a few questions about feeding and retained eye caps..

So today, I saved a lovely reduced pattern female from disgusting condition. For the last few days she's been living without any heat (and guess what, yesterday, we got about 5 inches of fresh snow) in a filthy tank. Her entire life, she's lived in the same 20 gallon tank her whole life with a useless stick on thermometer to monitor the temps and a lamp for heat. The substrate? Disgusting bark with urates, feces, and shedded skin from months ago mixed in. No hides, no nothing. Only the snake and a bowl with dirty water. Her owner, a kid a year or two older than me, got a new puppy and said he got bored with the snake, so he was going to sell her or let her starve. I bought her, and her disgusting tank (which I've disposed of) for $30.

Now, I've got her a tub with two hides that fit perfectly, fresh clean water, and a few plants to fill the 'empty spaces' complete with a UTH (regulated by a Ranco) and an AccuRite. Big, big difference what she lived in before.

According to her owner, she hasn't eaten in two months and she takes live medium rats. I'm gonna try feeding her next week but I'm not sure whether to try live or f/t. I'd like to get her eating regularly on f/t as soon as possible but I'd really just like to see her eat, f/t or not. She doesn't seem thin but I'm wondering if this is probably just because it's winter and she doesn't want to eat. Hopefully, with better husbandry, she'll eat for me. Also, she has what appears to be retained eye caps. The surface of the eye appears to be dented. Should they come off within the next shed?

(I should post pics of what she lived in compared to what she lives in now. Jaw dropping.)

If her eyes are clear then she probably doesn't have any eye caps. Dented eyes are caused by low humidity. They should return to normal after being in the tub for a while.

I would start her off with live for a few weeks, just to get her eating again. Chances are she stopped eating because her previous conditions were so poor. Get her eating, then try switching her to f/t.

If you're concerned about retained eyecaps, next time she goes into shed, put a drop of mineral oil on each eye. The eyecaps should come right off with the shed.

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Originally Posted by zantedeschia

If you're concerned about retained eyecaps, next time she goes into shed, put a drop of mineral oil on each eye. The eyecaps should come right off with the shed.

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Mineral oil will just cause the outer layer of the scales to flake off. It will not magically make the eye caps fall off.

The best way to prevent stuck eye caps is to keep the humidity at 70% during a shed cycle.

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Mineral oil will just cause the outer layer of the scales to flake off. It will not magically make the eye caps fall off.

The best way to prevent stuck eye caps is to keep the humidity at 70% during a shed cycle.

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mineral oil works fine and when she's in her shedding process keep the tank around 70% humidity

Mineral oil will work but I would just try raising the humidity first. My miracle cure for retained caps is regular bacitracin on the eys every day for a few days before shed. I keep a tube on hand for everything from retained caps to inflamed vents (from breeding). I have never had any problem with this. My SD retic female had bad retained caps where the dents looked more like an etched star in each eye. They came right off with her first shed with me.

Just keep something like a little bottle of mineral oil or bacitracin or plain neosporin (no pain killer) and some q tips and you'll be ready for any of these things that may pop up.

As for feeding, I would try a small live rat first. After she is settled in her new home. If she hasnt eaten in so long then work her up slowly. After a couple feedings you can try F/T. If she is stressed due her past conditions you may need to trigger her feeding response with live first. Best of luck!!

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Originally Posted by Kaorte

Mineral oil will just cause the outer layer of the scales to flake off. It will not magically make the eye caps fall off.

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I didn't say it would. I said it helps the retained caps come off with the shed.

When the eyes clear up from being blue is when you dab a little drop on each eye. Has never failed for me.

Thank goodness you rescued this baby. She probably would not have made it much longer under those conditions. Watch her for signs of a respiratory infection, see if she'll soak after she is adjusted to her environment ( 1 week approx.) If she's a good soaker, you can soak in luke warm pedialyte to bump up her hydration. If she doesn't eat that may be a sign of dehydration as well.