Coughing?

[Savvy19]

My pets are like my children, and I take care of them better than I take care of myself, so when something goes wrong, I tend to feel like a bad mom... and that makes me feel VERY bad.

Anyways, I noticed today as I was taking some pictures of Mousetrap, that he seemed to have a "huffing"/cough to his breathing. I'm not sure how to describe it, but a "huff" is about as descriptive as I can get. It's almost like he's forcing himself to breathe, which scares me.

Is this an RI? And is there anything I can do, until I can get him into a vet, to make it any better??? The temps dont really change much in his tank, but he always seemed to prefer the colder side of the tank... but with winter around, he tends to stay more on the warmer side... normal. I try to keep the over head fan off, and keep my room a constant temp, so that the temp in the tank doesnt change much... so what am I doing wrong? His lid is a plastic lid with holes drilled in it, so it holds in as much humidity as it can...

I makes me feel like a failure... :(

[Silt]

Is he going into shed? If not, I'm guessing that there's a possibility of it being RI. If it truly is a respiratory infection then make sure that he has a warm, dry environment in his enclosure. Turn up the warm side of the tank to about 88-90 F, and make sure NOT to mist the tank. You may want to have some more holes for added ventilation. Also, replace his water dish with a slightly smaller one, and make sure to remove all moist bedding immediately in order to lower the humidity. High humidity can sometimes cause a respiratory infection.

If it gets worse (such as excessive saliva, wheezing, a gaping of the mouth, nasal mucus/discharge), I would recommend taking him to a vet. If possible, you could even take him now if you wished to do so. There, they would probably perscribe an antibiotic called Baytril. It's usually administered orally or by injection. I believe that this would continue for approximately 2 weeks, but I could be mistaken.

Make sure to monitor your corn's condition very carefully as RI's can be fatal.

I hope this helps... Good luck and make sure to have updates!

Lisa

[Savvy19]

Thanks for the info. I'll do that asap. Being in Arizona, high humidity has never been an issue, but I'll make sure to keep it down. It just baffles me that he might be sick. It makes me feel bad... which I'm guessing everyone here agrees with, and knows how much these little guys mean to us... but being that I still live with my father, I have to somehow explain to him that my snake needs to go to the vet... which I know he will not understand.

[Silt]

Thanks for the info. I'll do that asap. Being in Arizona, high humidity has never been an issue, but I'll make sure to keep it down. It just baffles me that he might be sick. It makes me feel bad... which I'm guessing everyone here agrees with, and knows how much these little guys mean to us... but being that I still live with my father, I have to somehow explain to him that my snake needs to go to the vet... which I know he will not understand.

Before you go to a vet, see if he's due for a shed or not. Sometimes when a corn is about to shed, there's some loose skin around the nasal area that makes a wheezing sound. This can occasionally confuse snake owners to thinking that their pet has a respiratory infection.

If you do end up seeing a vet, make sure that they specialize in herps. Call in before hand and ask if they know how to treat a corn snake for a respiratory infection. Before you spend all of the money going in to see them, make sure that they are qualified and know what they're talking about. It really sucks when you pay $100 to see a vet, and all they tell you is stuff that you already know about!!

I believe that there's a thread somewhere on this site that has information about Baytril. It may be worth reading through. :shrugs:

Lisa

[Silt]

Here (http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=45794) is that link. :)

Lisa

[Savvy19]

No, I'm pretty sure he's not due for a shed, but I'll keep an eye on him for the next few days, just to be on the safe side.

If I take him to any vet, he'll be going to the vet we take my dog too. They do exotics, but I'll more than likely call ahead of time, to make sure. my dog has been going to these people ALL his life, and he's about 11 years old now, so they're definitely trust worthy.

[Silt]

No, I'm pretty sure he's not due for a shed, but I'll keep an eye on him for the next few days, just to be on the safe side.

If I take him to any vet, he'll be going to the vet we take my dog too. They do exotics, but I'll more than likely call ahead of time, to make sure. my dog has been going to these people ALL his life, and he's about 11 years old now, so they're definitely trust worthy.

Make sure to keep us updated... Good luck! :)

Lisa