Reptile & Amphibian Forums

So I think all the digging that my 'bubbly stool' snake is doing has given him a respiratory infection. I just had him out for a look over and he's got popping sounds when he breathes now (he didn't yesterday). He also didn't calm down after a few seconds like he usually does when handled. He was frantically searching for somewhere to dig in the whole time. I'm thinking there's a vet visit in order this week (probably tomorrow).
Is there anything I can do to help him not exacerbate the problem right now? I'm afraid he got the URI from the digging, and that still doesn't solve the problem he's having... I increased temps, wash his water bowl every day (though he never uses it, usually gets moisture from the humid hide). He is stopping occasionally now and always on the hot side. My guess is he's running out of energy... and he's sick now!
I'm currently thinking a sterilite on the small side with towels in the bottom, a heat source and water. Any suggestions?

Yes, ticking and popping are not good signs at all, and it is very likely signs of an RI taking hold. Raise the temps(as you said) to the very high 80's(on one side of enclosure) and give him plenty of humidity and water. BTW, it is definitely drinking, you just don't see the snake when it is doing so.

The extra heat will help the snake's auto-immune/metabolism speed-up to help combat this until you can get it to a vet for diagnosis and treatment. They usually do a "sensitivity culture" to see which antibiotics will best target the infection.

Good luck Jasmine, and let us know how it goes!.

BTW, do you have your new extreme hypo on a decent heat source in the mid-upper 80's on one end of it's small enclosure?. You certainly don't need another snake going through the very same thing from the same conditions.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

don't worry! His humidity is high and temps between 86-89 on the hot end. That little guy is doing great! I'll be bumping the humidity that's for sure.
Thanks, any more input is appreciated!
~Jasmine

you dont wont high humidity if indeed your dealing with RI in fact you would want LOW humidity and HIGH temps for RI.

good luck

,,,,,,,thomas davis
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Morphs... just like baseball cards BUT ALIVE, how cool is that???

my website www.barmollysplace.com

That is basically "old-school" thought Thomas, however many vets now think the opposite, and that very warm, humid nebulization helps immensely.

Here is a link.
RI infections in reptiles

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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

well im "old school" so whatever, but neat article, thanks for the link.
and for boids yes raise humidity perhaps even nebulize meds, but not so imho w/colubrids. actually for a colubrid like a king to contract an RI is a rare thing and would just have to be kept in really crappy conditions for a long while. i dont think thats the case here, she had bad stools w/this kid to i believe. her setup doesnt sound bad, maybe just up temps a lil on the warm side and providing the humid hide is good enough imho watch and listen to the snake it will tell you what its needin...
as you well know doug snakes are remarkable at fixing themselves if allowed to.
but, a vet visit certainly may be in order, if this kids not eating.

,,,,,,,thomas davis
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Morphs... just like baseball cards BUT ALIVE, how cool is that???

my website www.barmollysplace.com

I very much agree Thomas,....I would think at this early stage it would get better on it's own with more heat too by just raising the snake's metabolism. Hopefully the snake will have a speedy recovery

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

I've had a few kings get that weezy sound when they breathe before. First thing to do is clean the enclosure frequently. Aspen shavings can be a little dusty, so paper towels aren't a bad idea when this happens. I would put a tupperware hide in there with moist (not soaking wet) sphagnum moss. Put the hole on top. If it gets worse take the moist hide out, but I think it's good to give them the option. It's my belief that they can get a dry lung condition.

Also you want to make sure the snake gets good ventilation. Open up the doors/windows to let fresh air in that room at least once a day, and obviously the tub or cage should have adequate holes for air exchange. Sounds like he'll be fine.

Thank you all for the suggestions! I've increased the humidity, I think I'll give him some time at this condition and take him out tonight to see if I can notice any popping sounds. If no sounds I think I'll offer food tomorrow, but def. some observation tonight!
Thanks again, all input is very appreciated!
~Jasmine

It will probably take more than a day for the snake to stop making those sounds. Also, I would put a moist hide in, but I wouldn't want to increase the humidity of the whole enclosure too much. Best of luck.

I agree 100% on that!,....it will likely take up to a week or more to start seeing a difference, and if not after that amount of time, I would STRONGLY suggest that a vet visit is in order to help things along with the proper antibiotics before it gets far more serious than it already is. Even as it is, when people start noticing a problem like this in snakes, the snake has already had the problem for a fair amount of time, and is starting to go down-hill, because their metabolism fights things like this for as long as possible before succumbing to it, that is simply their natural biology.

~Doug
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"a snake in the grass is a GOOD thing"

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

As Doug said snakes can have the infection long before you notice it. My self I would take it to a vet for a culture test to see what type of antibiotic(like baytril, etc)would work the best. The snake is stressed too from this so that doesn't help. You need to kick this in the rear ASAP!

Scott