Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Lots of mixed direction on the most effective way to set the right humidity levels. So what say the forum?

Humidity up....but you usually have to do more....Baytril...trip to the vet to find the right stain of RI and the right meds.
Travis
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LAIR OF DRAGONS

>>"Humidity up...."

I disagree, humidity down to dry up the mucous. I use higher heat and take water out for the most part. I offer the water bowl for 1 or 2 hours a day and that's all. If I don't see some small improvement in a couple days, I begin treating with Baytril. I restrict water through treatment until I start seeing a definite improvement in the infection. Then I return the water to the cage.
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Susan Sentman
SSNAKES Reptiles
susan@ssnakes.com

My choice: High humidity.

During an RI, any animal starts producing more mucus. Why? To shed the bacteria or virus and transport it to the stomach or lymph nodes where the infection can be battled, or to cough/sneeze it up and remove it from its system altogether.

You want to keep the humidity in a cage 65-70% when a snake is battling an RI so its mucus stays fluid and it does not get dehydrated. Provide plenty of cool, clean water at all times. Add extra heat to the cage to allow the snake to create its own behavioral fever. Finally, see a vet. Baytril and other anti-biotics or supplements are usually needed to properly fight off, not just suppress, an infection.
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25 year old 0.1 from Lincoln, NE
Ball Pythons - 0.1 Pastel, 1.0 Pastel het Pied, 0.1 Pied, 0.1 Cinn, 1.0 Black Pewter, 1.0 Woma (hidden gene?), 0.1 Yellowbelly, 2.1 Normals
Kingsnakes - 1.0 L. m. thayeri, 0.1 L. m. thayeri X L. alterna, 1.0 L. g. californiae
Other - 0.1 Whitesided P. catenifer sayi, 1.0 H. nascicus, ?.? Chrysemys picta, 0.1 crazy cat, 1.0 husband