Reptile & Amphibian Forums

okay so on 9/2/05 i went and bought a ball python that i thought was pretty neat looking. yeah i guess its a normal but they are still pretty, but any ways. the snake has a R.I. hell kinda lift his head up and open his mouth and kinda make this sneezing sound. and there will be bubbles that come out of his nose.
i raised the temps up to mid 80s-low 90s...
from what i know the snake has been in the pet shop for a week and a day. he came from a local breeder who didnt want him or needed more room for other snakes? i dont know.
so when i brought this guy home i put him in a box with some water, and i put the box on top of my other snake bins.... and i have a lamp over his box so hes pretty warm.
so i have a question.. maybe a few that i would like to be answered.
okay.. here it goes..
1- can a Respiratory Infection travel by air? like can my other snakes get it just from him being in a box by himself on top?
2- how can i clear it up? i have the temps raised a bit like i said before.
3- will my other ball pythons get it even though they will not come into contact with him?
before and after i hold each snake i wash my hands and ill change shirts just to be safe, cause i really really care about them.
yes.... iam still learning about these snakes and iam trying my best.
so if any of you guys or girls know what i can do please please please
TELL ME WHAT TO DO!
thank you very very very much!

Separate him from your other snakes immediately and take him to a vet. Quarantine him for at least 3 months.
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Adrian
AFR

I too have this problem at the moment, but mine is a het pied female. I took her to a vet immidiately. He put her on an oral dose of baytril for one week. that did not clear it up completely and is now on a 2 week cycle of baytril. If this doesn't clear it up she will be put on injections of baytril. this treatment is the least invasive to the more invasive. also the RI is probably to far gone to cure by just raising temps, btw if the temps are now mid 80's to low 90's that is where they should be to begin with, you will want to raise temps to mid 90's but provide a small area that the snake can get away from most the heat at about 90 degrees. I also asked my vet if RI's can be transmitted through the air. His basic answer is that nobody has ever proved that it can be and it has not been completely disproved. Look at it this way, if you just noticed the RI the snake had it before you bought it. It takes a couple weeks to become a moderate RI with mucus and some bubbles. By that time if it was airborne than every snake in your collection would be infected. This also goes for the very large breeders that have a few hundred animals and I'm sure they still get the pesky RI's every once in a while in thier collections. My snakes RI was caused by aspen bedding not a bacterial or viral infection, if yours was caused by one of those then yes theoretically it can be passed through the air. Until you have a vet do a culture I would at least move the snake to the opposite side of the room but preferably to a seperate room. Hope this helps, Josh Hutto
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2.3 het pied (RDR, alan bosch x 2, BHB x 2)
1.1 het albino (ben siegel, gulf coast)
1.2 het citrus ghost(gulf coast line)
1.0 citrus ghost (gulf coast line)
0.1 graz pastel female
1.6 05 normal bp's
0.6 04 normal bp's
2.5 adult normal bp's (some need breeding to see if norm)
4 various corns
0.1 brazilian rainbow boa (alan bosch)
1.0 american pit bull terrior
1.1 taco dogs (ankle biters)
1.0 grey cat
1.1 bearded dragons

a BAD dog is MADE not bred, support the American Pit Bull Terrior as the greatest breed of dogs on Earth!!!!!

temps should be mid 80's to low 90's normally.... with a resp the hot side should be around 95.

it sounds like he is not in the right kind of enclosure. he should have heating from underneath, not a lamp above. you'll need to get a heat pad of some kind, one that you know the temps of at all time. also, in order to treat a resp you'll have to have HIGH HUMIDITY, as in close to 90-100%, so whatever he is in, cover it with a wet towel.

after that, he'll need to go to the vet.

and like the others said, quarentine him! you might also want to tell the pet store you got it from that they sold you an un-healthy animal..... yet another reason to buy captive bred direct from the breeder!!!!!
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1.0 gorgeous spider ball python
2.2 het for axanthic
5.20 normals
www.blazingreptiles.com up & running!

Day before yesterday, I noticed that I could hear on of my bp's breathing every once in a while. I checked in her mouth and saw nothing and there isn't any mucus or anything around her nose. Could this be RI? What else could it be? She is my largest female.
Jeremy