eye cap after 2 sheds

[BPTexas_Pete84]

can anyone help with this its really silver. ive taken a wet q-tip and rubbed she even tries to help rub like she knows im trying to help her but it doesn't come off. when i wet her eye the its looks normal again then about a minute later its back silver. whats the problem?

[Mrgbb]

its just an eye cap stuck. how long has she had it? if its been long than maybe a vet visit is the way to go......

p.s- maybe you shouldnt rub it you never know what could happen you might push to hard and posibly blind her.

Mike.H

[dr del]

Hi,

I would soak her following the directions in this thread.

Then try letting her run through a damp washcloth or put her in a damp pillow case.

But if it still won't budge then I would be tempted to lerave it and just make sure everything was spot on for her next shed and see if it came off then.


dr del

[lesserlover]

I have had stuck eye caps in the past and a piece of tape did the trick. Soak for 10 minutes and use the tape to gently remove the retained eye cap. If it has been there through 2 sheds, this is urgent.

[dr del]

Hi,

Trust me the only time retained eyecaps are urgent is if an infection has set in between them or if enough layers have built up to cause problems for the eye underneath - and that really doesn't happen too often.

Using tape is just too much of a risk for me - always will be I suspect.

If you notice that the eyecaps aren't seperating and you are pulling the protective scale off the eye that is meant to be there how exactly do you tell the tape to let go?

You did see this thread recently didn't you?


dr del

[mpkeelee]

i would try soaking ur in a plastic tub with the lid on tight to keep the humidity high for about 30 min. if that doesnt help then just leave it until her next shed, but make sure the humidity is higher than previous sheds. u really dont want to be poking at her eye, look at the link dr del posted

[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

I more than agree with dr del on this. Recently people are getting so hung up on eye caps. Please (this is for everyone not just the OP) please stop messing with snakes eyes. Is it the aesthetics of it? If so then these poor snakes are being put through a lot of silly stress just so they look their best 100% of the time. Im not getting on the OP at all. Just trying to help people understand its not as serious as they think.

If its simply a health worry then its still unwarrented. This will happen to every single snake out there at some point. Even if the humidity is 80% when they shed. These eyecaps will always come off on their own with no direct contact to the snake at all. By giving a humid hide or spraying etc..

It is very rare for any retained eyecaps to cause problems. I know its possible but I personally have never heard of an actual case of an infection or serious issue caused by this.

As a last resort, there is the soak option and there is the bacitracin/neosporin option on the eye every day during shed cycle.

[swe3tm0mentz]

WOW!! i honestly couldnt be more happy with dr del for posting a link to one of my threads. my snake had eye cap issues as you probably read and i thought i was doing the right thing by taking my snake to an "experienced" reptile vet. all i can say is DO NOT PICK AT THE EYES!!!! from what i have experienced i would not even think about touching the eyes! incase something may go wrong you really dont want to have to deal with the sadness of seeing your beloved one injured. it is very costly and frankly why even mess with it when you can help moisturize your snakes eyes for the next time he sheds so there wont be any issues. (mineral oil should do the trick, or what Foschi Exotic Serpents suggested.)

if you feel the need to go to a vet, make sure you ABSOLUTELY know they know what they are doing.

[Kysenia]

I have had luck with, nor sure what you call them, but they are a rubber cover that goes over your finger, we use them in therapy for scar massage, they are soft rubber with little bumps that cover your finger tip, you wet the eye as mentioned above then lightly stroke, lightly, lightly front to back...hope this helps)

[vjb]

Good to know. My normal rescue had stuck eyecaps when I got him in Nov 09. He's shed once since then and still has them. I've misted, put him in a Tupperware tub with a wet warm towel for an hor once or twice, two vet appointments where they didn't want to mess with them, so I'm still hopeful they'll come off eventually.
He's very head shy and peed/crapped all over the place during the last vet visit when he put (bacitracin?) on his eyes, so I didn't want to try that at home.