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?

It's pretty obvious that your snake is stressed by *something*. Did you write somewhere else about exactly how he's being kept? Temps, substrate, hides, space, surroundings, everything?
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
0.3 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Hari)
2.6 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

Yes but it's scattered.
Temps: mid-upper 80's to 70
Substrate: bed-a-beast coco fiber with a little calci-sand mixed in so it doesn't just blow away
Housing: 50 gal (36x18x18) that's been his home since mid 2008
Food: Big Cheese Rodents Med mouse (one every 5-6 six days)
Last shed: Dec 30th
Last meal: Dec 31st (he's been refusing)
Humidity: 35% but with a damp sphagnum filled humid hide (sorry, montana winters suck)
heat source: UTH with added ceramic bulb above when I need it (there now)
Hides: 4" substrate, large half log that covers one fourth of tank (natural, so low to substrate) on cool side, smaller wood knot with lots of thick fake leaf cover (he uses the leaves all the time) on warm side, thin root with lots of leaf cover across tank, humid hide and water bowl in middle.
Size: 3-3.5 ft long, probably 1 1/4" diameter. same conditions since 15" and pencil sized.
Age: 2007
Surrounding: out of the way room, I've been using it more recently as I made it my office Could me being here all the time be stressing him out? He's always seen traffic about every other day for several hours though... He used to be in the 'music room' by the pianos and guitars that were played regularly.

He's been happy in these conditions for two years now... don't know what changed besides him getting bigger! He still has ample room in all the hides though.

Anything I'm missing?
Thanks,
~Jasmine

Jasmine, while you have what sounds to be a nice setup for your milksnake I would personally change a couple things. I would not use sand in the mix. Just to be safe I would change to a couple inches of aspen bedding. It's easy to spot clean between complete changes, they can burrow in it easily for security and while I doubt it, there is a possibility the snake might have an issue with the mix 0f substrate your using.
I would cover all but a inch or two of the top, leaving just enough open on each end for air exchange but it will raise the general humidity which is too low. I would also have a large water bowl, of at least 10 inch diameter to help get up the whole cage humidity. The humid hide you have is great.
Your temps sound fine but I would just use the under the tank heater set in the mid to upper 80's range. I would probably leave it in the upper 80's down near the bottom of the substrate until things improve.
If you wanted to you could also cover both ends and the back for the snake to feel more secure.
Good tight fitting hides on the cool and warm side along with the humid hide near the cool side like your doing are great.
The poping sounds, as long as they are not accompanied with any mouth gaping, nose bubbling or serious throat swelling (not passing air) could be caused by being about to shed or it mashing something in it's nose. If you make changes and it gets worse or doesen't improve in a few days then you might want to consider a vet trip.
All the things I've listed are things that have worked for me over the years with hondurans but there are other ways to skin a cat also.
Best of luck.
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Randy Whittington

I tried aspen and it dried him out really bad (his sheds came off in a million pieces). I switched to this stuff because he seemed to like it better and it was easier for me to keep the humidity up (it's REALLY dry here, 35% is the higher humidity of his cage, it's much better in the warmer months). I'll increase humidity and take the extra heat off and see if that will do him. Gonna hold off on the vet visit for now...
Thanks, any more suggestions are appreciated!
~Jasmine

>>I tried aspen and it dried him out really bad (his sheds came off in a million pieces). I switched to this stuff because he seemed to like it better and it was easier for me to keep the humidity up (it's REALLY dry here, 35% is the higher humidity of his cage, it's much better in the warmer months). I'll increase humidity and take the extra heat off and see if that will do him. Gonna hold off on the vet visit for now...
>>Thanks, any more suggestions are appreciated!
>>~Jasmine

If you don't like the aspen, try just plain newspaper or paper towels instead. You can make several layers and crumple them a bit, so the snake can still hide underneath if he wants.
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
0.3 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Hari)
2.6 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

I hate to dwell on it but the BIGGEST change you need to make is to increase the overall cage humidity. While the most common cage type people use are aquariums, their screen tops are not good at all for milk snakes in central heated and cooled homes due to not holding in humidity. Your milk shedding in peices had nothing what so ever to do with aspen but with the humidity. If you put in a large water bowl and cover 95% of the screen top your humidity will increase and your milk will be much better off. As far as the aspen, the reason I recommended that as opposed to newspaper or paper towels like amazondoc mentioned is because it makes a milk snake more comfortable, giving them more security for burrowing.
The things I mentioned I only do so because they have worked for me over the years while keeping large numbers of milk snakes.

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Randy Whittington

That is exactly what I would do too.

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

my website -serpentinespecialties.webs.com

IMHO you should take Randy's advice, and also think long and hard about anything that might have changed in the last month or two. I dunno whether your change in activity in that room has been enough to stress the snake or not, but that constant movement around the tank is a good sign that *something* is stressing him out. And that stress can easily lead to disease.

IMHO you should probably also raise the temp in the warm end of the tank, AS LONG AS the snake has the option to get away from the heat as well. Heat can be an important part of boosting a reptile's immune response if it is coming down with something.

Good luck with him!
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0.1 Peruvian rainbow boa (Amaru)
0.3 Honduran milksnakes (Chicchan, Chanir, Hari)
2.6 corns (Cetto, Tolosa, TBA)
1,000,000.1,000,000 other critters

Alrighty, I covered most of the screen top with saran wrap last night and dampened his substrate, humidity is up to 65% this morning. Don't have time to observe him right now, but I'll let you guys know how he's behaving this evening.
I know the saran wrap is a temporary solution- can't use extra heat this way, but it seems to be working how I planned, at leart until I can find something else to cover (maybe a big piece of melamine? any suggestions?).
Thanks a lot guys! I'm definitely taking the suggestions to heart.
~Jasmine