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  • 10-25-2019, 11:23 AM
    chloe1110
    BP retained eye caps or something else?? First shed w/ new owner
    Hi! So this is my BP's first shed with me since I got him about 2 months ago. I noticed he was in the blue phase so I made sure to raise his humidity (my hygrometer read 75%) yet he still has a little bit of shed stuck on the end of his tail and it appears that he may have retained eye caps but I'm not really sure?? I don't know what they look like but it's like the middle part of his eye is black and the surrounding part of it is a more cloudy color. There will be pictures attached below since I'm not really good at explaining. I just want to know if these are retained eye caps and if they are how I would get them off, also how to get his stuck shed on his tail off. Thank you!
    https://ball-pythons.net/gallery/fil...ice_177561.jpg
  • 10-25-2019, 11:57 AM
    Bogertophis
    Those look like normal eyes to me...his pupil is black (center) & his eye color is that murky mix. DO NOT damage his eyes trying to remove what belongs there. ;)

    You need to learn to check his shed skin for the eye-caps, & you do need to (gently! & with added dampness) help remove stuck skin on his tail tip, otherwise a few
    sheds may stick there & will actually constrict the tiny blood flow to the tail tip just enough to cause tissue death...then your snake's tail tip dies and falls off...I know
    you don't want that.

    Start by spraying his tail tip a few times, then with him cuddled on your lap, start gently handling his tail area way above where the stuck skin is...do this to reassure
    him, because you'll cause a lot more fear & get a lot more fight than necessary if you just try to pounce on that tail tip with the stuck shed. ;) Remember snakes
    are quite sensitive to our touch even though covered with scales, and especially so right after they've shed...so work slow & gentle, he's your pal, after all, right? I've
    never had a snake bite me for helping them with stuck shed or other more medical issues, & I've been keeping a whole lot of snakes for many years (decades actually)-
    the more you relax & act like his pal, the easier this is...so take your time. Snakes don't punch time clocks & they don't understand "rushing".

    Snakes are a lot more reactive when we touch their tail tips or their neck area because those are areas that predators tend to grab. So don't act like his
    enemy, & you'll be fine. A gentle mid-body touch generally tells a snake that you're not actually "after him" as dinner...it's something they really like to know.
  • 10-25-2019, 02:45 PM
    ballpythonsrock2
    Re: BP retained eye caps or something else?? First shed w/ new owner
    I agree with Bogertophis they look perfectly normal to me.
  • 10-25-2019, 09:25 PM
    dr del
    Re: BP retained eye caps or something else?? First shed w/ new owner
    Yep,

    I don't see any sign of retained eyecaps in that photo.
  • 10-25-2019, 11:55 PM
    Sonny1318
    I concur also. Peace
  • 10-26-2019, 08:55 AM
    wonderwhitters
    Re: BP retained eye caps or something else?? First shed w/ new owner
    I learn so much from just reading through these threads. I'm so appreciative. We've not had our first shed with Poe yet, but his underbelly has been pink this past week so I'm assuming our first shed is coming soon. I didn't know that retained skin can end up causing restricted blood flow. I'm so glad to know this.
  • 10-26-2019, 12:17 PM
    Bogertophis
    Re: BP retained eye caps or something else?? First shed w/ new owner
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wonderwhitters View Post
    I learn so much from just reading through these threads. I'm so appreciative. We've not had our first shed with Poe yet, but his underbelly has been pink this past week so I'm assuming our first shed is coming soon. I didn't know that retained skin can end up causing restricted blood flow. I'm so glad to know this.

    Appreciate your comment...we find ourselves repeating these things over & over since many new people don't search existing threads, they just ask the same things over
    again. I don't mind being repetitious when it helps at least one owner & their pet from simple mistakes & needless suffering. A snake's tail tip is sorta like one of our toes,
    but with even less blood flow...it doesn't take much to cut off what little circulation there is.
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