baby nicaraguan boa

hi. by handling we take him out of his cage and set him on my table in front of my chair to give him water. once he's done we hold him for about a minute or two. he loves to be held. he ate on october 21st. i usually offer food every 5 to 7 days. he is going back into shed after just shedding on the 14th. i found his biggest problem is he has shed stuck over his nostrils. it's making it a touch difficult to breathe and i don't know what to do. he has improved alot. the shed on the nose and drinking from a dropper is the only things wrong with him now.

Boas do not require a dripper nor do they need help finding water or drinking as long as it is available in their enclosures. I assure you. A good thing thing to focus on at this point is to make sure he can have a full shed this time. This entails misting the enclosure daily, but avoiding spraying him directly, especially while he is opaque, and minimizing the handling. The shedding process includes a build up of several oils that help get the job done, too much direct misting and disturbance in general can inhibit this process. Goodluck.

You can also make a humid hide for the boa to use. Get a plastic food storage container with a lid, cut an access hole in the lid, and put some damp (not sopping wet) spaghnum moss in it. You may have to re-wet the moss every few days. Also check it often because snakes really like to do their business in it - it can be washed and re-used a few times.

If there's enough room in the enclosure you can use two water bowls, one on the warm side and the other on the cool side, to increase humidity.

You also said the boa is thin. They are supposed to be thin - a chunky/round boa is a FAT boa, and fat boas have shorter lifespans than fit ones. They should not look like corns/kings/BP's, they should have a square body shape.

If you can get him onto f/t feeders and you're still worried about him not drinking, you can give him damp feeders.

Could you get us a pic of your boa? I think people are speculating a bit too much on this thread without really having some firsthand knowledge of the situation. Also, boas don't love to be held. They don't "love" anything, although they're generally pretty enthusiastic about feeding. They tend to prefer to be left alone, truth be told.

hope these pictures are ok enough for you to see

Does he have any problems closing his mouth fully? The pics look like his mouth is partially swollen...granted it could just be the pic.

OK, while the stuck shed is definitely not a good thing, it looks like overall tone isn't too bad. I'd recommend ditching the aquarium and heat lamp for a rubbermaid sweaterbox with a ring of holes put in it. Use a small hide and a water dish on the non heated side. This will help with heat and humidity retention and the snake's feeling of security.

I agree, that could lead to mouthrot and a subsequent resp infection pretty easily.

the reason his mouth is partially open is because of old shed stuck over his nostrils.

Originally Posted by kalismom3

the reason his mouth is partially open is because of old shed stuck over his nostrils.

If that is the case, then I reiterate what me and others have already said. Focus on hydration and security, so that this next shed goes well. If you notice any mucous or unusual sounds (symptoms of an RI), then seek out a vet. Is he out of the opaque stage yet?