Retained eye cap...

My adult female shedded about 4 days ago, and I noticed that one eye cap didn't go off.
I've read that it usually isn't really a big problem, and that I should make the humidity higher until it comes off.

But, today, I see that her eye has kinda..blown up a little? It's a little bit bigger than the normal eye, and it's totally white. Is this normal? Or should I take her to the vet?

Hi,

Is there any way you can get pictures of it?


dr del

Yes! I took some right now, I hope this is good enough.
I saw there are lots of blood vessels on the eye as well, is that normal? D: It only shows with the camera flash, I can't see it otherwise.

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x.../redigert1.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x...oto/Eyecap.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x.../redigert2.jpg

http://i180.photobucket.com/albums/x.../redigert3.jpg

Hi,

I would recommend showing that to the vet really.

It doesn't look like a normal stuck eyecap to me. :(

Keep us posted if you can.


dr del

Damn.
I wonder what could have happened. An infection building up under the eye or something? o.O

I sure hope my veterinarian knows what to do with this sort of matter.. hard to find good reptile-veterinarians in Norway. :/

Hi,

It might be worth your while trying to get recomendations from exotic pet shops, zoo's, reptile keepers clubs, online breeders ( if there are any nearby ).

It could be that he knocked it when sheding or, as you say an infection. I think there are even some parasites that can infect the eye. It's the veins in the eye that I wasn't expecting to see.

When he shed did you know he had a retained eyecap from looking at the shed skin or just by the look of the eye?

You could also send those pictures to vetinary training schools or even a really experienced herp vet who is some distance away - they may be able to work with a local vet if there are no herp vets close enough to use?


dr del

I would try soaking and various recommended methods for removing the eyecap, but if that doesn't work, take him to an EXPERIENCED reptile vet. We had a female with an eye like that one, and we couldn't get the cap off, but kept humidity high--she shed within the week, and the cap came off and the eye was fine underneath it. It's not something to risk, since there could be damage to the eye if infection starts/continues.

I wouldn't touch that eye with anything. No tape, no cotton-swabs, no rags. It doesn't look like a normal retained eyecap. Derek had some good suggestions for finding a vet that can help you. I would keep the humidity bumped a little higher than normal and keep the enclosure a bit warmer than normal. (Just by a couple degrees...not a lot). Hopefully it'll shed off on its own in the meantime while you're trying to find a vet...but I wouldn't wait to see, if it were me.

Hm. :/
So far I haven't tried too much to take it off, mostly because she totally panics when I touch her head. And, I figured, one sharp movement from her while I'm "poking" her eye could maybe make it even worse.

It hasn't changed much from yesterday, but the scales around the eye has extended out quite a bit. It's like the eye is gonna pop. :s

My veterinarian (the only reptile-vet in my area) only works on Tuesdays, so I'm gonna call her on monday and get an appointment asap. Hopefully she'll know what to do. Meanwhile I have bumped the temps up a little, and keep the humidity up a bit.

I hope she'll be okay. :(

One thing that could help with out irritating it further it is to put fragrance free skin moisturizer on it. I rescued a BP with retained eyecaps and made a humid hide with damp(not dripping wet) moss and put fragrance free skin moisturizer on it everyday and in a three days it fell off on its own. This way you are not rubbing or disturbing it much.

It maybe be several retained caps that are begining to affect the eye. Make sure you use fragrance free as most moisturizers have added frangrances that may cause alergic or other irritating side effects. Moisturizer just hydrates the area and softens the skin. You will have to hold her head/neck steady to get it right on the eye. All BP's do not like there head touched. I would do it once or twice a day with a humid hide. Cant hurt

Best thing to get for a retained eyecap is a lubricating eye ointment (same thing you would use on your self), and put it on once a day with a Qtip. Worked wonders for a rescue I had come in with multiple retained eyecaps.

But honestly, that does not look like a retained eyecap, but more of an infection or parasite.

Thank you for tips! I'll look around to see if we have anything like that we can use.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by FloridaHogs

But honestly, that does not look like a retained eyecap, but more of an infection or parasite.

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Does it really happen THAT fast? o.O How can it have happened at all? Last time she shedded, everything came off in one perfect shed, no eye caps attached. And this time, it got stuck, and just 3 days after it looked like this. :s Just pure unlucky?