Reptile & Amphibian Forums

i have a baby hognose that i bough around december. It has not shed since then. I have not been lookng after it for most of the time, so I am not exactly sure what is going on. I am assuming at some point it was ready to shed and cleared up but never did. Now, it is being still arching its head up and opening its mouth; it appears to be having trouble breathing. The housing is fine as far as i can tell. any idea what is wrong/ what to do?

It sounds like a repertory infection. Get it to a vet ASAP!!

May I ask whay you " have not been lookng after it for most of the time, so I am not exactly sure what is going on." Why were you not looking after it? How can the caging be fine if you have not been taking care of the animal? Also, is it a western, eastern, southern, madagascan, or tricolor hognose?
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Jenea
Guardian Reptiles

"The beatings will continue until morale improves!"

it is a western hognose. I had my boyfriend looking after it fora couple of months or so then last week i had a friend look after it since i wasnt in the area. My boyfriend knows how to look after snakes so I'm assuming he kept the housing conditions proper.

Is there any way to treat the infection without going to the vet? I dont have enough money to take it to the vet.

I do not mean to sound ugly, but if you do not have the money for the vet, you probably should not have the animal. RI's need to be treated with antibiotics, that is all there is to it. Sorry. Hope your hoggie gets better.
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Jenea
Guardian Reptiles

"The beatings will continue until morale improves!"

I agree with floridahog
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www.hognose.co.uk

Some vet offices will do payment plans. It won't hurt to ask. I know what it is like when your animal gets sick at the most inconvenient time. I lost a beautiful hog that way at it still gets to me now. Things happen in life and a lot of them take money to fix so at least try to talk to the vet.

Good Luck,

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Louie

I raised his cage tempurature to around 90* yesterday. He threw up his food but this morning he seems to be a lot better-- he is crawling around as usual and no longer appears to be struggling to breath. is it possible that the gaping mouth was not due to an infection but because his stomach was sick?

Did you raise his hot spot to 90 or the entire cage!!
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Jenea
Guardian Reptiles

"The beatings will continue until morale improves!"

hot side of the cage is almost 90. rest is 82 or so

Those temps sound good. If you had to increase temp to get them there, then they were to low before. Temps that are to cool, and humidity that is to high can lead to RI's. If caught early they are easily curable. If left to long they can lead to death. In your situtation I would not risk the animals health and would take it to a vet. In the past, I did not do this for one of my animals, and subsequently lost him. It was horrible and completely my fault.

Open mouth breathing and fluid coming out of the mouth and/or nose can be symptoms of an RI. Keep a close eye on him, checking several times a day. A vet visit is your best option though, for your animals welfare.
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Jenea
Guardian Reptiles

"The beatings will continue until morale improves!"

I havent seen any fluid from nose/ mouth. He seems to be breathing fine now, he was only doing that before he threw up so im thinking it might be related to that.

Some times the meal is to large and the juices for the stomach run out the mouth and nose. This has happened to me one of my tri colors, I scared him and juice ran out his nose and I freaked and thought it was RI but I lucked out. I have also lost snakes to RI and it’s not a pretty sight. So save money for a vet for future just in case.