RI???

[Lozza]

I checked on my female water python this morning and the scales on the top of her head have gone sort of crinkly. She is also wheezing when she breathes.
Could it be RI?
She is otherwise unblemished and inside her mouth looks fine - no cheesy puss or anything like that.
The temps are fine and I don't give her a huge water bowl so it doesnt get too humid.
I'm going to take her to the vet but my vet doesnt know much about herps so I though Id see what you guys thought in the mean time.
Here's a pic of her head (sorry its not the best)

 

[Rennie]

Has she looked milky lately but not shed yet? It could be a skin ready to come off.

 

[Lozza]

she shed a couple of weeks ago

 

[mrsshep77]

Hey it could also be a bad shed and the skin is loose in her nose????

 

[Lozza]

no it only on the top - its normal around her nose

 

[SlothHead]

if it is just a little bit of crinkling
i wouldnt worry about it

do you have a hygrometer, check the actual humidity. Remember water pythons arent given that name because they are hydrophobic.

Sometimes you will get a small patches of scales with a little bit of crinkle, and generally it is nothing

Does she try and get in the water bowl, where is the heat coming from and is it covered with a cage etc?

 

[Lozza]

I have a 100W IR globe with a cage around it. Everything is as it always is -fine.
I wasnt so worried about the scales as a shed should fix that - its the wheezing thats bothering me

 

[SlothHead]

how loud is the wheezing?

is it a whistle or a definite wheeze?

Does the throat puff when she breathes?

is there any noticable saliva etc from the mouth?

 

[Lozza]

its pretty loud - I can hear it from ~50cm away
a definite wheeze. its not all the time though, only when shes moving.
no extra saliva or puffed throat

 

[SlothHead]

have it checked if you wish to ease the mind, but i personally wouldnt be too concerned about it.

I have a diamond that has had a whistle noise since day dot, he is now about 5 or something and yeah he will make noise, like a whistle noise when he breathes when he is on the move or doing something with a bit of excerise involved. Whistleing isnt uncommon, but if you are going to get someone to check it, you may as well pay the money to have a proper herp vet look at it.

If it was puffing throat and stuff well i would worry then, if there was saliva, then you have a definite problem.

If she had RI she would also be wheezing all the time, not intermiterdly, obviously this is dependant on the severity of the case.

Also try and notice whether the noise is on the in breath or out or both

Hope that helps.

 

[TANN-MANN]

could be the lose skin on her head covering a nostril,
just a thought...hope she is ok
cheers
Andrew

 

[nickamon]

I'd say see a vet for peace of mind. That way, you can rule out (or find out) if it's something serious. I hope it's nothing serious.