Hi all,

A friend on the forum has been sending PMs back and forth with me about a snake in respiratory distress (symptoms below). There are no reptile vets even remotely nearby, so going to the vet is not an option. The nostrils appear to be plugged, which are symptoms, but not the cause. The snake is a male, so obviously much smaller than a female, meaning its nostrils are very small. However, I don't have any experience clearing snake nostrils.

THE SYMPTOMS:
1. Snake emerged from brumation about 2-3 weeks ago with a small, horizontal, blackish "stain" on its mental scale (right below and in front of its mouth).
---- As far as I know, the snake doesn't have any other discolored scales anywhere else (That might suggest scale rot).
2. Snake remains alert/active and had good appetite as recently as 1-2 days ago when eyes began to cloud.
3. Snake is now preparing to shed (post-brumation timing seems appropriate).
4. Snake has plugged nostrils.
5. Snake opens mouth every time it breathes and has begun to have muscular contractions/muscular straining every time it exhales/inhales.

ONGOING TREATMENTS:
1. Owner has recently (within 1-2 days) raised the temp in the enclosure to around 88-90F, day and night.
2. Owner has been misting the enclosure to raise the humidity, but I'm not sure if he actually has a hygrometer to measure the humidity, which should be about 55-60%.
3. Owner has cleaned the water dish with a bleach solution and is replacing the water at approx 2-day intervals.
4. Owner has added an antibiotic (tetracycline, I believe) to the drinking water.
5. Owner has occasionally soaked the snake in 1/2" of warm water, so that it doesn't have to swim around and challenge/strain it's already compromised respiratory system.
6. Owner has tried wiping the nostrils clear from the outside.

OTHER THOUGHTS:
1. To me, it sounds as if there is a respiratory infection due to: the open mouth breathing; the strained muscular action associated with breathing; the dried mucous plug in the nostrils.
2. I don't think the plugged nostrils are solely due to potentially dry air in the enclosure because the owner has occasionally soaked the snake since emergence, and snakes are quite capable of breathing through their mouth without strained muscular action.

THE QUESTIONS:
1. What else can he do to clear the nostrils?
2. What other treatments can he do to help the snake?