Crust around Eyes - shed or RI?

[Crazy4Herps]

I got back from a 4-week vacation on Saturday; I had my snakes with various trusted sitters. My 09 Borneo short tail shed while I was gone. He also had a mite infestation, but the sitter dealt with that really well, I haven't seen any since I got home. However, I have noticed something different. I'm positive he shed his eyecaps, but there seems to be a circle of something around his eyes.

I'm thinking either stuck shed or mucous. I took a peek in his mouth, looks absolutely fine. He does puff and hiss a lot (perfectly normal for a blood), which I suppose could actually be wheezing, but I doubt it. And in the RI cases I've dealt with, I've never seen goop in the eyes, just the mouth and nose.

Is it possible that he shed his eyecaps but not the skin around his eyes? I seriously doubt he has an RI, there are no other symptoms, and the stuff around his eyes looks more like skin than mucous.

I am trying to get some pictures, but it's kind of hard to see and he really doesn't like the camera. I'll post if I get any.

Any input appreciated.

[Crazy4Herps]

Okay, here goes.

See the membrane-like thing around the edges of his eyes? I'm having difficulty describing it... all I can say is that it's like he shed his eyecaps but not the rest of his head, although I actually have his old skin, it looks like everything came off.

[JLC]

So far as I know, snakes don't have connections between their eye orbits and nasal passages...so I don't think an RI would cause build-up in the eyes. Some other eye irritation might, though.

That being said...it sounds like stuck eyecaps to me. The few I've seen have always looked perfectly clear across the eye itself, with only a jagged little edge around the eye where the old shed had torn away. If they have consistently correct husbandry, snakes don't usually have any problems rubbing off their own eyecaps over time. Or it'll come off with the next shed. If two sheds go by and the eyecaps remain, then I'd look into more active treatment options.

[JLC]

Ah...you posted your pic while I was typing. If you can see the complete shed WITH the eyecaps intact...then obviously it's something different. But even with the picture, it LOOKS like eyecaps to me.

Maybe try letting it slither through a damp towel to rub the eyes and see if it comes off?

[Crazy4Herps]

Thank you very much! Now that I look back at the shed, it does seem to be more torn up than I remembered; I can't even find where the head is supposed to be. I'm betting it is eyecaps. Phew! So glad it's not an RI.

[2kdime]

Those are remnants of eyecaps, WITHOUT A DOUBT.

Theres a bit of skin between the eyes and they're faces that they will shed as well.

Your's just didn't get shed off

[SGExotics]

You got your answer already so im going to chime in by saying "DAMMMMMMMMMM thats a nice blood!!!!!"

Edit: Sorry.... Borneo "Short Tail" ....

[seeya205]

It looks like he hasn't shed from the eyes to the nose! I can see the old skin still there!

[Crazy4Herps]

You got your answer already so im going to chime in by saying "DAMMMMMMMMMM thats a nice blood!!!!!"

Edit: Sorry.... Borneo "Short Tail" ....

Thanks! From Keith McPeek at The Blood Line.

[SGExotics]

Thanks! From Keith McPeek at The Blood Line.

Going there right now! LOL