Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my 6 month old Ball Python ate 3 small mice on 12/3/03 and since then has not taken any offerings of mice or rats. she eats all prekilled. She used to eat 4 mice a week. she moves around and it seems like she doesn't see the mouse until she is almost on top of it. and she doesnt seem to notice it at all until she touches it with her nose and then she jerks away from it and balls up. What could be causing this. notihng in the tank had changed. I checked her mouth it looks a little white but there is no "cottage cheese" stuff...could this be mouth rot? does anyone have a picture of a ball python with mouth rot. I also just bought another snake and after I bought it I found out that another snake in the shop had just died of a respritory infection of some sort and didnt show any signs the first day and was dead the next. I have been paying close attention to both of them and my female whom I have had the whole time has a wet nose every time I take her out of the cage but the wet feels like water. if she had an infection would the wet be thicker? aslo she has not weezed or opened her mouth to breath at all. she is also just as active as before and will move around the tank trying to excape. my biggest problem is that I am leaving college and going home for a month and I have been unable to find a herp vet in winchester VA...

A couple of questions. Are the snakes in separate cages? Did you quarentine the new snake when you brought it home?

unfortunatly I took the first snake with me when I went to buy the second snake to compare sizes and ask a few questions about the first one. so they were to gether for 3 hours on the ride home. they are at the moment in seperate cages but the new one is not showing any symtoms only the older one.

If I used a stethescope to listen to the snakes breathing would I be able to hear anything that would let me know if it is a respritory infection?

"If I used a stethescope to listen to the snakes breathing would I be able to hear anything that would let me know if it is a respritory infection?"

http://www.drpetra.com/Exotics/Caring%20for%20a%20Snake.htm
Snakes have no diaphragm; this prevents coughing and airway clearance, and snakes with simple respiratory infections easily develop pneumonia because of this. Respiratory infections in reptiles are always more serious than similar infections in mammals.

http://www.exoticpetvet.com/breeds/ballpython.htm
Respiratory tract disease is very common in captive snakes. Difficulty breathing, discharge from the mouth, and wheezing are common signs associated with respiratory tract disease.

Good husbandry is the best way to prevent many problems. Ball Pythons should be quarantines for at least three to six months before being added to an established collection.

http://www.anapsid.org/rti.html
Symptoms and Diagnosis
Symptoms include listlessness, weight loss due to decreased appetite, swollen or bloated body, gaping, open mouth breathing, often with audible exhalations when in an advanced state. Wheezing may be heard, or clicking noises when breathing. Bubbly, stringy or sheeting mucous appears in the mouth. The head may be held in a raised position to facilitate breathing. In snakes, the tines of the forked tongue may be stuck together. Respiratory infections in snakes are especially dangerous in those snakes who have only one functioning lung (colubrids, etc.).

http://www.angelfire.com/al/repticare2/page18.html
Relying solely on symptoms is a very poor method of treating this illness. The best method for diagnosis is a radiograph to definitively determine the existence of a respiratory infection. The lungs should appear clear upon x-ray, but in the case of pneumonia the lung field will be evident by increased radiographic density.

I hope these help. The best way to make an informed decision is to be educated.

I can either take the snakes to a animal hospital who has very little experiance with snakes or I can wait until Jan 11...

so anything I can do myself would be very helpful...

Raise the temps to the high 80's to low 90's. Also raise the humidity to about 85%. This should help a lot and hopefully clear up any early symptoms of RI. Todd

keep humidity to 60-70%. 85% is way too high. oh, and the animal hospital might have more experience than you...id take it to them anyways becuase this is a very serious matter that could result in death.

I have an appointment with a vet who is only a couple hours away tomorrow (sat.) at 12:45...so as long as she lives till then she will be well taken care of. thanks for the advice.