Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a 11 year old Columbian that I have had since she was 3 weeks old and about 23 inches long. Recently as in the past couple days, she has been opening her mouth more then usual. It's not always a wide open, yawning type mouth open, but a small opening or a wide opening. I have looked in her nouth to look for more mucous then usual and found it to be normal. She has also been hissing for no apparent reason. She just seems to look up at the top of her enclosure and just hisses. She has never done this before so it is something I have never seen before. She is also getting ready to go through a shed, but I don't believe they are related. I haven't taken her to the vet yet, but the reaosn for that is I don't feel comfortable with any of the vets in this area. I live in Rural NYS and it's either the exotic vets won't see a snake, or they have never seen a snake before in their practice. Sorry, but I just don't trust them. Is there anything it can be? She doesn't sems to be breathing any differently or having labored breathing. Any help would be appreciated.

DJ

Open mouth breathing and with her head elevated sounds like a respiratory infection to me. I wonder if the hissing you here is her wheezing when she breathes.

This is a definate Hiss, not weezing. I am a Asthmatic as well as an EMT and know what weezing is. This extremely loud and all of a sudden. It happens once every couple minutes and not constant.

When you pick her up, can you feel rumbling inside of her??
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Alone, alone, all, all alone. Alone on a wide, wide sea.
-Rime of the ancient Mariner

Sorry for the late reply... I had a 12 hour shift at the First Aid Squad last night. No rumbling that I can feel at all. She feels normal all the way through. Matter of fact, my wife said she hasn't done the hissing thing since yesterday morning. She is still opening her mouth more then usual still.