the vet is that it further stresses the animal that is already stressed. Raise the temps and humidity (snakes lose a lot of fluids fighting off infections). Watch for a few days for improvement or worsening of the condition. If the animal is "struggling to breathe", you need to be far more specific as to how it is struggling. If its breathing is labored, but not raspy or with mucus being expelled, there is no reason to rush it in when the vet will not even prescribe antibiotics for it (they will wait until there is a discharge). Furthermore, if your animal is getting sick, taking him to the vet where other sick animals are and have been, will expose it to whatever those animals had. I don't think anyone on here has seen how RI's can be something far worse than just an RI more than I have. With the paramyxovirus my animals had, I was paranoid about taking my animals in to the vet, as I didn't want to expose other animals to the virus. I was terrified to even go to people's homes that had snakes for fear of transmitting it to their animals. The vet will tell you they clean up after each animal and blah... blah... blah, but anything that is in an animals lungs is airborne and very dangerous to other animals. Not to mention risking your animal catching another airborne virus. I think a vet trip is premature and urge you to wait a few days before making that decision. If there is no improvement or the condition worsens in a few days, then take him in, but give his body the chance to fight it off before intervening. Once again, just my 2 cents worth.

Assisted Answer

12/25/2009 11:27:43 PM

Artistry Exotics

Saying that his "temp and humidity in his tank are the same as it has always been" and that the "thermostat is reading normal" doesn't tell us much. What are the actual temperatures, warm side and cool side? What's the humidity? I'd also ask for a complete description of the set-up such as what sort of heat source and temperature control, what sort of substrate, etc. I'm not trying to jump on you, but if you don't answer the questions we ask, it makes it harder for us (or for a vet) to help you figure out what's wrong. :/

Member Comment

1/19/2011 3:22:29 AM

abi21491

This question has had no activity for 14 days and will be closed by an administrator unless the original poster takes action.

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