Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I got a month old Burmese yesterday, June 2, and noticed that it never flirting its tongue even if I took him up or put it back in his cage. Is this common? Im keeping him in a small 10 gallon cage while he is getting used to the new home and will feel more secure but I have a many bigger cages for him when he grows. Also I heard him wheezing both time when I took him up but not all the time and not when he was in his cage. I know im supost to let him get used to the new home for a couple of days or longer but I wanted to check him so I could tell my seller as soon as possible if the snake had some problems. I havent take him up today and im keeping him in right temp. He is not aggressive and hasnt striked and tried to bite. Should I pick him up tonight or tomorrow morning and see if he is still wheezing so I can take him to a vet or should I send him back? I have not see him gaping or open his mouth breathing whic is spost to be sign of respiratory infection. This is my first Burmese but I have a Ball Python that I havent hat any problem with before so please help.

Your positive he never flickers his tongue? If you here him wheezing, that is not a good sign in my opinion. I would definitely consider either taking it to a vet, or sending it back to the seller in place for a healther one. Young burms like that shouldnt be heard wheezing.

Hope this helps,

Chris

>>I got a month old Burmese yesterday, June 2, and noticed that it never flirting its tongue even if I took him up or put it back in his cage. Is this common? Im keeping him in a small 10 gallon cage while he is getting used to the new home and will feel more secure but I have a many bigger cages for him when he grows. Also I heard him wheezing both time when I took him up but not all the time and not when he was in his cage. I know im supost to let him get used to the new home for a couple of days or longer but I wanted to check him so I could tell my seller as soon as possible if the snake had some problems. I havent take him up today and im keeping him in right temp. He is not aggressive and hasnt striked and tried to bite. Should I pick him up tonight or tomorrow morning and see if he is still wheezing so I can take him to a vet or should I send him back? I have not see him gaping or open his mouth breathing whic is spost to be sign of respiratory infection. This is my first Burmese but I have a Ball Python that I havent hat any problem with before so please help.

Yes im sure it is not flirting its tounge. Also about 10 minutes ago I saw him gaping its mouth and sort of trying to breath for about 3 seconds. Isnt this surely a RI? Yes, im consedering sending it back to the breeder for a healther one but im a little worried if the others are also infected like mine is. If I will get another one should I tell him to take him to a vet to check him before he will shipp it to me if I decide to get another one?

first step...what are your temps? second...humidity levels?
raise them if under 92 on your warm side, and same with humidity if under 70%.
first thing to start with for RI...is to raise temps, and humidity

I have already increased the temp to 92-95 on the warmside and the humidity is about 65% right now but is increasing. I have got a lot of help and appreciate yours guys. There was one guy that I know that has a very good experience with snakes and told me to put a dash with Gatorade or Pedialite in it and is supost to be perfectly safe to give Burmese and many other snakes. It is spost to help them to be healthy and electorlites. Is this something that you have heard before? Never heard this and suprised me alot. How much does it cost to take it to a vet and what medicine to they get for RI? How long should I wait for him to recover to take him to the vet or should I take him right know? Thanks for the help!!!

YOu should take him immmediately. DoNOT use the gatorade method. Baytril will probably be the medication used. As far as cost is concerned, it depends on the vet. Make sure that the vet is familiar with REPTILE MEDICINE otherwise, you will just be killing your snake. Most vets kill more reptiles than they save. So make sure that whatever vet you take him to, knows reptile medicine VERY well.

Good Luck.

Chris

>>I have already increased the temp to 92-95 on the warmside and the humidity is about 65% right now but is increasing. I have got a lot of help and appreciate yours guys. There was one guy that I know that has a very good experience with snakes and told me to put a dash with Gatorade or Pedialite in it and is supost to be perfectly safe to give Burmese and many other snakes. It is spost to help them to be healthy and electorlites. Is this something that you have heard before? Never heard this and suprised me alot. How much does it cost to take it to a vet and what medicine to they get for RI? How long should I wait for him to recover to take him to the vet or should I take him right know? Thanks for the help!!!

Get your temps up, and your humidity.
How much does it cost to take your burm to a vet? This is a question that should have been asked before you bought your animal.
My advice...return the animal to the seller.

I keep the temp now from 88-95 and the humidity 70-80%.
No, im not going to send it back to the seller. Im sure it was allowed to get too cool in the shipping and it would be a lot of risk to send it back. I have decide to deal with these issues. I think most people that own a snake will have to do, time to time. I think its alot like having kids, they just tend to get sick once in a while. I got a Ball that I have never had to take to a vet and I was not expecting a sick snake that I surely should have, so thats why I asked about the vet but it wont matter how much it will cost, I'll take him.
He seems now stop wheezing but he is rubbing his nose sometimes but I havent see any sign of mites but his belly is pink and his eyes are not cloudy and he still hasnt put his tounge out? I havent seen him gaping exept that one time yeasterday. If he had a bad RI, would he be gaping all the time or often that just that once?
Thanks

The nose rubbing may be a sign of blocked nostrils.Possibly but not certain. Some mucous from the RI may have clogged the nostrils. Whenever I bring a new animal home,I automatically treat for mites.I dont know how they were kept before I got them.
Ya know, I hardly ever see my snakes tongues flitting around. Ever since your original post I've been watching. They do it when I enter the cage, but I have'nt seen them do it just because.
Still worried about your snakes health? Call your vet, and make an appt. By doing that, you'll be protecting a 20-30 year investment.
My vet charges $55.00 for an office visit.

I took him to the vet yeasterday and he god some medic. but the vet said, "Sorry, but I dont thing he is going to make it, I will be suprise if he will make the night".
I took him home, left him in his cage so he could get some peace, he had suffer enough and he past away today. He was only 35 days old and was very sweet snake but I could only know him for 4 days. Thanks for all the help and take care of your animals.

My sympathy... we all know how much we put into our animals, and how attached we become whether 35 days, or 35 years.
Now the business end...
consider letting the seller know what happened...perhaps ypu can get a refund, or a credit for another animal?
A reputable dealer should be able to help. Check out the terms of sale. Would like to see another post here from you with good news at some point!
Good Luck