Keeping Your Burm Healthy



In the short term, Burmese Pythons are very hardy snakes. They will tolerate less-than-ideal conditions for weeks or even months. But if these issues remain uncorrected a Burm, like anyone else, will suffer. If you have a Burmese Python, you want to keep it healthy. Not only is it the right thing to do for your animal: it will save you a lot of money. Big snakes can mean big medical bills - assuming you can find a veterinarian willing to look at your pet!

Inadequate heat can lead to respirtory infections. Your snake may become listless and lose its appetite: it may raise its head and gape its mouth like it is gasping for breath. You may hear a loud wheezing or see mucous around the snake's nose. If left untreated the infection is likely to kill your pet. Veterinary care will almost certainly be required. in the short term raise the temperatures in the enclosure to 90° or as close to it as possible: you may also want to put an extra basin of water in the cage to raise the humidity. Try feeding smaller prey items to your snake while it is sick, since larger prey items are harder to digest and may cause a sick snake to regurgitate.

	Unsanitary conditions can cause necrotizing dermatitis, otherwise known as "scale rot." This manifests as brownish "staining" or discoloration on the belly scales, along with chipping or abrading of the edges. When you see this on your snake apply original Neosporin™ (or some other topical ointment containing acitracin, neomycin, and polymyxin B and nothing else). Should the problem persist, see a veterinarian. Scale rot is also a sign that you need to clean and sterilize your pet's cage and quickly. You can wash the cage down with a 10% bleach solution (but make sure it has dried thoroughly before returning your snake!). You may also want to bathe your snake in a bath to which Betadine has been added until the water is the color of strong tea. (Make sure your snake does not drink any of this water: keep an eye on it and prevent it from submerging its head!) You can also use Neosporin and Betadine baths if your snake rubs its nose on the cage or is wounded is some other way.

Mites are another curse which frequently afflicts snake keepers: look for moving black specks in the bedding or around your snake's eyes. If you find mites, clean out your snake's cage thoroughly, then use Provent-a-Mite and Reptile Relief. In a pinch you can also rub your snake down with olive oil, and spray their bedding down with the anti-louse spray which you find at your local drugstore. Allow the cage to dry out thoroughly before returning the snake to its home. Mites are typically brought in by other snake: keep any new animals quarantined for at least 30 days (60 to 90 or more is better) until you are sure it is not carrying any parasites or other diseases. Keep a close eye on your snake when it is shedding: pay special attention to the eyecaps and the tip of the tail. Should your snake retain shed in either of these areas, problems could result. The stuck shed can choke off the tail tip, causing it to literally rot off. Shed on the eyecaps interferes with your snake's vision: should multiple caps become stuck, you may need a vet to get them off. Watching the humidity during shed will pay dividends here: so will an occasional spritz with a misting bottle. If you are having difficulty locating qualified reptile care, the Association of Reptile and Amphibian Veterinarians (ARAV) has an American and worldwide directory of members on their site.



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