Pied question

I purchased a pied about 3 months ago and noticed when I got him that his eyes were very glossy. I took him to the vet to have him checked out and to see if it was a retained eyecap. He told me that it seemed to be a retained eye cap and to put mineral oil on them every other day. I talked to the Guy I purchased him from and said that with the pied gene he noticed that some of them have glossy eyes to not worry about it that its fine. He said it doesn't affect his vision at all. Has anyone heard of that with the pied gene?

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Can you get a picture to show what you mean? I don't get what you're tryng to describe. I can say that I've never heard of pieds having eyes different than any other ball pythons.

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Originally Posted by JLC

Can you get a picture to show what you mean? I don't get what you're tryng to describe. I can say that I've never heard of pieds having eyes different than any other ball pythons.

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i have been reading most every post in the BP forums for a long time and have not once heard of this. strange,

So three months of glossy is a long time. But my hypo girl had something like that going on for several weeks--her eyes looked kind of like quicksilver, but maybe one of them looks a little bit like cracked glass?

Anyway, now she's in shed. So I guess I'd give that pied one shed to sort it out. And if his eyes don't look normal after the next shed, I'd take him back to an experienced herp vet.

(But yeah, pics would help. And we're talking about both eyes, right?)

Never heard of Pieds having different eyed. This throws up a flag for me. Why would the breeder say something like that? Second, how much do you trust the vet? How many sheds has the snake gone through in the last 3 months? Surely it should have gone through a shed or two in three months you've owned the snake.

As everyone else has said, pictures please.
Jim Smith

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

Never heard of Pieds having different eyed. This throws up a flag for me. Why would the breeder say something like that? Second, how much do you trust the vet? How many sheds has the snake gone through in the last 3 months? Surely it should have gone through a shed or two in three months you've owned the snake.

As everyone else has said, pictures please.
Jim Smith

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When I opened the bag the day I recived him he was in the process of shedding. After that shed he has shed 1 other time sense I have had him. I really didn't like the vet. I will not be bringing any of my others there. I figure I will give it one more shed and if it doesn't improve. LSU has the best reptile vet and its only about an hour from my house so I will bring him there. I have tried soaking him, mineral oil, Scotch tape. Anything and everything people have told me worked for them and no success. Here is the best pic I could get with my phone http://tapa.tk/mu/aefd61df-690e-46f2.jpg

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Has it always had that milky look? It looks to me like the snake is going into shed. But if the eye has looked like that the entire time, then something is wrong.

Jim Smith

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

Has it always had that milky look? It looks to me like the snake is going into shed. But if the eye has looked like that the entire time, then something is wrong.

Jim Smith

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Yes. He has been that way since I got him. The Guy I purchased him from said he had no problems with his eyes while in his care. So I figure he has retained his last 2 eye caps. Then the breeder told me that he has noticed that with the pied gene he noticed some snakes get glossy eyes. I just didn't think that That sounded right


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I'd like to hear from others, but I would question the viability of that eye. Looks like it could be a blind eye to me, but lets hear from others. Not to make you worried, but that doesn't look like a retained eye cap.

Jim Smith

The eye goes into "blue" when the new skin is forming under the current one meaning it should only be that way a few days. That sounds more than just a retained eye cap. Retained eyecaps are usuallu cleared back over any way. With it staying cloudy I wouldnt try removing it. I missed undersood you when you were describing it today.

P.S I have that herp vet's number if you wanna run him by there first.

They are both like that. You can see the pupils if the light is right.

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Maybe the picture isn't doing the eye justice. It just doesn't look like a retained eye cap.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

Hopefully his next shed clears them up. I will soak him again tomorrow and rub his eyes and see what comes of it

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

Maybe the picture isn't doing the eye justice. It just doesn't look like a retained eye cap.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

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Yea, thanks for the replies

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Well that definitely doesn't look like a retained eye cap, looks like a blindness is in that eye. I wouldn't keep rubbing his eye, that will proabably only stress him out, and i see you tried Scotch Tape?!?!?!?! I'd never use that on a snake, let alone his eye.

I would only worry about it if it impedes eating or any other part of life.

He eats like a champ. It doesn't affect him whatsoever.

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I have used tape to remove stuck eye caps several times it works great. But you do need to be 100% sure that there is a retained eye cap before attempting this or it probably will hurt the eye.

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Originally Posted by jason79

I have used tape to remove stuck eye caps several times it works great. But you do need to be 100% sure that there is a retained eye cap before attempting this or it probably will hurt the eye.

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That's the problem. The vet didn't say either way. He charged me $70 to pretty much tell me to wait till his next shed. I have never had this happen or know anyone that has had this happen to them. So I tried the tape thing but it really freaked me out so I crossed that out. But soaking and.damp paper towels in his hide, and mineral oil have done nothing. Hopefully if it is his eye caps, his next shed will remove it


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Have you carefully inspected the shed skins to verify if the eye caps came off with the shed? This is really all you need to know. If the eye caps are on the shed, then they aren't on the snake. In my opinion, the only time a pied's eyes should look like that is if the snake is about to shed. That is not a trait I have seen with the piebald gene.
-Paul

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Originally Posted by PiedPeddler

Have you carefully inspected the shed skins to verify if the eye caps came off with the shed? This is really all you need to know. If the eye caps are on the shed, then they aren't on the snake. In my opinion, the only time a pied's eyes should look like that is if the snake is about to shed. That is not a trait I have seen with the piebald gene.
-Paul

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When he she'd in the bag while he was being shipped I really couldn't make it out because it was all in pieces. The next time he shed his head shed badly bout his body shed very nicely. I guess I will have to cross my fingers and hope that the 3rd is a charm

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In your first post, you described the eye as "glossy" and then said the guy you bought it from said that is a common thing with pieds.

Here's my question, and the answer may be important. Did you simply describe the eye as "glossy" and let the seller make his own conclusions about what you meant? Or did you show him a picture of what is going on and after seeing a clouded eye, he says it's common?

When I read your original post, I had no idea what you were trying to describe because "glossy" is a word I might use to describe a healthy, shiny eye. Maybe the seller thought you were describing an extra shiny eye and tried to assure you that pieds have beautiful eyes? And maybe he is actually unaware that the snake developed some sort of eye issue en route?

OR...if you showed him a picture like that one...demonstrating an eye that clearly has something wrong going on...and he tries to blow it off as "common" and nothing to worry about...this would indicate to me that he knew about the problem before he sent the snake out to you, and he is full of BS.