Please Help with RI in Ball

[LS84]

My ball python is approximately 1 1/2 years old, he/she is 3 feet long. I took him out today and realized hes getting ready to shed, and that he is whistling a little. I have never dealt with RI's yet in any of my snakes but Im sure thats what it is, its very faint though, doesnt seem too bad. I know you are supposed to raise the temps a few degrees and lower the humidity, but...hes in shed!? How can I lower it when this is the time it needs to be the highest? His temps are 90 for belly heat, mid 80s for hot side and 78ish for the cool side. Humidity is about 65% Should I raise the temps and lower the humidity and risk having a bad shed?

	1.1 One Male and One Female

	Respiratory Infection Respiratory Infection

[VoodooChile]

Sometimes with sheds they have a hard time breathing cause the shed clogs the nose, if hes about to shed within the next day or two, Id let him do that and then check on him again...If he is still whistling then, Id treat for the RI..

[Refused]

Depends on the hiss... could be deffensive or regular breathing. when their lungs are in a bend you can hear a slight hiss when they breath.. could be a RI.. Ill wait till an expert replys.. they might have more to say... if it sounds really bad you might want a vet check...

[LS84]

It doesnt sound too bad. When I put him back in his cage, a Boaphile, I could hear faint whistling when he would breath in and out, but than it stops for a while and continues again. If its not bad now, will he be alright if I wait a few days till he sheds, and maybe take him to a vet if the whistling doesnt stop?

[Refused]

Someone stop me if this wont work. but when some of my snakes are out for pics or other I can hear a slight wistle if they are "S'ed" up but as soon as they start moving it does not continue.. now this isnt all the time mind you.
Does it continue if they snake is strecked out?

[VoodooChile]

Originally Posted by lisa5788

It doesnt sound too bad. When I put him back in his cage, a Boaphile, I could hear faint whistling when he would breath in and out, but than it stops for a while and continues again. If its not bad now, will he be alright if I wait a few days till he sheds, and maybe take him to a vet if the whistling doesnt stop?

Like I said, just wait till after shed, and see if it is still whistling, if it is, raise the heat up a few degrees, lower the humidity...give THAT a couple of days, and see if it clears it up, if not..take it to the vet..
I have the feeling it is because of the shed you are hearing the whistling

[Heidi]

I agree with amercnwmn. The shedding cycle can cause the air to sound like a hissing from the nose from the loosening skin. Keep a good eye on any worsening and otherwise treat as normal during shed.

[JuliusSqueezer]

In all my 33 years of keeping snakes, I have still never seen a ball python with a respiratory infection...weird huh? I've seen them with absolutely everything else but. Your snake is, like everyone else has told you already, just making that whistling sound because the skin in the nostrils has popped loose getting ready to shed. Don't worry about it. It's normal.