snake flu??

[Libby]

i have a 12month old female darwin python which i got out today. i noticed she is blowing bubbles out of the nose and mouth and is puffing her throat out a little bit. sounds like shes having trouble breathing and she's hissing more than normal. any ideas on what this may be and how to fix it??

 

[snake_boy]

VET rite now It has RI i beleive (respitory infection)

 

[seumas12345]

Ahh the de ja vu.... My female darwin python, 12 months old, has a "cold" at the moment... She wasn't blowing bubbles but I was concerned because she wasn't eating... I took her to the vet and he opened up her mouth, and it was fairly red and blotchy inside her mouth... He said that snakes can just it for no reason at all... The real term for a snake with a cold is mouth rot..... He gave her an injection and I have to insert this mouthwash stuff into her mouth every 2 days....

 

[Hawkei]

Hi Libby,

Sounds like a respiratory infection.

Amongst other symptoms, the main problem is the thickening of saliva. Because snakes can't cough, this leads to a build up, and furthers to difficulty breathing. If left untreated, canker generally forms, eventuating in death.

If the snake is still flicking it's tongue, and the tongue forks aren't stuck together, up the temps into the high 30's at the hot end, ensuring ample water down the cool end. If you see no improvement within a couple of days, take it to a vet.

If the snake isn't flicking it's tongue, or the tongue forks are stuck together, I'd suggest you take it to a vet at your earliest opportunity.

Cheers.

 

[seumas12345]

Hi Libby,

Sounds like a respiratory infection.

Amongst other symptoms, the main problem is the thickening of saliva. Because snakes can't cough, this leads to a build up, and furthers to difficulty breathing. If left untreated, canker generally forms, eventuating in death.

If the snake is still flicking it's tongue, and the tongue forks aren't stuck together, up the temps into the high 30's at the hot end, ensuring ample water down the cool end. If you see no improvement within a couple of days, take it to a vet.

If the snake isn't flicking it's tongue, or the tongue forks are stuck together, I'd suggest you take it to a vet at your earliest opportunity.

Cheers.

I'd still take her to the vet... My snake's tongue wasn't sticking and she was still flicking constantly... But the vet said it was very early signs of mouth rot and RI... He said it was good I had come so early though coz we can knock it on the head while it's in early stages...

 

[seumas12345]

Oh by the way, I thought it was going to cost an arm and a leg for her medication and the shot etc... it cost me $50.30 for the consultation and the shot and the medication (in the receipt the medication mouthwash was like $3.00) and he said it'll last about 5 years in the fridge

 

[mark83]

RI. go to the vet

 

[Libby]

oh, ok the only problem with taking her to the vet is that none of the vets around here have any reptile experience. we aren't in the biggest town but it might be worth making some calls around mackay (nearest big town/city). thanx heaps, ill give that a go

 

[Hawkei]

Hi Libby,

How did you go?

Seumas - the average vet spends about three weeks of his/her degree studying herpetological medicine. The early onsets of mouth rot and RI are often fixed by a wash out of betadine solution and correcting the husbandry issue(s).

Cheers.

 

[Libby]

We took her to the vet and you were all right it was RI. I have to give her .01mls of baytril every 2nd day. The vet was scared of her so he didn't open her mouth. When I got her home I had a look in her mouth and it is all mucousy so I rang him to ask about a mouth wash and he said there probably is one to give them for canka but he doesnt know what its called. If I find out the name he can order me some in. he is not fussed on the sound of betadine though.
He also reccomended to move the cage to a warmer spot out of the airconditioning.
Thanks for everyones help and if anyone knows of the brand name for a mouth wash let me know.
Cheers

 

[Libby]

Oh by the way, I thought it was going to cost an arm and a leg for her medication and the shot etc... it cost me $50.30 for the consultation and the shot and the medication (in the receipt the medication mouthwash was like $3.00) and he said it'll last about 5 years in the fridge

Do you know the name of the mouthwash so I can order some?

 

[tenacres1100]

Libby, can I ask what temps you are keeping her at? I have a female thats now just over a year old now, when I first got her I was keeping the basking spot at 32c, but turned it up to 35c after talking to a local breeder that was having the same problems as you, and now tells everyone to keep them at 35c (basking temp)

 

[solar 17]

basking temps

tenacres1100...ditto on those temps, thats why l think, when one of the best quality reptiles thermostats [purpose made/ built] only goes to 32/33 lts a BLOODY SHAME they don't go to 40c as [IMO] bredlis / bhps and womas like [the basking area] around 35+....cheers solar 17 [Baden]

 

[Libby]

Libby, can I ask what temps you are keeping her at? I have a female thats now just over a year old now, when I first got her I was keeping the basking spot at 32c, but turned it up to 35c after talking to a local breeder that was having the same problems as you, and now tells everyone to keep them at 35c (basking temp)

It was 25 at one end and 32 at the other but it is quite near the air cond so I think it must be getting cooler as we turn the ac down. However she hangs out at the cool end more often than not. I have moved her to another room now and the cool end is about 28 I have just moved the temp guage to see what the warm end is. She has a heat lamp but I might get her a mat. I am a bit worried about lowering the lamp in case she gets burnt.

 

[Hawkei]

Do you know the name of the mouthwash so I can order some?

Use betadine, watered down 1:10. Use a cotton tip to apply morning and night. Remove any solid build ups and mucus manually.

tenacres1100...ditto on those temps, thats why l think, when one of the best quality reptiles thermostats [purpose made/ built] only goes to 32/33 lts a BLOODY SHAME they don't go to 40c as [IMO] bredlis / bhps and womas like [the basking area] around 35+....cheers solar 17

The temperature on your thermostat will not be the temperature of the enclosure - they are not thermometers! By placing the thermostat in the middle or cool end of the enclosure, away from the heat source, your hotspot will achieve much higher temperatures. I.e thermostat in middle of enclosure set on 25 deg may lead to a cool end of 24 and a hot end of 40.

Cheers,
Aaron.

 

[CodeRed]

Is it a mouth wash or an antibacterial cream like tricin?

 

[tenacres1100]

The temperature on your thermostat will not be the temperature of the enclosure - they are not thermometers! By placing the thermostat in the middle or cool end of the enclosure, away from the heat source, your hotspot will achieve much higher temperatures. I.e thermostat in middle of enclosure set on 25 deg may lead to a cool end of 24 and a hot end of 40..

your spot on Aaron, I place a thermometer on the rock or branch under the heat where they bask and set the thermostat to reach the temp I want, the thermostat in with my Darwin is set on 30c but it gets to 35c under the light.