Eye Cap Issue!

Okay, so here's the deal. I'm freaking out right now because my ball python had an incomplete shed and retained one of her eye caps (her right eye was still really cloudy and silvery like it gets when she sheds even thought it's been a couple days). I wet it with some water and used the tape method to remove it.... But now it looks like she has a defined iris and pupil, but her other eye looks black! Did I accidentally take her good eye cap off as well?! It only looked like one came off when I looked at it! Will the eye cap grow back soon if I DID accidentally remove it? Will she get an eye infection?! I don't have the means or the funds right now to take her to the vet!

Help please!!! D:

I'm sorry to hear about this. I don't know to much about this but I'm sure you'll get a reply soon.

Hope everything works out!

Thanks,

RJ

I certainly hope I get a reply soon! I feel terrible for doing this to her when I was only trying to help! I should have just waited for her next shed or something!

I feel like a monster T.T

Everyone makes mistakes. Some aren't as bad as others. I'm sure everything will be fine. Learn from the mistakes you make and move on making sure you don't make it again.

Thanks,

RJ

I've heard that tape isn't the best way to remove eye caps. Can you post pics of her eyes?

Oh, please for future reference don't do the tape again! I think it does more harm then good, you'd be better off letting her get it off on her own on her next shed or putting her in a damp pillow case to see if she rubs it off herself. Remember, a stuck eye cap after one shed won't kill the BP: they'll be fine. It's when you have multiple layers of eye caps retaining is when you need to do something (like the pillow case) or think about really upping humidity levels/misting when they're going into shed.

As heathers*bps said, pics would be helpful.

I'm sad to say I can't post pictures at this time! My camera won't register on my computer for some reason, and it keeps telling me my memory card needs to be erased and reformatted when I stick it into my laptop's SD card slot.

I know you need to see it to know what's going on, but I can do my best to describe it:
The affected eye still has the small sheen it's always had. I'm not sure if this means that there's still a scale over it? Well, anyways, it looks normal except for the fact that her iris is a light grey/blue colour. Her pupil is fine. On her other eye (the one that shed properly), when I look closely I can see her iris and pupil when I focus. Both are a dark brown/black so it's hard to see them separately. She's just a normal coloured bp with pastel heritage, I believe. Maybe I just lifted the new scale a little bit? I dunno, I'm just hoping I haven't hurt her too badly D:

What are the chances that I did actually take off her good eye cap? And will it get infected if I did? Can I prevent an infection? Would there be a way to treat it without taking her to the vet? Sorry for all the questions D:

And trust me... I'm NEVER using this method again. I'll definitely be using a wet pillowcase if it happens again.

Hi,

Without pictures there really isn't much chance of anyone being able to say one way or another with any certainty.

The snake really does need to see a vet though if you have removed the eyecap - to keep the eye moisturised and to prevent infection which is quite common. :(


dr del

Personally I'd not suggest a wet pillow case it can become air tight (and water tight think canvas buckets) and fall upon the snakes nostrils and suffocate it. I local person had this happen this month.

The best thing is simply to leave it alone and do nothing it will come off next shed just fix the humidity issue.

It is hard to say from you description what is going on. Is it possible that the dark eye was always dark and the light side was always light? I have a couple that are not completely symmetrical.

The scale is called a spectacle or brille, if you have actually removed the spectacle scale there is little to be done. Make sure it is clean and looks ok if it looks odd it is time for a vet. If you are not currently using paper it might be a good idea until the it heals or the next shed. Lets hope that the spectacle is intact and it is just a case of nerves. Fingers crossed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by kitedemon

Personally I'd not suggest a wet pillow case it can become air tight (and water tight think canvas buckets) and fall upon the snakes nostrils and suffocate it. I local person had this happen this month.

The best thing is simply to leave it alone and do nothing it will come off next shed just fix the humidity issue.

It is hard to say from you description what is going on. Is it possible that the dark eye was always dark and the light side was always light? I have a couple that are not completely symmetrical.

The scale is called a spectacle or brille, if you have actually removed the spectacle scale there is little to be done. Make sure it is clean and looks ok if it looks odd it is time for a vet. If you are not currently using paper it might be a good idea until the it heals or the next shed. Lets hope that the spectacle is intact and it is just a case of nerves. Fingers crossed.

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x2