Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Ok so it has been pointed out to me that my ball my have a RI. Not good! I cant get him to the vet until wed. Doctor is outta town.

Heres my question..... I read on a post that after eating balls will roam around and rub there heads/faces on things. Ok mine did that after eating.
He also yawned more then i noticed before. Also read that they do infact yawn while out and about.
So far noting out of the normal from what i have read in behavor and behavor after eating.
The third thing I noticed however was about his breathing as he is taking deep breaths. That was my initial reason for concern. I guess put all these together and it spells RI without the bubbleing and wheezing tho.so maybe i noticed it at the begging of the infection.
The post that i read had stated that whenever his get a RI he simply raises his temps to around 90-94 and trys and keeps the humidity around 60 or a lil below and the RI will go away by itself after a week or so. He stated that he has never taken his snake to a vet because of a RI. Any of you have experience with this method or does everyone take there snakes in if a RI is suspected??
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's

I've never noticed a ball do any rubbing after they've eaten - normal behavior is that they go into their hide and curl up for about three days until their meal is digested before coming out again. Snakes don't normally cruise their cage after eating unless there is something bugging them.

If your snake is in shed or about to he could also exhibit what you have described (rubbing, yawning, slight whistling), he could be trying to losen some skin or rub some itchy parts.

If it is an RI you should get it on meds to kill off the infection - if it's really early in the development raising the heat and humidity will help him but may not fix the problem. If it gets to the point where you are seeing bubbling - then its gone too far and you will need prescription meds.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.34.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.4 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.0 Lizards of unknown origin

Is it possible that temps droping into the low 70's (it may have gotten as low as 67) for 2 nights be the cause of a RI? I read that low temps is usually the casue of them and the first two nights i had him the stupid thermostat to the house was turned way down and the temps got a lil chilly. Imediately upon waking tho i got a heat lamp in the cage tho. Bad husbandry I know but i did not expect for the weather to cool down so quick!

Thanks a bunch for all the help!
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's

Chilly temps or a cool draft will cause an U.R.I. for sure. The best bet for you to do is raise the temps a bit and get it to your vet for a check up when they come back to work, If it's not an U.R.I. then at least they got a clean bill of health. It's better to be safe than sorry. Good Luck. Thanks Erick
Exotic Designs

Hi Mike & Wendy,

What I printed in the subject line is not directed at you, but at the others that responded to your post and gave you vague and innaccurate info. You asked a legit question.

Simply put, If your snake is feeding, it doesn't have a respiratory infection. Snakes will not feed when they develop any of the major internal bacterial infections (resp, mouthrot etc.). This is the first thing that the other posters should have mentioned. Also, the facial rubbing after eating is common, as is the yawning - jaw re-alignment. These are both very common behaviors. They don't happen all of the time but after observing snakes for a little while, you will surely see them. After they get comfortable, they will curl up and sleep off the meal. Also, deep breaths are not a problem, snakes with RI usually have shallow, infrequent breaths, as breathing is painful when the respiratory system is dealing with a major infection. Again, if your snake is feeding and breathing deeply, it is fine, in fact rejoice because those are both good signs.

If you ever have a snake that does show real symptoms of upper respiratory infection such as, gaping, wheezing, throat puffing, or bubbling, the first step is to remove the stress that is causing immune dis-function (husbandry problem) and give appropriate temperature choices (70-95F, not just hot). Often, this change will allow the snake to correct the problem. Also, unstressed ball pythons can take air temperature dips into the upper 60s without problems (mine do often during our NY winters), so don't think that low temps alone are the problem. Look for low temps in conjunction with other major stress factors.

To make a long story short, your snake sounds fine (if it is eating). Please don't believe every post that you read on this forum, many are made by people who like to talk (write) but that have very little experience with the animals in question. Which unfortunately will do you more harm than good. Good luck!

Will

Will, Your info was extreamly accurate but there is always the few that are a little different that the others. I had a male that came in with an U.R.I. blowing bubbles and gaping like crazy but would eat any time it was ofered, [ pretty weird huh ]
So I usually give people safe advise, I'm not saying that your post was directed to me I just thought I would justify what I posted. Thanks Erick
Exotic Designs

Hi Erick,

Thanks for pointing out that with every rule, there are possible exceptions. While I have never had a snake with upper RI eat (in nearly 30 years of keeping them), I wouldn't doubt that it occasionally happens. I should have stated in my post that there are no absolutes.

However, I do stand by my statement that the vast majority of snakes with internal bacterial infections do not eat and I would consider a snake that is eating to be free of such maladies. I understand that you were just playing it safe for the benefit of the inquirer, but I think that people should inform others of standard behavior before talking about outside possibilities. I think that folks here sometimes focus on minute details and outside possibilities instead of the basics. Thanks for your clarification.

Will

Will- Good advice - but I would like to ad that I've also seen several balls with RIs eat so I wouldn't rule it out entirely - just because the snake ate.

I don't think his snake has an RI but you never know - I think the point that I was trying to make to him was that we can't see how much it's yawning, gasping, rubbing or weezing to make any kind of proper diagnosis and if he has a true concern then he needs to take the snake to a compentant herp vet for examination.
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Tosha

"Nihil facimus sed id bene facimus"

6.34.0 Ball Python (Harry and Fluffy and gang)
1.0.0 Angolan Python (Anakin Skywalker)
0.0.1 Green Tree Python (Verdi)
0.1.0 Bredls Python (Smurfette)
0.2.0 Feline (Pippen and Pandora)
0.0.1 Desert Tortoise (Pope John Paul aka JP )
2.2.1 Fish (1,2,3,4)
0.0.4 frogs rescued from pool skimmer
0.0.0 Lizards of unknown origin

You're getting good advice from experienced people, but I'll give you a little newbie-to-newbie advice. I'd call my vet to find the best way to keep a fecal sample between the time that the snake gives the sample and the time that you can make an appointment. I've heard that some vets don't require a sample but will do a little swab to get all that they need. In any case, I'd try to set things up so that you can go to the vet with your snake and a sample. The vet can take a look and a listen and analyze the sample. I did this routine with my new girl when she gave me an unexpected sample just two days after I brought her home. I went to the vet with an unsexed snake that occasionally took some noisy breaths and a sample. I came home knowing that I had a healthy female with no intestinal parasites. I couldn't get her to do her noisy breathing for the vet, but the vet said that some ball pythons do that occasionally. I haven't heard it again since she shed.

In any case, I paid $36 and got good peace of mind. From what I'm hearing, you don't need to be in a rush, but you might feel better to have a professional give you the good news.

Bill
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It's not how many snakes you have. It's how happy and healthy you can keep them.

VERY MUCH APPRECIATED!! To Will and everyone else that responded to my posts I thank you very much for all the advice and different angles on the situation. Its nice to know there is a community out there where total strangers can ask questios about there concerns and share in there excitement and be so welcomed! You all seem like awesome people and Im glad to be apart of it!

Thanks again,
Mike

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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's

I think I may know the behaviors you are talking about. I never feed my ball in her house. I always take out to a plastic tank with a lid, put her inside and close the lid while I get her mouse by the tail. I dangle to make sure she is ready and when i drop the mouse it is being constricted in about 1/2 second later. Once done eating she does yawn and move about this tank. She yawns sometimes moving the two separate parts of her lower jaw up or down to adjust them back into shape from what I can tell. Also sometimes after she eats she does rub her nose on the side of the tank. The other thing is that she isn't lazy after eating as every usually says theirs are. She crawls up onto her jungle gym when I put her back in her home and sun bathes. Then down to get a drink. The only thing I am trying to say is that they are not all the same. Hopefully if yours is acting the same way you will have a better understanding that possibly it is 'normal' behavior. The other thing she does is a kind of sigh. A deep breath where she puffs up her body and then lets it out. Seems like mostly when someone walks near her tank and she is trying to smell them.?

Sounds like we have the same python. lol Almost exact what mine did after eating.
I do wanna addthat i dont feed in her tank. I have one of those large critter cages that i put her in then after the rat was down a lil time past i carefully scooped her up and put back into her home.
although i am going to take her to the vet i am not worried about her no more as she is back to being herself. Lots of lessons learned from all my posts and i appreciate it all!

Thanks again everyone!

P.S. Took her first bath tonight aswell. Rubber ducky and mr bubbles and all. Kidding about the Mr. bubbles and rubber ducky!
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Mike & Wendy

2.0.0 Siberian husky, Jackrussel/schitzu
0.0.1 Ball Python
1.0.1 Leopard Gecko
4.0.0 Beta's
3.1.0 Future Herper's