Sneezing? Hiccuping? Snake Flu?

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Dallon

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Hey all.

Picked up my new little Woma 2 days ago, awesome little snake. Much to my and my girlfriends horror we have seen him 'sneezing' or 'hiccuping' quite a lot over the last day and a half.

Just thought I would post this thread, because all research I did pointed at RI. Everywhere I looked was RI and RI. Despite the fact he was still active, ate easily the day we got him home etc etc we got worried sick about possible RI.

Turns out, all that worrying for nothing.

A short trip to the vet later it actually turns out that a bit of sand that stuck to his food cut the inside of his mouth, which was just causing some irritation. Jeez, the relief! No where could I read of any possibilities other than RI, so just figured I would leave this up incase someone else was looking in the future :)
 
Hey all.

Picked up my new little Woma 2 days ago, awesome little snake. Much to my and my girlfriends horror we have seen him 'sneezing' or 'hiccuping' quite a lot over the last day and a half.

Just thought I would post this thread, because all research I did pointed at RI. Everywhere I looked was RI and RI. Despite the fact he was still active, ate easily the day we got him home etc etc we got worried sick about possible RI.

Turns out, all that worrying for nothing.

A short trip to the vet later it actually turns out that a bit of sand that stuck to his food cut the inside of his mouth, which was just causing some irritation. Jeez, the relief! No where could I read of any possibilities other than RI, so just figured I would leave this up incase someone else was looking in the future :)
That is one of the reasons why sand isn't the best substrate for snakes.
 
Thats Good News,

Had an experience similar recently....all trails here led to RI. A vet trip (which I had planned on anyway) proved absolutely nothing other than a snake that breathes a little more noisy than normal when a bit uptight, resulting in the occasional 'whistle'.

It is one of the reasons why I will advise people who post problems on here that their best friend is their herp vet as theirs is the only opinion that counts at the end of the day. From my limited experience, reptile illness is just too hard to properly diagnose over the internet.

Glad yours worked out for the best.
 
Same sort of deal here. My mac was sneezing loudly and constantly and whistling and it was getting worse and worse (started breathing through his mouth). On the day we were supposed to visit the vet he shed and it turns out it was just that his nose was full of shed skin and was irritating him!
 
I'm so happy to hear it wasn't RI. Any pictures of your awesome little woma?
 
I'm so happy to hear it wasn't RI. Any pictures of your awesome little woma?

I second that! Pics!

In future try putting newspaper, paper towel in one are of the enclosure and feed him on that so no sand is injested or try feeding him outside the enclosure :) Glad to hear it wasn't RI :D
 
He's adorable :) and I know it's not the most practical or cheapest but I love the look sand gives as a substrate. Had it for a while but switched due to $$.

Glad it wasn't anything serious
 
Snakes can't hiccup because they don't have diaphragms. What you were seeing was probably a result of sand blocking the opening where the tongue comes out during tongue -flicking, causing a slight jerking of the head. Don't use sand as a substrate.

Bart70, from what you described, many experienced keepers would have suggested that simple noisy breathing does not automatically (indeed it rarely does) indicate a respiratory infection. When combined with other signs such as non-feeding, rapid weight-loss, and irregular coiling, it may very well be RI, but noisy breathing itself is far more likely to be from physical factors such as a blocked airway or approaching shed. Vets have their place in reptile husbandry - some diagnostics, supply of medications and fixing injury, but if symptoms are accurately and fully reported here, 90% of the time the inexperienced keeper will have their concerns addressed. I will ALWAYS suggest a visit to the vet if the pathology suggests it, but in just about all cases where a healthy snake with no symptoms of illness is taken the the vet for a "checkup," the vet cannot tell you of any underlying silent pathology without a barrage of supporting blood tests etc (even then the most serious diseases can only be diagnosed post-mortem), and will simply relieve you of $100+... That's in no way a criticism of the vet profession either, it's a comment on the anxiety of the inexperienced keeper.

They say that a hospital is one of the most dangerous places for a sick person to spend time... it may well be that unnecessary visits to a verterinary surgery for pointless "checkups" put your animal/s at risk in the same way.

Jamie
 
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