noisy breething

[matto]

Should you be able to hear your snake breathing mine sounds like its having trouble

[adbacus]

You shouldn't hear it breathing normally. It may be nothing, but you should get it to a vet to have it looked at as soon as you can to be on the safe side.

[Lucas]

its not hissing is it?

[dellywatts]

My friends snake has that. It is a wheeze. Is your snake over weight, coz my friends is. She is taking it to the vet next week. It may be a chest infection of some sort. Up the temp a bit and get to a vet.

[Lene]

is it like a clicking noise? best way i can describe it...
but no you shouldnt be able to hear them breathe, and if you can it could be a hint of a respitory infection, which is bad news, deadly. speaking from experience here. i could always hear my darwin breathing (clikcing noise) and being inexperienced, because it went on for so long i thought it was normal. he died after 2 years, which is a fair effort for a respitory infection. but i definately second the advice to go to a vet, asap.

[matto]

yeah i'm booked in for monday, its sounds like shes snorting, i hope its nothing

[gillsy]

Thats scary, my little one has a slight clicking noise, not mucus or other breathing problems.

Expect he puffs his chin up a bit.

[TrueBlue]

its type 1 pnemonea by the sounds of it, caused mainly by stress. Most people think its a temperature thing but that is not really true, its just that wrong temps is one of the main reasons a snake will stess enough to get it, another is handling all the time, another is keeping the enclosure in a high traffic area.etc.
De-stress your snake and get it to a good herp vet.

[gillsy]

Is it contagious, because I have one thats in a enclosure very close it it.

[adbacus]

Gillsy, generally it is very contagious. Usually the snake can recover if treated thoroughly and quickly in its early stages. Adding warmth and lowering the humiidity can help.

Posturing i.e. raising their head up is a classic sign.

[gillsy]

[adbacus]

Gillsy, don't be too alarmed until it's proven. Get the vet to check in the AM. Until then, keep your snakes separate, lower humidity, up the temp just a little, avoid sharing gear between snakes. Wash your hands and equipment thoroughly before and after you deal with each snake.

I may be wrong it's nothing at all

[Davo66]

One of my coastals has a similar problem. When resting or slowly moving he breaths silently, but if he is picked up or being removed from his enclosure for cleaning I can hear him forcing air through his nostrils and it makes a (for the want of a better description) a blocked nose sound, and the under side of his bottom jaw inflated and balloons. it only happens when he is aroused and agitated.
Davo

[Morelia_Hunter]

I have to agree with trueblue here. But be careful not to confuse its natural elert response. Pythons hiss when they are disturbed. Most of mine in any case as I barely handle my snakes. An upper respiratory infection does sound like it gurgling. Pneumonia usually starts as an upper respiratory infection and then gets more severe. Heat does play a role in this too though. If its early on in such an infection you can try raising the temp of the cage to about 35 and usually this sorts things out as it gives the snakes immune system a boost. Do give it a thermal gradient though so that it can choose what temp is best for it . So the 35 should be at the hottest spot in the cage. But do take it to a vet as a course in anti biotics will help it out as well. When an upper respiratory infection turns into Pneumonia you really have bad news. Just as a matter of interest, Pneumonia is viral and Upper respiratory infection is usually bacterial.

[TrueBlue]

pneumonia is not contagious, but once they have it they will have it for life, as moreliahunter has said its a viral infection so cannot be cured. it can be kept at bay by supplying a CONSTANT warm and cold end for the snake to keep its imune system in top working order, but as soon as the snake is stressed you will find that it will come back.