Reptile & Amphibian Forums

The other day I had my Brooksi out and she made a sudden noise that alarmed me. I was sure I was going to look down and see that she had crapped all over me or something, but she - and my shirt - appeared normal.

She just did it again, just after eating and it sounded like a sneeze. But this snake appears healthy in every way. Good appetite, good weight, environment is good, eyes clear, recent perfect shed.

Does she have a cold or something? Should I be worried? (I am, of course.)

Thanks in advance.
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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii

Don't know what you keep your temps at, but if the snake is kept in the 80's, that shouldn't happen!

Those are "textbook" signs of a respiratory infection(RI) setting in.........raise the temps to the high eighties for a week or more......whatever you do, make sure you have an ACCURATE thermometer down on the substrate the snake hangs in, so you don't guess!!!, guessing doesn't get it, you have to KNOW what the temp is.

Keeping it too hot can kill it to, just like keeping it too cool!

Hope this helps you out.

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

we just put probes in her tank, and thinned out the aspen a bit on the warm side (UTH). Warm side hide, with the newly thinned aspen (there is a reptile carpet between the glass and the aspen so she won't burn herself) is 88.3 and cold side is 72.3.

I have heard two sneezes in less than a week. I will keep an eye on these temps and if she keep sneezing I'll bring her to the vet.

Should I bring her sooner just to be certain?
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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii

is the sneeze only after she eats ?
if so then no worries. many snakes have a sound they make after eating and its completly normal behavior. it normally happens within an hour or so of eating and sometimes drinking. but if its happening any other time (i.e. not after eating or drinking)
then in most peoples cases its a vet trip for meds. if you think its a respitory inf. then slightly raise the temps and remove the water bowl except for about an hour a day to let the animal drink, clean the cage thoroughly and go to a simplistic setup papertowel substrate no loose aspen or such.
good luck
adam
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hybrid breeders association
1.1 sinacorns
1.1 crimson corns
1.1 striped ghosts
1.1 kenyan sand boas
1.1 mbk
1.1 albino corns
1.1 childrens python
1.3 ghost corns
1.0 butter
1.0 snow corns
1.0 jurassic milk
1.0 house snake
0.1 anery pueblacorn
0.2 bloodred
0.1 eastern milk (eatin pinks)
0.1 striped albino corn
0.1 albino nelsons
0.1 anery motley
0.1 albino banded cal king
0.1 normal corn het hypo,anery
0.1 hypo tang hondo
0.1 rosy boa

Thanks Adam. Geez, you have a lot of different kinds of animals!!!!

I've only heard her do it twice, once tonight soon after she ate, and earlier in the week but I don't know how soon after she ate that was. Not particularly soon because I was handling her. But I didn't know it was a sneeze at the time, until she did it later and I could make sense of the sound.

I've never taken her to the vet before. How does a vet know if a snake has a respiratory problem? Regardless, I think if I hear her sneeze again I might bring her in for a checkup.
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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii

well usually from a physical exam and possibly blood work other than that im not sure.
as far as the differant amount of animals i have well lets just say i may have to start going to meetings....you know 7 steps and all....lol
when i was in daytona me and dmong had a conversation about i just havent found which direction i really want to take my hobby in. im leaning twords the hybrid aspect of the hobby even though it is taboo and even my friends like dmong dont approve of them, but thats where most of my excitement lies. i dont care about making a buck if i did i would be in to balls not colubrids but i need to find my niche in the snake world....
lets just say its good i got rid of the turtles and lizards
adam

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hybrid breeders association
1.1 sinacorns
1.1 crimson corns
1.1 striped ghosts
1.1 kenyan sand boas
1.1 mbk
1.1 albino corns
1.1 childrens python
1.3 ghost corns
1.0 butter
1.0 snow corns
1.0 jurassic milk
1.0 house snake
0.1 anery pueblacorn
0.2 bloodred
0.1 eastern milk (eatin pinks)
0.1 striped albino corn
0.1 albino nelsons
0.1 anery motley
0.1 albino banded cal king
0.1 normal corn het hypo,anery
0.1 hypo tang hondo
0.1 rosy boa

Before I took her to the vet, I would just make sure the snake STAYED!!!.....meaning NOT!! allowed to be in the cooler part for a week or more, and KEPT AT high eighties,.....86-88 degrees.

This will usually allow the snakes own auto-immune system to combat the possible RI on it's own. If this just started, and the snake is not gaping it's mouth at all, and no sign of any bubbles from the mouth/nose at all, then it should "snap-out" of it and be okay. But keep close tabs on the snake during this time, and listen for any more signs like wheezing sounds,etc...

If things get worse, take the snake immediately to the vet for a dose, and "follow-up" doses of antibiotics. Many hardcore snake keepers like myself and others, keep antibiotics such as "Amikacin", "Baytril", etc...on hand for self-administration.
However, exact doses of these in terms of snake/weight ratio are crucial, so I'd let the vet administer these if they are truly needed.

Hope this helps!.......let us know how things go!

best regards, ~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"

What's the best way to keep her on the warm side? Block it off somehow? Or maybe add a heat source to the cool side for a few days?
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0.1 Lampropeltis Getula Floridana
1.0 Elaphe Guttata Slowinskii

Whatever you are using to heat the ENTIRE cage to(I believe you said 88.3 degrees) will do fine, if not, put the snake in something smaller that is very secure that has holes for air circulation......just make SURE!! if you switch enclosures, do an ACCURATE trial of the temp before you introduce the snake!

Different materials, and thicknesses of cage bottoms, will all have a different temp reading,.....know what I mean?

Try whatever makes these things I described happen, and see how things go.

good luck!

~Doug
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"Better to be silent and thought a fool, than to open mouth and remove any doubt!"