Snake's eyes are dented/scratched, DESPERATE for help.

I recently bought a brand new Ball Python!!
I've had him for about two months now, and he is eating perfectly fine, all his husbandry is correct, but I picked him up about a week ago and I noticed both his eyes look dented/scratched/peeling? I'm really worried about him, I have had snakes in the past, but have not seen this before.. I feed him live, but I do not ever leave him unattended. I'm thinking he might have fallen from a plant in the cage, and hit his eye. Is this something I should take him to a vet clinic for? Or will the next shed he has take care of it. I should also mention, he has not shed at all since I have bought him.

Thanks for all the help I can get. :tears:
Sarah


Here are some pictures I took of him, sorry they aren't the greatest, he doesn't like to stay still.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._4389068_n.jpg

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-..._5219521_n.jpg

Something looks very wrong with the top photo, his right eye. It might be a retained eye cap, or maybe an injury.
I'd take him to the vet if it was me. It's not as expensive as you might think.

Okay great thank you so much. Yeah the pictures don't even do justice to the actual eye, it looks much worse in person, so I appreciate the help.

Was it like that when you bought him from the store?

Dented eyeballs usually mean a dehyrated snake. Looks like retained eyecaps to me. Grab a pillowcase and a washcloth. Dampen the washcloth, put the snake and washcloth into the pillowcase. Tie the pillowcase into a knot. Place the pillowcase into your enclosure. Leave it overnight. Open the pillowcase in the morning, hopefully everything will be shed and your snake will be a happy camper.

If not, let everything alone and wait for the next shed. Add humidity when the snake goes into shed and keep it up until the snake completes it's shed.

At that point everything should be fine.

Don't pick at the eyes, don't use tape, just leave it alone. More people have caused damage trying to help a snake with retained eyecaps.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

Quote:

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

Dented eyeballs usually mean a dehyrated snake. Looks like retained eyecaps to me. Grab a pillowcase and a washcloth. Dampen the washcloth, put the snake and washcloth into the pillowcase. Tie the pillowcase into a knot. Place the pillowcase into your enclosure. Leave it overnight. Open the pillowcase in the morning, hopefully everything will be shed and your snake will be a happy camper.

If not, let everything alone and wait for the next shed. Add humidity when the snake goes into shed and keep it up until the snake completes it's shed.

At that point everything should be fine.

Don't pick at the eyes, don't use tape, just leave it alone. More people have caused damage trying to help a snake with retained eyecaps.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

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x 2

X2 possible dehydrated and/or retained eye caps.

Maybe it's just me or the lighting, but it also looks like your snake's about to shed. Make sure to raise the humidity a bit, it usually helps with both shedding and dented eyes.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by j_h_smith

Dented eyeballs usually mean a dehyrated snake. Looks like retained eyecaps to me. Grab a pillowcase and a washcloth. Dampen the washcloth, put the snake and washcloth into the pillowcase. Tie the pillowcase into a knot. Place the pillowcase into your enclosure. Leave it overnight. Open the pillowcase in the morning, hopefully everything will be shed and your snake will be a happy camper.

If not, let everything alone and wait for the next shed. Add humidity when the snake goes into shed and keep it up until the snake completes it's shed.

At that point everything should be fine.

Don't pick at the eyes, don't use tape, just leave it alone. More people have caused damage trying to help a snake with retained eyecaps.

Good Luck!
Jim Smith

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I will definitely have to try this tonight. My only question is this, it has been a week since i have fed monty, and i bought him a mouse tonight, would it be okay to feed him and then put him in the pillowcase? Also he is going to the Vet clinic in the morning just to be safe. I'm just worried he might regurgitate his meal when i bring him to the vet in the morning..

Either way, i will try your suggestion, and reply in the morning to let you know how it went!!!

If you raise the humidity fairly high and keep it that way until he sheds then the eyecaps will come off no problem. Within a couple hours of raising humidity the dents will come out. A quick soak should cause the dents to immediately come out.

Never mess with the eyes. No picking, no tape, nothing. High humidity and it will fix itself. In the case if retained eyecaps or multiple layers of retained eyecaps (very rare) applying a tiny dab of neosporin, bacitracin, or A&D ointment, once a day until the next shed, and any stuck caps will come off on their own.

A bad shed, stuck caps, or tiny dents is never a cause for major concern and is very easily fixed.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Foschi Exotic Serpents

If you raise the humidity fairly high and keep it that way until he sheds then the eyecaps will come off no problem. Within a couple hours of raising humidity the dents will come out. A quick soak should cause the dents to immediately come out.

Never mess with the eyes. No picking, no tape, nothing. High humidity and it will fix itself. In the case if retained eyecaps or multiple layers of retained eyecaps (very rare) applying a tiny dab of neosporin, bacitracin, or A&D ointment, once a day until the next shed, and any stuck caps will come off on their own.

A bad shed, stuck caps, or tiny dents is never a cause for major concern and is very easily fixed.

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I have raised his humidity, I live in Alberta, Canada, so it is very dry out here and it's verrrry difficult to keep it at a good percent, I've been keeping it steadily at about 67% for the last week before that it was between 40 - 50 %
So hopefully this all works.

You can make what's called a humid hide.. Get a cheap plastic bowl, flower pot, or anything that won't rot in moisture. Cut a hole and turn it into a humid hide by adding a decent layer of sphagnum moss or cypress mulch bedding. Any other wood bedding will mold.

Dampen the inside but not wet.

Put it in with the snake during the week before it sheds. Don't leave it in there more than a week at a time if the snake goes in it a lot as you don't want to risk any scale rot from long term contact with moisture.

Make sure the top of the enclosure is covered or sealed off. A few inches of open screen is all that is needed for ventilation.

Humid hides are great for low humidity issues.

I have a similar problem myself, my 1 year old female ball has not eaten in 8 weeks, her last shed was not the best and it came off in pieces, i increased humidity too around 60 percent and all my temps are good but in the last 3 or 4 days i have noticed something funky going on with her eyes, at first was thinking itwas retained shed and soaked her for 30 minutes in warm water and rubbed mineral oil with a q tip on to both eyes but still no change.
Its really weird it kinda looks like a mirror kinda but not over the whole eye just part on both of them.
Help i love my snake and i would hate for her to be distressed in any way any help anyone can give me would be much appreciated, ill try and get some pics up tomorrow.

Don't use mineral oil. That will cause even good scales to flake off. Use a ointment like bacitracin, neo, or A&D on the eyes every day until the next shed. Humidity should be more like 70/75%.

Retained or dented and dry eyecaps will fix their selves with the right conditions. No need to mess with them. Anything more than what I stated can cause more harm than good.

No worries. Every BP has a bad shed at least once.