Some advice please!

[Gunner253]

I recently acquired a 3 yr old male mojave that was breeding. He's great so far, I got the temps up and I was getting ready to feed soon and then last night I come home and he has one of those stick on hygrometers stuck to the side of his head! I got it off and thought I saw something wrong with his eye cap but later looked fine so today I decided to take him to the vet. The vet said everything looked normal and he didn't see any sign of injury but gave me eye drops as a precaution. My question is is if everything is normal and seems fine is it worth stressing the snake 2x a day for just a precaution? Especially when he's been off feeding. I figured I'd wait a couple days and see if things look fine still and go from there, am I wrong. Btw I got rid of that hygrometer and Ghent digital like all my other gauges. Thanks for your help in advance

[MontyAndMelissa]

I never liked those sticky hydrometers. If you can get the eye drops on without stressing him out, the better. I know if I lift montys hide up, she will peek up at me, I'm sure long enough for me to get an eye drop in her eye. If the only way to get the eye drops in is to stress out the snake, and your vet said it was a good idea, I would go with your vets advice. But there should be a way to get the eye drops in without even touching the snake. They don't have eyelids that they can close on you. Best of luck!

[Gunner253]

I never liked those sticky hydrometers. If you can get the eye drops on without stressing him out, the better. I know if I lift montys hide up, she will peek up at me, I'm sure long enough for me to get an eye drop in her eye. If the only way to get the eye drops in is to stress out the snake, and your vet said it was a good idea, I would go with your vets advice. But there should be a way to get the eye drops in without even touching the snake. They don't have eyelids that they can close on you. Best of luck!

Yeah since I just got him he doesn't do that. I just don't know how much of the vets precaution is precaution and how much is just selling me meds. I always go by the saying that if its not broke, don't fix it. I figure the treatment is the same if he has an infection so why stress him out if he doesn't. If in a couple days it doesn't look right then Start the treatment but why stress him out if everything looks normal even to a vet with magnification on. Does my logic make sense? I just think waiting and seeing makes more sense but maybe I'm wrong

[MontyAndMelissa]

It makes sense, but if you already have the medication, it makes more sense to use precaution. Take a close look at his eye, as close as you can, make sure the eye cap looks in tact. If you still have the old hydrometer, check the sticky part to see if you see anything odd attached to it. If you feel that he looks okay, no damage to the eye cap or scales around his eye, then the final choice is up to you. I personally would take the advice of the vet, but I also don't know how the snakes eye area looks right now.

[Gunner253]

It makes sense, but if you already have the medication, it makes more sense to use precaution. Take a close look at his eye, as close as you can, make sure the eye cap looks in tact. If you still have the old hydrometer, check the sticky part to see if you see anything odd attached to it. If you feel that he looks okay, no damage to the eye cap or scales around his eye, then the final choice is up to you. I personally would take the advice of the vet, but I also don't know how the snakes eye area looks right now.

Yeah the vet had is light and magnification on him and picked at it with a dental tool and he said everything looks normal with no sign of injury. I looked at the hygrometer and other than little flakes of dry skin I don't see any scales or what not. I took a good look and it looks good to me too. I'm just gonna wait a couple days and keep a close eye on him. If it still looks good I don't see any reason to mess with it but if it looks off I'll start the meds and no harm no foul.

[MikeBPython]

He was just trying to see the humidity lol poor guy.

[Gunner253]

He was just trying to see the humidity lol poor guy.

Lol, I felt horrible for that. Especially after the vet which you know stressed him out like crazy too. I have all digital probes now so no more sticky things lol. I've grown attached to him in the short time I've had him so hopefully he gets back to normal and starts eating again

[PitOnTheProwl]

I wouldn't, all you will do is add more stress.
You already learned why we preach to not have ANYTHING in the enclosure that is sticky.

[Gunner253]

I wouldn't, all you will do is add more stress.
You already learned why we preach to not have ANYTHING in the enclosure that is sticky.

Thats what I'm thinking too. I'm sure he's fine so I don't wanna put unnecessary stress on him unless I have to. I keep a watchful eye and if anything looks abnormal I'll start giving him the drops.