Vet needed

[alienmyst]

Hi newbi to the site and have a Murry Darling Carpet Python who has just started coughing or a wheeze...he has been healthy untill now , is almost 5 yrs old and nothing has changed apart from his tank was moved from one side of the room to another, I am not too concerned as of yet but am looking for knowledge of a vet in adelaide somewhere, preferably close to findon area as I have limited access to a car... Appreciate any help in this area

 

[saximus]

Is it constant or did you just hear a sound that you thought was a sneeze? If see if you can see mucus like build up around the nostrils and mouth. If so, up the temp of your hotspot until you can find a vet

 

[alienmyst]

The cough or sneeze has only occured this morning so far , happened about 6 times , then a break of approx an hour and so far he seems good again , I took him outside and checked for mites and he is under heat lamp and in his house at the moment , very quiet but he has been a cpl of mths now..he goes through a 3 mth non eating period at this time of the year and hasn't yet started back up...still looking for a vet but keeping an eye on him No mucus to be seen

 

[hugsta]

Mites will have nothing to do with his health, they are just annoying like fleas are to a dog. When he breaths, check to see if his throat 'puffs' out as though he is forcing air out, if there is any 'gurgling' noise when he breaths. These can be signs of a respiratory infection. Check to make sure the temps in his enclosure are up towards 32 deg C and try to get a constant temp throughout the enclosure if you have the above symptoms, although if he is sick, chances are he will sit directly under the heat anyway. Get him to a vet as soon as you can as this can be fairly simple to treat, but if left untreated can get a lot worse with him getting canker and other problems.
I have also seen symtoms similar when coming up to a slough and go away after sloughing, so this could also be due to that.

 

[Sarah11]

until you can see a vet which sounds imperitive in this case, theres a few good threads on here about alternative treatments for RI that might be helpful in the mean time.

 

[nicki71]

I dont know the area you live but this link may help Herp Vets in Australia

 

[souldoubt]

Mites will have nothing to do with his health, they are just annoying like fleas are to a dog.

I disagree. Animals in poorer condition are more susceptible to parasites, so while mites may not cause respiratory difficulty they can give further indication that the animal has health issues, or even transmit a disease to the host.

Fleas can also be important vectors of diseases (because they are blood feeders) such as Rickettsial disease so they are often a mild parasite but definitely can be nasty. Likewise, Ophionyssus natricis (the snake mite) has been thought to transmit diseases and cause anaemia.

Sorry not helpful to the opening post, just pointing out that there can be more significant effects than irritation.

 

[alienmyst]

Turns out he was coming up to a shed: he has never done this before but he in in she mode and no sign of cough splutter or sneeze since that day, thanks to all for the replys , he is well and looking quite ready to cast off and eat

 

[OLAY89]

My mates jungle had mites and it got really sick with anemia

 

[hugsta]

I disagree. Animals in poorer condition are more susceptible to parasites, so while mites may not cause respiratory difficulty they can give further indication that the animal has health issues, or even transmit a disease to the host.

Fleas can also be important vectors of diseases (because they are blood feeders) such as Rickettsial disease so they are often a mild parasite but definitely can be nasty. Likewise, Ophionyssus natricis (the snake mite) has been thought to transmit diseases and cause anaemia.

Sorry not helpful to the opening post, just pointing out that there can be more significant effects than irritation.

There is no proof that mites do or do not transmit disease. Altough this is quite possible and common sense would tell you they would, although common sense has gone on vacation and most of the younger generation have no idea what it is. Mites will not cause an RI as in what the OP was talking about. And mites that are kept in control will not harm or kill your animal. They are just annoying and should be treated so as to erradicate them from your collection. if you don't have mites, than you should never get them unless you do not treat any new reptile that come into your household, be it for your collection or a rescue. ie quarentine. Or visit other keepers, handle their animals, and then handle yours without showering first.
Yes, animals in poorer health are more susceptable to parasites, but if mites are kept in control, with regular cleaning and treatment such as ToD, then they will not affect the health on the snake. However, if they are let run wild they will of course cause problems and the eventual death of your animal.