Sad story....please help!

Hey everyone! I could really use some help but first a little info about my day. I found out there was a reptile shop close to my house and decided to stop in and take a look around (I was actually looking for a corn snake). The conditions in this shop were so terrible I couldn't believe it. The substrate in just about all of the enclosures looked liked it hadn't been changed in months. There were multiple snakes being housed together in enclosures that were barely big enough for one and everything was incredibly dirty. As I was just about to leave I noticed a large ball python laying in an enclosure with feces and shed skin everywhere. The sign on the tank said that he was being housed with a burmese python and constrictor (they had already been sold). There was one bare light bulb (apparently for heat) and no water bowl to be found. There wasn't one single hide either. The poor guy still had half shed skin hanging off of him pretty much everywhere. I just couldn't stand it so I asked the idiot running the place if I could see him. The snake is missing part of his tail (idiot guy said a rat chewed it off) and has several bites on his back. As much as I didn't want to give this moron a dime there was no way I could leave this snake in his so-called care so I bought him. I brought him home, soaked him to remove the rest of the partially shed skin, treated him for mites (just in case), and put him in a 98 qt. rubbermaid with hides, heat, and water. The poor thing spent 5 minutes just drinking water. He's resting in a quiet room now.

My question is what to do about eyecaps? From what I can see he still has eyecaps from a previous shed and I'm not sure how to remove them or if I should even try. He's already been through so much I'm afraid of stressing him any more but I want to do what I can to help. Any thoughts or ideas would be very much appreciated!

Sorry for such a long post....I'm just very ticked off!

That's horrible.. I'm glad this one got a good home, but at the same time, you know another animal is going to fill the empty tank at the store. :(

As for eye caps.. I have heard of using scotch tape to remove them, you can also use fine tweezers (this is much easier if part of the eye cap is off) Keep the humidity high to help them come off too.

God, that's just awful...I'd suggest writing to the city better business bureau and the local paper a very professional and educated letter explaining the completely inhumane practices that business is (mal)practicing...anything to call attention to their inexcusable treatment of their animals.

I know I've seen a pictorial on some breeder's website recently on taking off eyecaps with scotch tape...but like...which website? =P I'll see if I can remember...(I look at so many...gah)

Good Samaritan hugs to you for bringing that poor guy home...

*edit*
YES! I found it: http://www.joecompelreptiles.com/bal..._cap/index.asp

the pet land by my school is like that. i applied for a job there to help the animals out and all. i put all the info i know and i pick ed a girl who wares a pet mouse around in those ball things. i asked the lady about a corn snake they had and she didnt know what kind of snake it was to start with.


anyway glad to know the snake is getting a second chance at life. i also heard about the schotch tape. i would wait to see if he can get it off himself or when he is more relaxed.

if that store is really that bad, you might want to give the local ASPCA or whatever you have where you are a call and have them go check it out.. never hurts to have them have a look.

Thank you so much everyone for the great advice and good wishes! I think I'm going to wait a few days before doing anything to give him time to relax. I'm also going to increase the humidity a little bit....hopefully that will help. Once again, thank you for taking the time to help! :)


Oh, and I've already started the process to deal with this guy....;)

First off, I would report that store to your local ASPCA. If they just sell reptiles, you may not get as much sympathy as one would expect, but maybe you'll get a herp lover or someone who really loves all animals and not just the fuzzy kind. If the store sells the cute-fuzzy animals as well, you're very likely to get some kind of action...at least an investigation.


Second off, I would NOT mess with the eyecaps yourself. You can damage the snake's eyes if you're not sure what you're doing and exactly what condition the eyes are in. If multiple eyecaps have built up over time (very likely by the sounds of it) it may take a vet to remove them. I would be on the phone, making an appointment with a vet...preferably one experienced with snakes and rescues. The snake should be checked for parasites as well, internal as well as external, and other possible illnesses such as an RI.

I'm not experienced with rescuing reptiles. Please don't take my words as expert advice. I'm just telling you what ~I~ would do if I found myself in your situation.

Best of luck with it!!!

I feel your pain. I've been there many times myself. After a while I just stopped taking in the rescues cause the stores would just keep on bringing new ones in and It takes its toll on you as well. Here is a link Summarizing South Carolina Animal Cruelty Laws.

Animal Cruelty Laws Summary

If I were you I would write your local Humane society and hopefully have them take some action against the store. Write them a letter through regular mail and don't use email. You could also print out a caresheet for the individual animals and give them to the store owner and see if they would change their ways. Good Luck.

P.S Don't forget to quarantine the new comer from the rest of your collection.

oh man im so so sorry,this hurts me so bad it really tears me up.i know the feeling thats how i got magnum.my bp.ill be praying not only for your snake but also for you.

bleh!! and i thought my snake was already in bad shape when i took alook at the shop in thailand. some shops in chatuchak really dont pay any respect to those poor animals. my BP was in a small 40 cm x 30 x 30 aquarium. and it had one small bowl of water with no hiding at all. well i bought that baby ... but after your story i guess mine is in better luck than yours.

hope things will work out for you. personally i wouldn't mess with the eyes if i dont know what i was doing.

please keep us updated.

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Originally Posted by cassandra

God, that's just awful...I'd suggest writing to the city better business bureau and the local paper a very professional and educated letter explaining the completely inhumane practices that business is (mal)practicing...anything to call attention to their inexcusable treatment of their animals.

....

Good Samaritan hugs to you for bringing that poor guy home...

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Seconded! Poor little guy! The Amazon pet shop over here is bad, but at least it's better then that... yeash,...

You are a wonderful person to help this poor snake, I hate reading things like this :(. I hope everything goes well for you and her/him - s/he is really lucky to have found you and is now on the path to a better life :). Best of luck with it.

Thank you for saving that poor creature! As for the eye caps and his general condition, I would get him to a vet right away. When I have had trouble with eyecaps in the past I put mine in a warm water soak and the problem takes care of itself, with maybe a little help from a wet q-tip. But with your description of this guys overall problems I would say a vet is the order of the day!

Pax
Cujo

Please be careful about those eyecaps. We took in a snake with 4 or 5 stuck ones. The top two layers were literally falling off and came off when she was soaked and slithered through a wet facecloth. The other two were stuck and after a phone call to Adam (thanks again Adam!) we decided to leave them be and let nature take it's course during subsequent sheds.

It did take two sheds before Saoirse's eyes were completely clear but for me anyways, I'd rather be patient and work on her husbandry then take the chance of permanent eye damage from me messing with it.

Don't forget to get a fecal done and keep the snake strictly quarantined.


~~Jo~~

maybe thats the best solution. i'd feel bad if the vet mess her up ;/ even worse!!

guess its like franky said. wait for few sheds and then see what happens

I was thinking about your poor little guy this morning...if you need help writing a letter(s), please let me know. I'm a good editor. =)

Jo has a very good point there. I would give your snake a luke-warm bath for about 20 min, then use a big towel or washcloth to dry him off with. Scar had a retained cap when I got him and that got most of the stuff off him. I would be very weary about poking around my snakes eyes. Keep his humidity up and nature will take its course. Scar shed really fast and wasin good shape in no time. With a little patience your snake will be in great shape in no time.

You folks are incredible....thank you so much for your concern and very helpful suggestions! I've decided that I'm just not comfortable with attempting to remove any eyecaps. After all he's been through it would break my heart to harm him in any way. I checked on him this morning and he was curled up in his warm side hide. He seems to be drinking quite a bit of water but I guess that's because he didn't have any before. He'll be making a trip to the vet just as soon as I can get an appt. lined up. If the vet feels a need to take care of the eyecaps that's fine, if not I'm just going to wait until he sheds again. He's currently being quarantined in a separate room in the house where it's very quiet. After I give him a few weeks to settle in I'll post some pics. Thanks again for all the good wishes! :D

** I guess I need to think of a name for him....any suggestions?**

Zulu the last name of a warrior. Also what kind of thermostat do you use?

Lazarus...because he's coming back from the dead. =)

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Originally Posted by cassandra

Lazarus...because he's coming back from the dead. =)

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That's perfect....I love it! :D Thank you!!!:hug:

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Originally Posted by amg20102006

Zulu the last name of a warrior. Also what kind of thermostat do you use?

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I am currently using the Herpstat brand. Matt from MG Reptiles got me started using these and I've been very happy with them. I also use an Accurite temp/humidity gauge and a temp gun just to double check everything....:)

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Originally Posted by Crow

That's perfect....I love it! :D Thank you!!!:hug:

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Woot! Glad to help...can't wait to pictures after he's settled in...:)

HAHA! You got your ball exactly the same was I got mine :) Right on!

Here's how to remove spectacles with tape ...

- Let the animal settle in for a few days first since it's new
- Take the snake out of the terrarium and gently handle it for about 5, maybe 10 minutes so it settles down
- Remember, some ball pythons are extremely head shy!
- Once it's settled down, slowly and gently (VERY GENTLY) put two fingers just behind it's head (so it can't withdraw it's head)
- Take a small piece of scotch tape, slowly and gently (VERY, VERY SLOWLY AND GENTLY) take the tape and affix just a small area of it to the upper part of the spectacle (eye cap), and very carefully use the tape (now partially adhered to the spectacle) to peel it off from over the animal's eye

I had to do this the day after I got Allister home. It works fine, but the key is to be gentle.

I'm happy to hear that you took the animal home. I know a lot of keepers will discourage purchasing an animal from a pet store because we feel sorry for it, and not without good reason of course, but you sound caring and responsible, and I think you and your new snake are going to do just fine. I'm glad it wound up with you.

Take care!

Hi Kenny!

Thank you so much for the advice and good wishes! Lazarus seems to be settling in nicely and already looks quite a bit better than he did. I found a site today where other people have posted some rather serious complaints about the guy running this store. Apparently this kind of thing has been going on for several years. :mad: I made some calls first thing this morning in an attempt to get something done about him....hopefully I'm on the right track. Anyway, thanks again for the help! :)

i'm sure lazarus is very thankful to be out of that store and that tank. yes, the owner will get another snake to replace this one... but at least this one is living a healthy life!!!

good for you!

Crow, no problem chief :) You and Lazarus will do just fine. I like the name, by the way! Lazarus is a good name for a snake.

Make sure when you report this guy that you have plenty of back-up, I called the ASPCA is Janesville about a PetLand there, sick puppies with kennel cough, two dead iguanas in a cage with four other very sickly looking ones, all their water dragons had mouth rot and one had a broken leg, their rodents where trying to eat each other for lack of food, well you get the picture. I called and called and wrote a few letters, but no one cared, because I'm "just one kid". :disbelief :frustrate :explosion

Try a warm and damp paper towel dont press!! Just get the paper towel over his head. I do this with my snake whenever she is about to shed I get a warm paper towel and rub the whole body down with it and I do this through out the whole shed cycle.

You are wonderful for saving that poor guy.
Bless You.

As for the eyecaps I would soak for 20 mins and then my vet said just use plain old mineral oil and put a drop on each eye. You can do this as often as you like as it will cause the snake no harm. That should help loosen them up.
With several layers I would be careful using the tape method.

Thanks everyone! It's amazing to me to see how many people have viewed this post and offered their help, advice, and good wishes. This is such a wonderful community of people....Lazarus and I are so thankful that you folks are here! :D

Just a quick update on Laz....he has settled in very well. I increased the humidity in his tub when I first brought him home and his eyes seem to have cleared up. He's been using both of his hides and seems comfortable just cruising around the tub. He's different from my other two BP's in that he's so much more inquisitive. Most times that I've changed the water or have been just spot checking the tub he's come out apparently to see what's going on....not a bit shy in the least. He's been refusing to eat but when I checked on him late last night he seemed to be looking around his tub so I'll try again this evening *fingers crossed*.

Anyway, thanks again to everyone for everything....Ya'll are the best! :clap:

That's great :)
Please keep us posted on his progress.