stubborn eye caps

[DCain14]

Hellooo,
So the little guy Monty has gone through about 10 sheddings already. She is getting better with shedding in one peice, but there is always her head and eye caps left over. I feel like the eye caps are the same ones since her first shed. Anyone know a good way to either rid of the eyecaps after shedding, or a good preventitive prior to shedding. ?????????

[joepythons]

Hellooo,
So the little guy Monty has gone through about 10 sheddings already. She is getting better with shedding in one peice, but there is always her head and eye caps left over. I feel like the eye caps are the same ones since her first shed. Anyone know a good way to either rid of the eyecaps after shedding, or a good preventitive prior to shedding. ?????????

Well you can spray the enclosure some to raise the humidity levels

[Patrick Long]

or pillowcase it

[DCain14]

or pillowcase it

what you mean pillowcase it? enclose the whole cage with a pillow case?? i like where your heads at!.

[Patrick Long]

oh sorry, Its on a bunch of other threads, i figured you read at least some, you get a pillow case moist, then put the snake in it and put it back in its enclosure for 20-30 mins

[dr del]

Hi,

Good visual that gave me.

He means putting the snake in a damp pillow case so that the moveing around inside rubs the skin off gently.

Use warm but not hot water to soak the pillowcase and check you can squeeze air though it when it is wet ( normally only a problem with high thread count pillowcases so avoid using those).

Put the snake in it and tie the top so it can't get out (be carefull not to catch its head or tongue or anything) then place it in the middle of its cage and leave it for a couple of hours.

It's worth noting that if the eyecaps are really 10 deep I would consider taking it to an experienced herp vet to see if they could remove them. I really cousel against treating serious buildups of retained shed in such a delicate area with any of the more **ahem** direct approaches to removing them.

Basically if increased humidity and gently rubbing by the animal itself doesnt work I would just go to the vet and also try and figure out if there is an underlying problem that is causing it.


dr del

[DCain14]

Hi,

Good visual that gave me.

He means putting the snake in a damp pillow case so that the moveing around inside rubs the skin off gently.

Use warm but not hot water to soak the pillowcase and check you can squeeze air though it when it is wet ( normally only a problem with high thread count pillowcases so avoid using those).

Put the snake in it and tie the top so it can't get out (be carefull not to catch its head or tongue or anything) then place it in the middle of its cage and leave it for a couple of hours.

It's worth noting that if the eyecaps are really 10 deep I would consider taking it to an experienced herp vet to see if they could remove them. I really cousel against treating serious buildups of retained shed in such a delicate area with any of the more **ahem** direct approaches to removing them.

Basically if increased humidity and gently rubbing by the animal itself doesnt work I would just go to the vet and also try and figure out if there is an underlying problem that is causing it.


dr del

Thanks, you da man. Im pretty sure that he never really got the eye caps off. also i tried putting him in the tub in warm water, and lettin him swim around (kinda pathetic). That worked alright for everywhere but his head, this isnt dangerous or harmful is it????????

[Patrick Long]

it can be detrimental, thats why he suggested the vet, i would second that. Becuase if there is really like 10 eyecaps, that could have an effect.

[Jophis82]

My BP was also having the same problems. I was told that if the eye cap was left on to long that it could cause them to go blind! So I took her to a herp person and she help me by removing the eye cap.