Retained eye caps question

Right guys I'd like some opinions as I keep getting conflicting ones from snakey people.

I've not even had my little bee a fortnight yet, I didn't get a full look at him when I bought him and thought he was in blue although the guy said he had shed two weeks prior (he has also not responded to any text messages I have sent him asking for further info on the 3 I bought from him, go figure!). When I'd had him 6 days I discovered he had retained eyecaps. These do not inhibit his eating, he handles well, is very docile and seems happy and inquisitive when out.

I took him to a very reputable reptile shop in my area for a look over and quick check due to the eyecaps and also I got him and 2 others for such a low price I wanted to check they were healthy. They told me not to worry and to leave the eye caps and they would come off next shed.

I posted a pic of him on a page tonight as he had some flakey shed on his next and I was asking if they thought this was stuck shed from the last time or something I had done. My humidity is 70-80% in his tub and he has stopped looking so dehydrated as he did when I got him. Instead of advice on the flakey skin I was given many comments about how I had to get the eyecaps off immediately.

I have bathed him tonight and gave it a go to get the eyecaps off but I couldn't do it and didn't feel comfortable trying any further in case I injured my little guy. I wasn't taking that chance.


My question is: Is it required to get them off IMMEDIATELY as I was told by people on a page or can I leave them until next shed? Conflicting information is a nightmare when you're still a newbie and learning!

I would say wait til next shed. The chances of you doing damage to his eyes while trying to help him seem to outweigh any benefits. With the next shed he/she should be able to get the retained caps off anyways.

If they start piling up, you'll have to do something, but for one set of retained caps, I would say wait til the next shed.

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Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

Right guys I'd like some opinions as I keep getting conflicting ones from snakey people.

I've not even had my little bee a fortnight yet, I didn't get a full look at him when I bought him and thought he was in blue although the guy said he had shed two weeks prior (he has also not responded to any text messages I have sent him asking for further info on the 3 I bought from him, go figure!). When I'd had him 6 days I discovered he had retained eyecaps. These do not inhibit his eating, he handles well, is very docile and seems happy and inquisitive when out.

I took him to a very reputable reptile shop in my area for a look over and quick check due to the eyecaps and also I got him and 2 others for such a low price I wanted to check they were healthy. They told me not to worry and to leave the eye caps and they would come off next shed.

I posted a pic of him on a page tonight as he had some flakey shed on his next and I was asking if they thought this was stuck shed from the last time or something I had done. My humidity is 70-80% in his tub and he has stopped looking so dehydrated as he did when I got him. Instead of advice on the flakey skin I was given many comments about how I had to get the eyecaps off immediately.

I have bathed him tonight and gave it a go to get the eyecaps off but I couldn't do it and didn't feel comfortable trying any further in case I injured my little guy. I wasn't taking that chance.


My question is: Is it required to get them off IMMEDIATELY as I was told by people on a page or can I leave them until next shed? Conflicting information is a nightmare when you're still a newbie and learning!

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How did you try to remove the eye caps? I usually do a soak in water with a touch of shed ease, then take a Q-tip or my fingers to remove caps. I had a few young ones here and there that were too head shy to remove eye caps, so there have been a few incidences were I waited until next shed yes.

I would personally leave it unless it looks really terrible (like more than 2 retained eye caps per eye).

There are ways to gently get them off but you have to be extremely careful.
I have taken in snakes with retained eye caps in the past and for me personally what I find best is to get a tupperware, put warm water in it (warm to the touch but not hot), and have it so that it will cover about half the snake. I then line it with several paper toweles or a wash cloth and allow it to soak up some of the warm water. Then I place the snake in and close a lid on it. The warm water will moisten and loosen the stuck skin and the act of the snake seeking a way out will gently rub it off.
People have many, many different methods. This has just been very safe and effective for me in my experience.

But again, unless it was pretty bad I would just leave it and keep up the humidity and it should resolve itself in the next shed.

I was very reluctant to try to do anything as I haven't removed any before.

I gave him a 15 minute bath and made sure to get moisture on the eye, I very gently held him and rolled my thumb backwards across the eye a few times (not with much pressure) during this time he was very calm which was reassuring (I think)

I couldn't get the eyecaps off either eye so I stopped after that. I thought it was enough for one day for him and I wasn't comfortable trying for any longer with no experience. I felt pressured into having to remove them immediately even though experts had told me to leave it until the next shed.

The people on the post were focusing on a picture from when I first got him instead of the picture from tonight and I had to remind them a few times that that picture was over a week old and that I had been advised to leave his eyecaps alone by the shop.

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Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

I was very reluctant to try to do anything as I haven't removed any before.

I gave him a 15 minute bath and made sure to get moisture on the eye, I very gently held him and rolled my thumb backwards across the eye a few times (not with much pressure) during this time he was very calm which was reassuring (I think)

I couldn't get the eyecaps off either eye so I stopped after that. I thought it was enough for one day for him and I wasn't comfortable trying for any longer with no experience. I felt pressured into having to remove them immediately even though experts had told me to leave it until the next shed.

The people on the post were focusing on a picture from when I first got him instead of the picture from tonight and I had to remind them a few times that that picture was over a week old and that I had been advised to leave his eyecaps alone by the shop.

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Given that then yes I would go ahead and wait.

If you're not comfortable, don't even bother trying to remove them. He'll get it off with his next shed.
Just make sure your humidity is up then.

Messing with an stuck eye cap can do more harm than good. You can accidentally remove the live membrane cap, which will cause permanent damage and/or blindness. So it's best just to wait it out.

That was my worry. I didn't want to blind him or cause possible infection but I felt pressured by a few people that it had to be done immediately even though I knew it could come off in his next shed (my pastel had a very stuck eyecap which came off in her second shed)

My post was asking if the flakey skin I was seeing was stuck shed from the previous owner or if it was my fault and that was ignored and the eyecaps focused on instead.

I don't understand the urgency to get one set of retained eyecaps off, the snake does not seem to be suffering any ill effects; he hides during the day, comes out at night, eats perfectly, handles very well, is gaining weight slowly but surely and hasn't yet struck or hissed at me.

I wanted to check that leaving them was in fact the right thing to do. Thanks guys. I'm more at ease now :)

Just for reference this was the main pic I asked for advice on. This flaking only occured in the last 24 hours as I had him out last night.

https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...18657420_n.jpg

I'd have to agree with Satomi,I don't have the experience by any means and never had the problem,but I wouldn't mess with the eyes,especially if you are not an experienced owner like a lot of ppl here..better safe than sorry and not in your case but ya snakes..wait til next shed is best idea

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

That was my worry. I didn't want to blind him or cause possible infection but I felt pressured by a few people that it had to be done immediately even though I knew it could come off in his next shed (my pastel had a very stuck eyecap which came off in her second shed)

My post was asking if the flakey skin I was seeing was stuck shed from the previous owner or if it was my fault and that was ignored and the eyecaps focused on instead.

I don't understand the urgency to get one set of retained eyecaps off, the snake does not seem to be suffering any ill effects; he hides during the day, comes out at night, eats perfectly, handles very well, is gaining weight slowly but surely and hasn't yet struck or hissed at me.

I wanted to check that leaving them was in fact the right thing to do. Thanks guys. I'm more at ease now :)

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Yeah some things do get hard and confusing because everyone has their own opinion that ranges from A to Z. You'd think you can trust someone that says they've had snakes for 10 years but that doesn't always mean they've taken proper care from them. It's good you came here as there are a high concentration of people who are very knowledgeable

Yeah, I feel very comfortable on this forum. I posted the picture I asked for advice on which will be at the bottom of the first page. I followed that picture up with one from over a week ago and the topic of conversation swayed to the older one even though it was clearly specified that I was referring to the first one.

I think I just got frustrated and felt attacked as if they were saying the eyecaps were my fault when this is how I received him. This was not said but this is how I started to feel (I think I get a bit defensive around my BP's)

I'll repost that pic here so you can see the pic I posted initially for advice on; I did manage to get some of this off but it seems stuck on his underside and he started squirming so I left him be:


https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...18657420_n.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Naom9Anne

Yeah, I feel very comfortable on this forum. I posted the picture I asked for advice on which will be at the bottom of the first page. I followed that picture up with one from over a week ago and the topic of conversation swayed to the older one even though it was clearly specified that I was referring to the first one.

I think I just got frustrated and felt attacked as if they were saying the eyecaps were my fault when this is how I received him. This was not said but this is how I started to feel (I think I get a bit defensive around my BP's)

I'll repost that pic here so you can see the pic I posted initially for advice on; I did manage to get some of this off but it seems stuck on his underside and he started squirming so I left him be:


https://fbcdn-sphotos-c-a.akamaihd.n...18657420_n.jpg

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That little touch of skin? lol. He'll be fine with that too...my lav retic tried to shed the day after being shipped in and she ended up having a small patch on her back, she shed that off weeks ago with another, no worries.

It is more extensive than that (basically stuck shed around the neck and head area) but he wouldn't stay still long enough to get a decent pic showing the extent of it. I'm going to leave him well alone and hope he eats tomorrow after all this fuss with him tonight!

Just leave it,my snake on its first shed,had about an inch or so of remaining shed on his tail,I left it alone and in the next shed everything came right off..

Leave it alone till the next shed, if you want to try and help then stick the little one in a wet pillow case for a little while.

Yeah, he's being left for feeding (if he'll feed tonight after last night) so I might try him in a pillowcase on Sunday night when he's digested his meal.

we bought a female that had retained eye caps really bad she was well grown on and i think she had more than one retained!

she was in a terrible state when we got her, but luckily she was and still is a sweetheart to this date :) we tried several things to try to get the damn things off, we bathed her, we tried sheding aid spray, a wet pillowcase, tried a damp cotton bud and gently rubbing her eyes, we let her shed out and nothing seemed to work untill a friend told us about viscotears gel its a prescription eye drop for dry eyes for us, just have to go to a chemist and say its for you! we put big blobs of the gel onto her eyes using a cotton bud and left them on her and we put her back after this and also sprayed shedding aid all over her! we done this every time she shown signs of going into shed and done it every day until she shed and after two sheds later they all came off perfectly! worked wonders!

sorry for the long post just wanted to give some detail :)

Thank you! My boy ate with no issue after having me prodding and poking at him so I've decided to leave well alone but if he doesn't get his eye caps off next shed I will definitely head to a pharmacy for some eye drops :D Just as proof, and because I'm proud of my little one; barely 24 hours after a bath he hates and me rubbing on him :)

https://fbcdn-sphotos-a-a.akamaihd.n...96244947_n.jpg

I think smart choice. Not that I'm an expert on snakes but if it doesn't affect his eating why stress the lil fella with soaking, poking around his eyes etc. All bad sheds I had were fixed by the next shed. Just up the humidity when you notice him going to shedding. I think I would just let it be till the next shed.

Yeah, he's a great little guy :) Not very head shy either which is great :) Wouldn't swap him (or any of mine actually) for the world :)