MITES: to see if your reptile has mites inspect the scales closely with a magnifying glass. Mites look like very small dots and sometimes resemble the scales. If you think your reptile has mites their are many cures. Call a vet to ask which one is right for your reptile.
RESPIRATORY PROBLEMS: To avoid respiratory problems you should keep your reptile's cage at the proper temperature. IF your reptile gets a respiratory infection they will be restless, nervous, breathing will be hard, they won't take food, and you could see bubbles coming from the nose. If the problems are not severe try to raise the temperature of the cage. If the animal shows no improvement in a few days you should contact a vet for medication.
SKIN BLISTERS: a reptile may get skin blisters from spending too much time in the water/soaking dish. If you see small swellings with either clear or milky-white fluid in it one thing you could do is pop it with a sterile needle and swab the wound with hydrogen peroxide twice a day until it heals. If the swelling looks like it is under the skin, or if there are many seriouse blisters please see a vet.
STARVATION: snakes can go a rather long time with no food, but long-term refusal to eat can lead to many problems and death. Sometimes simple cage adjustments, such as heat or a hide area, can get up the appetite. Another thing you can do is to offer a different variety of food such as a frog or lizard to a kingsnake that won't eat mice, a gerbil to a ball python that refuses rats, or worms for a garter that doesn't want to eat fish. Also try different colors and dead and live items. Sometimes there is a medical problem that is causing your animal to refuse food so you should contact a vet.You might have to force feed your pet.
TICKS: if you find a tick on your reptile do not grab and pull it! There are a few ways to safely remove a tick. You can light a match, blow it out, then apply it to the tick to make it release. Or you can cover it with petroleum jelly or alcohol and it should release. If you must pull it out grab it with tweezers as close to the body as possible and pull very gently. If you can not get the tick out call a vet or a friend that can help.
