Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a Brazilian Rainbow Boa and he is a little over 2 years old. He has had a wheeze for about a year now. He has been to the vet twice and was given all the shots for it and it still is there. He eats fine and moves around when I hold him. I am thinking of spending the money and buying him an adult female. I was just curious do you think it is possible for a snake to just have a wheeze and be perfectly fine and capable of everything without it being an URI?

Funny you should ask, I have a similar female I bought that I refuse to introduce to my colony for fear of it spreading. I've had her for 7 months or so with no worsening, just the occasional chuff. I'd be willing to sell her cheap if your interested, email me.
-----
Thanks,

Dave "Rainbows-R-Us"

0.1 Wife
0.2 kids
4.12 Brazilian Rainbow Boa
1.1 Ball python
0.1 BCI "Elvira" normal from 1989
1.0 BCI albino / het-anery
0.1 BCI Hypo / het-albino
0.1 BCI Anery / het-albino
0.1 BCI Hypo (possible super)

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

Some snakes have scar tissue (usually from noserubbing or chronic RI) that impedes the nasal passages after the injury/illness is gone. If this is the case then you should have no problems introducing your snake to the rest of your animals.

The problem lies where it is still uncertain why the animal is wheezing. It is encouraging that your rainbow is otherwise doing well. Unfortunately there is a big gap in reptilian disease knowledge and a unknown viral pathology that chronically affects snakes as "poor-doers" is not all that far fetched.

Whenever introducing an animal to your collection there is some amount of risk. A lengthy quarantine time where visual healthy behavior is observed minimizes this risk.

What did your veterinarian say? Without knowing your experience, it is quite possible that your snake has chronic upper respiratory disease or pneumonia and you don't know it.

I hope my post gives you something to ponder,
Ian