Respiratory Infection

It's dishearting to find that one of your beloved pets has taken an illness. Sadly my latest addition has a respiratory infection.

Around Christmas I noticed that he was wheezing slightly and was yawning a lot. I talked to the owner of my local reptile shop and he said that sometimes royal pythons tend to wheeze if they have just had a drink, so I thought nothing of it. Over the next week or so Fyffe gradually started showing more symptoms such as bubbling around the mouth and sneezing. As soon as his symptoms progressed I contacted my local reptile vet.

When I suspected that he had RI, I moved him into quarantine as I did not want my other reptiles to contract the illness. I placed him in a Really Useful Rox with kitchen roll for bedding away from my reptile room. I ensured that no equipment I would be using could come into contact with my other reptiles. Water bowls, tweezers, feeding forceps etc. I also bought disinfectant hand sanitiser to use before and after handling.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As there is only one reptile vet in the whole of Northern Ireland, I had to wait a few days for an appointment. I then researched how I could help ease his symptoms until the vet could diagnose and medicate him. I found a trick recommended on many forums which describes the following instructions:

• Place snake in a box within a larger box. Ensure the larger box has no air holes.

• Mix half a spoon of Vix VapoRub with a few drops of eucalyptus oil and hot water in a cup.

• Place the cup in the larger box, beside the small box that the snake is in.

• Allow the snake to breathe in the vapors for five minutes.

• Repeat every day.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At Fyffe's vet appointment the vet informed me that Fyffe did have a respiratory infection and that I caught the infection early. He checked the snake thoroughly; looked inside his mouth, turned him upside down to see if he could right himself and prescribed antibiotic injections every three days and a total of 10 injections.

He is now looking a lot better and not bubbling, wheezing or opening his mouth. He still has a few injections to go and will stay in quarantine for a month after his injections finish and he stops showing signs of infection. If he is still showing symptoms two weeks after his current antibiotic course ends I shall be taking him back to the vet for more medication.

 

What is Respirtory Infection/RI?

In reptiles respirtory infecton is a bacterial infection of the lungs. It is generally caused by poor husbandry. Not providing your reptile with adequate temperatures, humidity, clean enclosure, inadequate feeding and prolonged stress.  

 What can cause Respiratory Infections?

• Bad husbandary can be one cause of contracting RI. It's vital to ensure you have the correct humidity and temperatures. In the winter respiratory infections can be easier to catch due to the fall in ambient temperature gradient 

• Not keeping your enclosure clean. RI can be caused by bacterial build-up so keeping your pets housing clean can stop bacteria spreading.

• Stress; if your animal is stressed this can weaken their immune system and make infections easier to contract.

• Coming into contact with other reptiles that have the infection. (like humans catching a cold.)

RI Symptoms to look out for 

• Clicking

• Wheezing

• Sneezing

• Open mouth/Yawning excessively

• Laying with their head up

• Bubbles and mucus

• Bloated body / swelling

• Loss of appetite

• Lethargic

  If you suspect that your snake is showing signs of RI, then please seek help from a vet as soon as possible. Quicker treatment helps relieve stress levels and in some cases respiratory infections can be extremely dangerous especially with snakes such as colubrids as they only have one lung.

   

My brave boy Fyffe