Stuck eye caps on new BP

[BCS]

I bought a Vanilla BP 3 weeks ago (March 31). She is two years old and when I bought her I could tell the breeder was trying to save money by feeding her less as she was a bit skinny. No big deal, I know how to get a snake back up to size and it really did not throw any doubts about the breeder. Today I was cleaning the tubs and noticed that the Vanilla has retained eye caps, in both eyes. I personally have not dealt with this. Usually if one of my snakes have a stuck shed (usually around the chin, top of the head), with their next shed they usually get the old shed off so I really do not worry about it, but I always hear about how bad stuck eye caps can be. I do not know if it is only one retained eye cap or multiple. It looks to be only one and she does not seem to have any visual problems. Should I wait and see what happens with her next shed? I think it may be too late for me to attempt to get them off, plus she is very shy, not snappy but she balls up and tucks her head under herself. Should I wait, make a vet appointment, will it harm her and when should I start to worry?

[JoshSloane]

As long as your humidity is correct she will likely shed off the eye caps with next shed. What is your humidity currently? When she goes into blue next time, I would provide a humid hide with damp moss to allow her to really bump up the moisture. IMO you shouldn't touch her eyes and attempt to remove the caps, usually it does more harm than good. If she keeps them retained after multiple sheds then there might be cause for concern and further action needed.

I would say no vet needed now, but definitely keep an eye on it. You might even provide a humid hide right now and see if the added humidity can help those caps come off. A short and light soak in tepid water can also help. We know Bps aren't prolific soakers, but in this situation it might help. Just don't use too much water, and make sure she doesn't have to exert energy to swim. Good luck, this is something most snake keepers experience at least once.

[phil89]

I've dealt with this on my normal, I took a soft q tip, got it wet with warm water and very gently assisted. Once it gets soft it will begin to peel

[JoshSloane]

I've dealt with this on my normal, I took a soft q tip, got it wet with warm water and very gently assisted. Once it gets soft it will begin to peel

Wouldn't do this now, too much potential for error. This is something you can do down the road if it doesn't come off naturally. IF you decide to do this, I would use mineral oil vs just water, and it will lubricate the Q tip much better.

[BCS]

Wouldn't do this now, too much potential for error. This is something you can do down the road if it doesn't come off naturally. IF you decide to do this, I would use mineral oil vs just water, and it will lubricate the Q tip much better.

I have had stuck sheds and peeled it off before, that is not big deal. (I am talking patches along the spine or tail tips). But most of my snakes very rarely have stuck sheds (which i am pathetically proud of). This girl came to me like this. She has yet to shed for me. The humidity is usually around 48% without spraying. I use paper towel when they are shedding. When they are not in shed I use unprinted newspaper. Paper towel does wonders in raising humidity to about 62-66%. I have never had issues with humidity.

[phil89]

Wouldn't do this now, too much potential for error. This is something you can do down the road if it doesn't come off naturally. IF you decide to do this, I would use mineral oil vs just water, and it will lubricate the Q tip much better.

Yeah this is definitely one of those last effort type things, always refer to your husbandry first. I only do this because I've had experience with it and have been shown how by people smarter than I.
The caps should come off on their own, just keep an eye on it.

[bcr229]

I don't mess with eye caps either, it's too easy to cause permanent damage to the snake's eye. Keep the humidity up around 70-80% in the enclosure, and if they don't fall off by themselves in a few days they will come off with the next shed.

IMO it's much more important to make sure the tail tip completely sheds out, as built-up shed there can dry out, cut off circulation to the tail, and eventually will cause necrosis.

[JoshSloane]

I don't mess with eye caps either, it's too easy to cause permanent damage to the snake's eye. Keep the humidity up around 70-80% in the enclosure, and if they don't fall off by themselves in a few days they will come off with the next shed.

IMO it's much more important to make sure the tail tip completely sheds out, as built-up shed there can dry out, cut off circulation to the tail, and eventually will cause necrosis.

Great advice here.