Retained Eye Caps

[tiny_tiger60978]

So, I had to take my bp in to the vet today and had him look at her eyes while I was there. She likes really high humidity (as in, will turn over her water bowl everywhere if it's not high enough) so I keep the humidity in her cage around 80-85%, but she still has dents in her eye scales. When she sheads, I can find the piece from her head and the eye caps are there...but it's been at least 5 sheads and she'll still get dented eye caps even at 80% + humidity levels. The vet said that retained caps can in effect "stack" up, so while she always sheads one, there may have been two that were old. (make sense?) He reccommended getting "natural tear" eyedrops (like at walmart) and trying that to keep her eyes moist, so hopefully she can shead ALL the ones that might be stacked up. I was just wondering if any of yall had any other suggestions? If the vet has to try and remove them, (not to mention the cost...) he said he'd prob. have to use a needle to try and flake the old caps off. (He said he hates doing this because he's always concerned about sticking the needle into the eye instead of just old caps, but also said that he's gotten up to 7 old caps off one eye at one time.) I'm of course gonna try the eyedrops first, but don't want to have to resort to the vet going at my girl's eye with a needle....

Thanks in advance for your help!

[tiny_tiger60978]

No one??? Any advice would be GREATLY appreciated

[mpkeelee]

do u have a pciture of ur snakes eye? that would help. retained eyecaps are really easy to see.

[dr del]

Hi,

How and where are you taking the humidity readings?


dr del

[tiny_tiger60978]

do u have a pciture of ur snakes eye? that would help. retained eyecaps are really easy to see.

Well, my camera sucks so I don't think it'd show up even on a picture. The vet had to angle a light just right to see the indention. It kinda just looks like a fuzzy white-ish crease...

Hi,

How and where are you taking the humidity readings?


dr del

I use a digitatl temp. and humidity gage inside the tank to take humidity readings. I'm pretty sure it's taking the readings on the warm side of her tank, though her water bowl is on the cool side (if that helps). It's not a huge tub though...

[tiny_tiger60978]

do u have a pciture of ur snakes eye? that would help. retained eyecaps are really easy to see.

The vet did say it was a retained cap though...so I think he knows what he's talking about...It's just wierd cuz every shead I see SOME kind of eye cap was shead...never missed one

Mainly just wanted any other "techniques" and/or advice about a good way to help her loose the extra cap(s) next shead...which should be in a week or so

[tiny_tiger60978]

Also, I know she's not dehydrated. I actually see her drinking often...today even. Plus, she pees everywhere, which is not cool when she's out on my bed watching tv with me...

I also let her "swim" in my bath tub at least once a week. I think it's the only "exercise" she gets , though she doesn't really do much in water or on land...

[mpkeelee]

thats wierd, i guess u could soak her in a tub for about thirty minutes, take a wet towel or washcloth and gently rub her eye. i dont really like messing with their eyes cuz its sensitive. or u could wait until the next shed and really crank up the humidity and see if that helps.

[Clint Bundy]

If you see the eye caps in the sheds then they aren't being retained. It puzzle's me to hear you say that you are seeing them every shed but a vet is telling you that the snake is retaining them. Can you get a second opinion? P.S. A pic of this would help out tremendously. It's tough for us to help out when we can't see the problem that you are having. I understand that you say your camera stinks but some type of pic would be better than nothing. Until then I think we are just taking shots in the dark with the problem. If the snakes eyeball is dented in I would also have to say humidity. Any time I have had a snake retain an eye cap I can see it without having to get the light just right. But you are doing the right thing by inspecting the sheds. I always look for the eye caps.

[sarahlovesmiike]

Has the snake ever had an injury to the eye? My female got a little scratch once and it looked like her eye was constantly in shed for like five sheds. Even now her eye looks blueish for a day or two after a shed.