Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My corn is a 4 year old 900g female, never bred. She started open-mouth breathing 6 months ago. Since then, it has not gotten worse nor better... it is only when she's slithering around (though not always) and then for a while afterward when she sits down. Usually when she's curled up she doesn't do it at all. No discharge, nothing.

Appetite is fine - she eats a small rat every 10-14 days.

I raised temps to upper 80s on the cool side (where she hangs out) and low 90s on the warm side. She has been getting daily injections of Baytril for 2 weeks. Still no improvement.

Is there anything it could be besides a respiratory infection? How can it have been so stable for 6 months? What if she just has a stuffed nose sometimes like humans do, from something else? Can reptiles have allergies?

I am seriously baffled... and so is my vet.

Thanks,

Brian

THis may be due to her substrate. What do you keep her on?
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"i wasn't born with enough middle fingers"

1.0 ball python- Azazel
1.0 columbian boa- Brooklyn
1.0 red blood python-Hiss
1.0 peach phase thayeri-Sancho
0.1 creamsicle corn- Pandora
0.1 partial stripe ghost corn- Raven
1.1 hognose- Pricilla and Odd
0.1 russian tortoise- Manja
0.1.1 leos- Boji and Kodama
0.1 beardie- Indie
1.0 BTS- Griffon
0.1 Iggy- Sunny
0.0.2 Red american toadlets with 0.0.7 legs total (er, i have one w/3....)
0.0.1 gray tree frog toadlet
0.0.6 land snails
0.0.2 millipedes of unknown species from TN
0.0.1 spotted slug
5.3 bettas
0.1 pacific parrolet- Mishka
1.1 cats- Cairo and Oberon
2.3 ratties Rizzo, Bounce, Bree, Blitzkreig, and Zelda

ZooMed Repti-Bark (fir).

I clean up the mess right away too.

I'm always perplexed when it comes to whether or not to use aspen bedding or does it cause respiratory problems. The reason I find this so confusing is because half the people say it works as a great substrate and the other half said it contributes to respiratory infections. Even the books say it's OK.

Personally, I've used it for years and never had trouble but I'm still curious as to other's feedback.

Ken

i would advise you to keep your corn on paper towels, this could help rule out the possibility the problem is being caused by the substrate.

>>I'm always perplexed when it comes to whether or not to use aspen bedding or does it cause respiratory problems. The reason I find this so confusing is because half the people say it works as a great substrate and the other half said it contributes to respiratory infections. Even the books say it's OK.
>>
>>Personally, I've used it for years and never had trouble but I'm still curious as to other's feedback.
>>
>>Ken

I keep all of my snakes on aspen shavings and have never had any get respiratory problems or mites or any other problems that I see people listing all the time.
And none of my snakes have problems shedding.
aspen acts as another hide (they love to burrow under it), it is easy to spot clean, it is not dusty (at least the shavings I get aren't), it is cheap and it doesn't look too bad either.
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Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)

Thanks Jimmy, I have to agree with you. I've kept mine on aspen for 5 years with no ill effects. But I'm always finding myself second-guessing this when I hear someone suggest something different, or rather, when someone says it could be harmful.

Ken

Your corn may be having a reaction to the oils in the bark. Sometimes animals can develop allergic reations to things they have never been allergic to before for no apparent reason. I would switch over to paper towel for a little while to determine wether or not the substrate was causing the problem, then switch to aspen if you want. It would be a bit of a controlled experiment.

-----
"i wasn't born with enough middle fingers"

1.0 ball python- Azazel
1.0 columbian boa- Brooklyn
1.0 red blood python-Hiss
1.0 peach phase thayeri-Sancho
0.1 creamsicle corn- Pandora
0.1 partial stripe ghost corn- Raven
1.1 hognose- Pricilla and Odd
0.1 russian tortoise- Manja
0.1.1 leos- Boji and Kodama
0.1 beardie- Indie
1.0 BTS- Griffon
0.1 Iggy- Sunny
0.0.2 Red american toadlets with 0.0.7 legs total (er, i have one w/3....)
0.0.1 gray tree frog toadlet
0.0.6 land snails
0.0.2 millipedes of unknown species from TN
0.0.1 spotted slug
5.3 bettas
0.1 pacific parrolet- Mishka
1.1 cats- Cairo and Oberon
2.3 ratties Rizzo, Bounce, Bree, Blitzkreig, and Zelda

>>Thanks Jimmy, I have to agree with you. I've kept mine on aspen for 5 years with no ill effects. But I'm always finding myself second-guessing this when I hear someone suggest something different, or rather, when someone says it could be harmful.
>>
>>Ken

Ken,
One of the selling points for me was when I was reading Kathy Love's Corn Snake Manual and saw one of her trays with aspen shavings. That was enough for me. And I have never had a problem with it either. I will continue to use aspen until something better comes along.
-----
Corn snakes and rat snakes..No one can have just one.
"resistance is futile"
Jimmy (draybar)