RI, How contagious?

[Vin]

How contagious is RI, one of my blood pythons, seems to have an RI,
Would its partner already have it? I separated them just encase.

Can anyone help?

Thanks to anyone who replies

	Respiratory Infection Respiratory Infection

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Well the snakes shouldn't be housed together in the first place unless breeding. I have no experience with RI nor do I know a thing about it so I will leave this to the cooler kids

	Respiratory Infection Respiratory Infection

[Vin]

ok thanks for your effort

[Rex322]

RIs can be spread by contact

[Vin]

ok, thanks. I'LL make a an Appointment witht the the vet

[Rex322]

no problem. vet appointment is your best bet

[Vin]

the vet can't see me for3days, so I'm going to reduces the Humidity, and up the temperatures in both tanks,

How high should I put it up?

Its 90 in the basking spot, and about 85 on the warm side, and 76 on the cool .

Is there anything else I can do ?

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

All I can think of is raise the temps. I would keep them about 90 like you said. That should help a bit

[Savedsynner]

Also, make sure you have the right substrate. I had a snake on pine bark and i think thats how he got RI. I'm not sure whats good for a blood python.

	Respiratory Infection Respiratory Infection

[Pork Chops N' Corn Bread]

Originally Posted by Savedsynner

Also, make sure you have the right substrate. I had a snake on pine bark and i think thats how he got RI. I'm not sure whats good for a blood python.

I would try paper towels as long as you can still keep a decent humidity level and they will help to track any problems where you may never find in bark. I am sold on reptibark now but that would probably be hard to track the snakes health so for now, simple is better

	Respiratory Infection Respiratory Infection

[Vin]

Until recently I was convinced on bark, but now I use paper towels, and wee wee pads,

Got the humidity under control.

I had some trouble with mites, so easier to use paper, as I’m told that the mites thrive in the chipped bark, I got the mites from the same place I got the bloods, and they came free with every snake!!!

And the one that had the RI went into spasms last night, and died!!!

Very annoyed

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks

[HadesBP18]

Your blood died? o_O Well first off I'm sorry for your loss...it suized? Get a necropsy done. The RI could have been worse than you thought...wow I can't really assess this. How high was your humidity? They thrive in high humidity, so it had to have been amazingly high. Seizing reminds me of IBD, but that's obviously not it.

	Inclusion Body Disease IBD

[Livia]

Sorry for your loss. That sucks. Snakes with respiratory infections generally end up dying because they literally drown in their own mucous. The "last throes" of them trying to expel mucous so they can breath could look very much like spasming or having a seizure. Sometimes ends up with them twisting their bodies all up.

Substrates aren't going to magically come with mites unless they've had contact with them - like buying substrate from a crappy pet store. Nothing a little permethrin spray can't deal with.

The main cause of RIs is being kept improperly - wrong humidity and/or wrong temperature. The best way to prevent this and the best 'treatment' option while consulting a vet is to give them the _correct_ environment. Not to just 'crank the heat' like many people recommend. Going from one wrong temperature/humidity to another is not going to help anything. Especially when it comes to a snake like a blood python that has very specific needs.

RIs are a bacteria though, so they can be contagious - and not just by direct contact. Indirect can be enough, basically the same ways we catch a cold (even though our colds are viruses, not generally bacterial). Making sure you wash thoroughly between handling different animals will help prevent issues.

	Mites Mites, close relatives of fleas and ticks