What is this?

I just picked this girl up the other day. Her husbandry from her former owner was very poor. When I got her she had stuck shed everywhere. I still can't get it all off by her head after a good soak. Here is a picture, is this retained eyecaps or another problem? Her other eye looks normal.

http://i1270.photobucket.com/albums/...y/54e75ac6.jpg

Looks like retained eye cap. Get the humidity right and it should come off next shed. Actually a little high on the humidity wouldn't hurt during the shed process just to make sure that it does come off.

From the front it is really bulged and I dunno if you can see it but it sorta looks cracked.

Ya looks like a retained eye cap. You could get some saline eye drops,real tears works too. Drop on the eye and do this a few times to loosen it up then take a q tip and gently go across the eye, this should take it off. Remember be careful and take your time, gently do this. I have done this before with great success.

I will try it. She's a little head shy so I'm not sure how it will go.

Ya if you have a helper it goes smoother. Have someone hold her back and you take the head just behind it and turn her head up so you can put in the drops. My fiancé reluctantly helped and it goes smooth like that. Good luck.

I would leave it alone and let it come off with the next shed. It is not an emergency for it to come off, and better than screwing with the eye.

I wouldn't recommend messing with it at this point. You can try the normal soaking method and provide a damp rag in the tub and the snake should take care of it. If not, it wouldn't hurt to leave it until the next shed, whereas someone with little to no experience and a slightly unsteady hand could potentially harm the snake. I'd err on the side of caution and wait it out...

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Originally Posted by Taxiballbreeder

Ya looks like a retained eye cap. You could get some saline eye drops,real tears works too. Drop on the eye and do this a few times to loosen it up then take a q tip and gently go across the eye, this should take it off. Remember be careful and take your time, gently do this. I have done this before with great success.

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I very strongly urge you not to do this! Really bad things can happen when you start mucking around with their eyes. Jack up the humidity to around 70% and let it come off by its self during the next shed.

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Originally Posted by Slim

I very strongly urge you not to do this! Really bad things can happen when you start mucking around with their eyes. Jack up the humidity to around 70% and let it come off by its self during the next shed.

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x2. Ive heard quite a few stories of people trying to aid them in shedding and tearing the eyecap right off. I would only reccommend someone with vast experience try this. Even then its a risk that there isnt really a reward in taking...

Yup yup I've seen vets blind snakes from messing with eye caps. Just dont do it. There's no need to. Yes it looks annoying for us. But the snake doesn't care and it won't hurt her. Leave her be until next shed, keep the humidity up and check the shed for eye caps. Just let it be.


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Another way to look at it:
In the wild they dont always have perfect sheds. Theres no one out there running around with a little bottle of solution an q-tips to swab all their eyes lol