Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my baby ij carpet is in his first shed cycle with me. i left for a couple days for thanksgiving and misted the cage down real well when i left so there wouldn't be any problems. he has still not shed but looks as though he's about to but he seems to be weezing and i may here a slight clicking, popping sound. it's not very consistent though, i think i hear it one second and then i won't hear it at all. he's such a young baby that i'm worried all this will be too much on him.
i don't know if the humidity went too high or if it dropped too low while i was gone and this is my first repspiratory infection with a snake and my first dealing with such a young python that i'm really worried about him. what should i do?

If your snake has an RI it probably has more to do with the temps than the humidity. Most people agree that Morelia do need high humidity but I know of a half dozen people that keep them like corn snakes, and never have any problems. It's not adviseable but leads me to think that it is more likely the temps. I would raise the temps in his cage for at least a week. Don't let the night time temps drop below 80, and give a basking area close to 100. If temps are left high, the snake should overcome it's infection on it's own. If it doesn't get it to the vet, good luck, Eric-

I have read that conditions that are too "cool and wet" lead to respiratory infections in Carpet Pythons. If it were me, I would raise the temps and not spray the snake down for a while. Offer a drinking bowl, but dont worry about the humidity in the cage.

I hope everything works out!

Joe

thanks. before i left for thanksgiving i misted the cage down extra well because he was in shed, and then the temp in my city dropped like 20 degrees from a storm while i was gone. i think with the lower temps and an overdose on humidity he got sick. i've since taken him to a vet but he stopped doing the noise when i took him. it wasn't my normal herp vet since it was a sunday, and she diagnosed him with pneumonia but only based on my description of the problem and gave him an injection of antibiotics. i've boosted temps and i havn't heard him make the sound again yet. i have an appointment with my normal herp vet tomorrow to recheck him. hopefully she was wrong and it's not really pneumonia and was just a mild RI that is now gone.

A number of my animals get mild resp problems this time of year....too dry Most resolve themselves if the temps are high enough.
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1.1 Blackheaded pythons
1.1 Woma (Juvie female)
2.1 Aussie Olives
1.1 Timors
1.0 Angolan Juvie
1.1 Savu
1.1 Juvie Bloods
1.1 Juvie Balls
1.1 IJ Carpets
1.1 Coastal Carpets
1.2 Macklotts
1.1 Papuan Olives
1.0 Jungle Carpet
2.2 Scrubs (on breeding loan)
0.1 Jungle/Diamond cross
0.1 child, CB
0.1 wife, WC