Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I think my female dumerils may have a upper respiratory infection. The past week, I have been hearing a wheezing sound when I hold her. I have also noticed her throat swelling justa little when she breaths. I havent noticed her opening her mouth to breath or anything. Maybe its still early. She is still eating, ate last night. It could be from low humidity. I can't keep it up. I have her in a 4'x2' glass cage. The heat is around 90-93 on the basking side, stays around 78 on the cool side during the day. Drops to low 80s on the warm side at night and around 70-72 on the cool side. So, Im good on heat right? The humidity though, is around 35% at night, but around 28% in the day. I can spray but it drops quick. Any ideas? I added another water dish in there and that helped get the humidity to where it is now. Thanks for any suggestions.

Steve

Dums are prone to RI's unfortunetly. The hot side should only be in the mid to low 80s, but I wouldn't change that until the RI is under control. Lack of humidity, too much humidity, too little heat, and stress can cause a snake to succumb to a RI. Keep a close eye on her to make sure she doesn't progress.

How are you heating your cage? Overhead lighting dries out the cage and makes it less humid. Dum's do not love loads of humidity, but it should be in the high 50%'s low 60%'s. FYI, my house is at 30% right now! So I have to mist almost daily during the winter here! During the summer I only mist every week or sometimes every other week because the ambient humidity is really high here
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Thanks,
Amy
www.myboids.4t.com
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1.14 Normal ball pythons
1.0 Pastel ball pythons
0.0.1 Sinaloan Milk Snake
0.0.1 Plains Garter
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
2.0 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
1.2 BCI
That's Just The Snakes!

In a 4x2 enclosure you have plenty of room for multiple hides. You could add a humid hide box she could use if needed and it's easier to offer this than keep an entire enclosure up to par during these winter months when humidity is a problem everywhere.

Also, check carefully for unshed skin. I mention this because it happened to my Dum several years ago. I heard wheezing when he breathed but no open mouth breathing or mucus was noticed. I thought the worse but luckily for him (and me) it turned out to be some unshed skin in the nostril area. I soaked him, removed the shed and he was good as new I find that soaking in warm/tepid water after sheds helps immensely during this time of year. Also, you can gently push up under the chin and look for mucus out the nostrils. This would be another sign of URI.
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Ken Roshak
BlackSwampSerpents@toast.net

Thanks for the replys. Yes, I use heat lamps. The thing is, I have had her for almost 2 years now. I have heard this wheezing ever since I got her. Just thought it was a big snake breathing (she was about 6ft when I got her). Its just like last week, I noticed her throat kind of swell up when she did it. But now, her throat isn't doin' that. I don't know, I think I will get her checked at the vet anyways and try to come up with a solution on the humidity.

Thanks,
Steve

As I said in my e-mail...don't use lights I am almost out of work, so I will get you those pics soon!
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Thanks,
Amy
www.myboids.4t.com
----
1.14 Normal ball pythons
1.0 Pastel ball pythons
0.0.1 Sinaloan Milk Snake
0.0.1 Plains Garter
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
2.0 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
1.2 BCI
That's Just The Snakes!

Set of three (soon to be four):

Support:

Side:

Heat:

Gravid dumerils showing off tile floor:

Mortar hidebox (great for non gravid snakes haha we cut two holes one for entrance and one to hold a water bowl to prevent spillage):

Enjoy!
-----
Thanks,
Amy
www.myboids.4t.com
----
1.14 Normal ball pythons
1.0 Pastel ball pythons
0.0.1 Sinaloan Milk Snake
0.0.1 Plains Garter
0.1 Normal Kenyan Sand Boa
2.0 Anery Kenyan Sand Boa
1.0 Mid-Baja Rosy Boa
0.1 Leucistic Texas Rat
1.2 Dumeril's Boa
1.2 BCI
That's Just The Snakes!

Hven't posted here for awhile but let me add my 2 cents. First off my Dum has never had a resperatory problem and I've had her for 4 years now. The habitat she is in is 4'x2'x 18" high. One end has a infared heat panel overhead and 3 low volt/watt under cabinet lights. Now some may think differently but other than a slight gap around the front panel doors, there is no venting in cage. So humidity from water bowel (it is a decorative one and not large enough for her to soak in) would be only source of humidity.

In winter I keep the house around 68 deg so temp at cool end of gage are probably around that. Since the room I have her in is also my bedroom and I do run a room humidifier so the humidity is boosted that way. Remember Dums come from a semi arid region where temps I suspect drop to the cool side at night. High temps may not be to their liking, neither would high humidity.

Also I feed her exclusively live rats. I know, dead rats are preferable but I figure if God want them to be fed dead meat, He/She would have made them scavengers. I have wondered if the fluids in a live rat as opposed to the frozen variety have some healthful benefit. In short my female has had no health problems in the four years of raising her.