Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got an adult male dumerils boa this past week. When I first unpacked him, I thought he was hissing at me, understandable because of the shipping. I left him alone for a couple days. Then I fed him. No problem there. He ate 2 large rats. A couple days after that I decided it was time to handle him a little. Once again, the hissing. I went ahead and got him out anyways. He wasn't at all defensive, just hissed everytime I touched him. Then I let him crawl around the room, and he was still hissing softly when I wasn't touching him. Now I am starting to think it is not hissing at all. I notice a "pouch" on his neck. I have never had adult dumerils before, is there usually a pouch on the neck? Anyways, I raise temps and put him back. Leaft him alone for another day. Today I gt him out, lost more of the hissing sounds, and this time a gurgle, I felt it about 2 ft away from his head. Now I am almost positive I am dealing with RI. I can't get him into vet this week, so any suggestions? I have raised temps, but what about humidity? Some say raise, others say lower?

It does sound like an IR infection and that would explian some of his irritability too! I would see a veterinarian ASAP with an IR infection! I believe they usually prescribe baytril for such an infection but keep in mind, reptiles to not have a diaphram like mammals, so caughing to expel respiratory fluid is impossible for them. I would consider this an emergency because if it is an IR infection, you dont want your snake drowning in its own respiratory fluid! Till then cut all humidity, slightly increase its vitamine A intake and increase the temp in its cage Good luck!