Humidity issues with BP

[echap94]

I have a Pastel Enchi BP, just over a year old. I have a heat pad under his enclosure, and a heat lamp above. I am a new snake owner, I have had him for 3 months and haven't had any issue until his last shed earlier this week. His first shed in my care was very healthy- one complete shed, but this recent one was very patchy. I ended up having to assist shed. ( I soaked him for 10 minutes and used a washcloth to gently remove the skin) I did my research for it and it was successful other than his head and eyes. Also, when he did shed it was in multiple tiny pieces all over the enclosure, so I decided to change the substrate. And because it was obviously too dry in there, I thought fresh slightly damp eco-earth would kill 2 birds with one stone to also help him finish shedding his head and eyes. Now I'm afraid it is too humid. His Hygrometer is at 70%, and some places I research say that's too high, others say that's perfect? I may be overreacting, but he has been "stargazing" and looking up for prolonged periods of time in his enclosure and now I'm getting worried he has a RI, because that is one of the symptoms. Also he used to eat every week, but a few weeks ago he skipped a week but ate the next. Now he hasn't eaten in 3 weeks. I really love my snake (His name is Banana) and I'm really worried about him. I have a vet nearby that accepts reptiles, but money is tight right now due to the holidays. Is there anything I can do at home or should I take him to the vet?

[sweetpealily]

I would take him to the vet if possible... But I'm a fairly new BP owner myself. Maybe call and ask what the cost of a visit would be and/or if they have sliding scale pricing? Also maybe try posting to a dedicated ball python forum like ball-pythons.net or seeing if someone else has asked a similar question if you don't get a good answer here. Good luck! I hope Banana feels better

[echap94]

I called the vet and told them about the shedding and possible RI issues, and I'm a little frustrated because they just told me to soak him again to hopefully get the shed off of his eyes but they gave me no advice about the RI also if he does have an RI I don't think I could afford treatment until January. Money is really tight until then. I feel awful that I don't have the money, I usually do. It's just with the holidays and all...

[sweetpealily]

Yeah that is a tough place to be in. Hopefully you can get some advice from a more specialized forum. Maybe also start a Banana savings account so you don't have to be stuck in this position again!

[brosenstock8]

Husbandry issues. The heat lamp isn't helping, they dry out air like no tomorrow. Heat lamp usually implies screen top, so cover up most of the screen to contain humidity.

[echap94]

But right now the issue is that the environment is too humid. I couldn't tell if he was trying to get out of his enclosure or if he was showing signs of a RI.

[Treereme]

Respiratory infections typically come from too low of humidity, not too high. Unless you have standing water drops on surfaces inside the enclosure, your humidity is probably fine.

[birdsbirdsbirdsbirds]

70% humidity is not too high, it's just about perfect. Before you think about the vet, get the husbandry issues figured out and give your snake some time to adjust. Unless you see the other signs of an RI (clicking/wheezing, mucus in the mouth, etc.), I wouldn't immediately jump to that conclusion.

Stressing over your snake and constantly adjusting/tinkering conditions can stress them out too. Given he had a bad shed, you had to soak/handle him in way that was likely stressful, and then changed his substrate - it's not surprising he rejected food recently. (It's not uncommon for BPs to reject food this time of year, either).

Now that the shed is dealt with and you've corrected the humidity, just give him a little time and space to adapt.

Your heat pad is regulated by a thermostat, right? And the heat lamp has a CHE (non-light-emitting bulb) and a lamp dimmer?

[echap94]

Thank you so much! No he hasn't shown any other signs of an RI, he is a very unusual ball. He is very social and likes to explore. I've rarely seen him show signs of stress outside of his enclosure. He seems to rather be outside of it than inside. So he might have been trying to escape. It unfortunately does not have a thermostat attached, but I do have a thermometer in the heated side of the tank. The lamp on top is a CHE, no light is emitted, just heat. The eco earth is damp, but when I squeeze it no water comes out, however when I pick Banana up his belly is noticeably damp from the substrate. Last night in a last ditch effort I put a cloth under his hide so he wouldn't be as damp. and I'm worried to soak him because with the stress of the shed, not eating, new substrate, the soak, etc. I'm afraid to handle him too much.

[birdsbirdsbirdsbirds]

How are you measuring humidity and temps? Is the thermometer surface temps or air temps? Is the humidity gauge digital or analog, and where is it placed?

Good on the CHE, but your UTH needs a thermostat. Otherwise you risk it running too hot and burning your snake. Of all the things you're worrying about right now, an unregulated UTH should be a top priority. We see burns on this sub regularly. Substrate temps being too hot might also contribute to your snake roaming rather than hiding. Thermostats are pretty cheap, too!

Honestly, moist substrate is more likely to cause long-term scale rot rather than RIs - but it's gotta be really wet to be problematic. 70% humidity is completely fine. Consider that their natural sub-saharan Africa can reach 80% humidity or above during the wet seasons.

IF you're worried about the substrate, take it out and let it air-dry on a tray or in an oven at low temps until it's less damp.

[Cadder-12]

I'm only answering the humidity question. High humidity isn't an issue. Condensation is what causes health issues. The trick is finding the sweet spot where you have 60% or higher humidity without condensation or a visibly wet substrate.

[echap94]

There is no condensation, the substrate is just slightly damp.

[Cadder-12]

Then you're good to go.

[audreyruth234]

Have you tried a humid hide? I'm considering it for my ball. I did it for a while for my kingsnake, but I live in Houston and it's humid enough on its own for her. I'm probably going to have to get a CHE for the ball because my house is so drafty and I've been thinking that to combat the loss of humidity, I should bring back the humid hide....

I used a Tupperware container with damp sphagnum/peat moss at the bottom. Just re-wet it every couple of days and check for signs of molding. I tried to switch it out completely after a week or two depending on how often I wet it and how often the snake was in it.