Sad story....please help!

[Crow]

Hey everyone! I could really use some help but first a little info about my day. I found out there was a reptile shop close to my house and decided to stop in and take a look around (I was actually looking for a corn snake). The conditions in this shop were so terrible I couldn't believe it. The substrate in just about all of the enclosures looked liked it hadn't been changed in months. There were multiple snakes being housed together in enclosures that were barely big enough for one and everything was incredibly dirty. As I was just about to leave I noticed a large ball python laying in an enclosure with feces and shed skin everywhere. The sign on the tank said that he was being housed with a burmese python and constrictor (they had already been sold). There was one bare light bulb (apparently for heat) and no water bowl to be found. There wasn't one single hide either. The poor guy still had half shed skin hanging off of him pretty much everywhere. I just couldn't stand it so I asked the idiot running the place if I could see him. The snake is missing part of his tail (idiot guy said a rat chewed it off) and has several bites on his back. As much as I didn't want to give this moron a dime there was no way I could leave this snake in his so-called care so I bought him. I brought him home, soaked him to remove the rest of the partially shed skin, treated him for mites (just in case), and put him in a 98 qt. rubbermaid with hides, heat, and water. The poor thing spent 5 minutes just drinking water. He's resting in a quiet room now.

My question is what to do about eyecaps? From what I can see he still has eyecaps from a previous shed and I'm not sure how to remove them or if I should even try. He's already been through so much I'm afraid of stressing him any more but I want to do what I can to help. Any thoughts or ideas would be very much appreciated!

Sorry for such a long post....I'm just very ticked off!

[Shelby]

That's horrible.. I'm glad this one got a good home, but at the same time, you know another animal is going to fill the empty tank at the store.

As for eye caps.. I have heard of using scotch tape to remove them, you can also use fine tweezers (this is much easier if part of the eye cap is off) Keep the humidity high to help them come off too.

[cassandra]

God, that's just awful...I'd suggest writing to the city better business bureau and the local paper a very professional and educated letter explaining the completely inhumane practices that business is (mal)practicing...anything to call attention to their inexcusable treatment of their animals.

I know I've seen a pictorial on some breeder's website recently on taking off eyecaps with scotch tape...but like...which website? =P I'll see if I can remember...(I look at so many...gah)

Good Samaritan hugs to you for bringing that poor guy home...

*edit*
YES! I found it: http://www.joecompelreptiles.com/bal..._cap/index.asp

[dannyd]

the pet land by my school is like that. i applied for a job there to help the animals out and all. i put all the info i know and i pick ed a girl who wares a pet mouse around in those ball things. i asked the lady about a corn snake they had and she didnt know what kind of snake it was to start with.


anyway glad to know the snake is getting a second chance at life. i also heard about the schotch tape. i would wait to see if he can get it off himself or when he is more relaxed.

[Smooth23]

if that store is really that bad, you might want to give the local ASPCA or whatever you have where you are a call and have them go check it out.. never hurts to have them have a look.

[Crow]

Thank you so much everyone for the great advice and good wishes! I think I'm going to wait a few days before doing anything to give him time to relax. I'm also going to increase the humidity a little bit....hopefully that will help. Once again, thank you for taking the time to help!


Oh, and I've already started the process to deal with this guy....

[JLC]

First off, I would report that store to your local ASPCA. If they just sell reptiles, you may not get as much sympathy as one would expect, but maybe you'll get a herp lover or someone who really loves all animals and not just the fuzzy kind. If the store sells the cute-fuzzy animals as well, you're very likely to get some kind of action...at least an investigation.


Second off, I would NOT mess with the eyecaps yourself. You can damage the snake's eyes if you're not sure what you're doing and exactly what condition the eyes are in. If multiple eyecaps have built up over time (very likely by the sounds of it) it may take a vet to remove them. I would be on the phone, making an appointment with a vet...preferably one experienced with snakes and rescues. The snake should be checked for parasites as well, internal as well as external, and other possible illnesses such as an RI.

I'm not experienced with rescuing reptiles. Please don't take my words as expert advice. I'm just telling you what ~I~ would do if I found myself in your situation.

Best of luck with it!!!

[iceman25]

I feel your pain. I've been there many times myself. After a while I just stopped taking in the rescues cause the stores would just keep on bringing new ones in and It takes its toll on you as well. Here is a link Summarizing South Carolina Animal Cruelty Laws.

Animal Cruelty Laws Summary

If I were you I would write your local Humane society and hopefully have them take some action against the store. Write them a letter through regular mail and don't use email. You could also print out a caresheet for the individual animals and give them to the store owner and see if they would change their ways. Good Luck.

P.S Don't forget to quarantine the new comer from the rest of your collection.

[diamond1]

oh man im so so sorry,this hurts me so bad it really tears me up.i know the feeling thats how i got magnum.my bp.ill be praying not only for your snake but also for you.

[Johar]

bleh!! and i thought my snake was already in bad shape when i took alook at the shop in thailand. some shops in chatuchak really dont pay any respect to those poor animals. my BP was in a small 40 cm x 30 x 30 aquarium. and it had one small bowl of water with no hiding at all. well i bought that baby ... but after your story i guess mine is in better luck than yours.

hope things will work out for you. personally i wouldn't mess with the eyes if i dont know what i was doing.

please keep us updated.