my red tail boa is litely weezing is it serious?

Question

well my snake just recently started having a slight weeze/wistle sound when she breathes,she also sits and stares at her heat lamp for over ten minutes at a time,everything else is prety normal.is it serious,fatal or something minor?

Answer 1

Yes, my male python is sick right now with upper respiratory infection. Including, wheezing, straightening his neck to get his breath, runny nose, and foaming mouth. He is in a plastic box at the pet store. He is almost over it though. All they did was give him antibiotics, and it will be knocked out quick. So, get him seen immediately by the vet or a pet store.

Answer 2

To the person who took their python to the pet store and let them give it antibiotcs, boy are you brave, and that is a really rare pet shop. I have never heard of a pet shop willing to take the liabilty of possibly paying for a reptile they accidentally kill. They must have said we are not responsible if it dies while treating it. Anyway people, heat lamps are not for snakes. No matter what the pet store say's. Light's can get too hot and they remove all the humidty from your cage. Do not use heat rocks, they were developed before everyone in the reptile industry figured out that they have hot spots that can blister your reptile. They do not feel pain as intensly as we do so by the time they realise they are hurt it is much worse than it would have been for me or you.Use under the cage heating pads that are specificly made for reptiles. Snakes are not lizards they do not need to bask, they like it dark moist and warm, give a snake a choice and it will choose a warm dark spot over a brightly lit hot spot every time They dont really care for the light at all, the only reason snakes even come out during the day is to thermoregulate themselves when its colder outside, think about it, in the summer time you will hardly ever see a snake out during the day, thats because they are warm enough and dont need to come out to thermoregulate. But place an under the cage heat source and place its water dish on the heat source. Then totally cover the top with plastic. It will not be an airtight seal so no, your snake will not suffocate, but it will help hold the humidity in the tank. Ideal heat in this situation is around 89- 91 degrees. No that is not to hot, just dont go above 96 degrees and you will be fine. Keep this up for a week to 10 days, then if there is no improvement take it to a qualified vet, not your pet store, most pet stores dont know a lot about snakes. Good luck.

Answer 3

Most of my snakes wheeze before shed. Holding the head up in the air though is a sign of a respiratory infection as the animal attempts to breath. You might want to get the snake checked at the vet and have an x-ray of the lungs done to cornfirm an R.I.

Answer 4

From my experience it sounds like it is in the early stages of an Upper Respiratory Infection. This can be fatal to a snake. It will need to be treated with an antibiotic. You must take it to a Vet that knows how to treat Reptiles.

Answer 5

Not really enough details to help much. It is normal for a snake to make a whistling/wheezing sound around shedding time. It is not normal if it has been going on for a long time, or continues for weeks. Also not normal if there are any other signs of illness, such as mucus/water around the nostrils, lack of appetite, or change in behavior.

Answer 6

the person that said snakes make the weezing noise when they are in shed. i have never heard a snake do that in while in shed. sounds like the snake has a respitory infection

Answer 7

sounds like upper respiratory infection... It's time for a reptile vet!!!

You may want to check your temperatures with a proper thermometer. Digital with probe works best. Check humidity, as well.