Quote Originally Posted by JLC
How is it that Steve is being "extreme"??? He neither says "you must NEVER try to remove an eyecap" nor "you must ALWAYS remove an eyecap." He just explains the very real risks involved, then goes about explaining a way it can be attempted with the least amount of risk to the animal's eye.

I'm very glad that you are so skilled at recognizing a retained eyecap...and that your snake is so cooperative and understanding...but YOU must understand that this is not the case with many folks who come here looking for help in these matters. I've seen many, many cases of folks believing their snake had a retained eyecap, when it was merely a bit wrinkled due to lack of proper hydration or whatever. We get folks here who don't even know why their snake's eyes have suddenly clouded over and fear they are going blind. It may not be "rocket science" to you....but it IS important to remember that not everyone knows what you know. That's why we're here.

A single retained eyecap poses NO risk to the snake and will likely be rubbed off by the snake itself in a few days anyhow...and certainly very likely to simply come off with the next shed if not before then. Whereas, there IS a significant risk of serious injury to the snake's eye when someone who is not used to the process and unsure of what they are seeing or doing tries to pull off what may or may not be a retained cap. That's not "extreme"....that's just reality.
I found it a bit extreme precisely in his third paragraph. (ie. 30 minutes - 1 hour, VERY GENTLY, etc.) I'm not criticizing or arguing against his comments, but for someone who has never helped their snake shed before, it gives a daunting first impression.

This was the case with myself, before I had ever helped my snake shed some extra skin. I kept reading post after post about how you can accidentally peel off flesh, and cause bleeding, etc. and I was not even going to budge. But there wasn't really a sharp or rough enough object in my snakes cage, I'm assuming, so after about a week after her initial shedding process, I decided to give it a go. It took all but roughly 10 minutes, and it went as smoothly as it could have, and it even helped me get over the tiny bit of fear I had for going around/near the snakes head, as I had to peel skin off of it, and she stood still allowing me to do what was needed.

All I'm saying is that, on this forum, helping shed your snake's skin, is given an over-the-top notion, and for people who have never done it before, may feel very overwhelmed by what's been stated previously. I want to tell people out there, who haven't yet, that peeling off your snake's extra skin is not that hard, and given a few easy steps, can be achieved perfectly. Make sure the snake is damp/moist (I recommend soaking the snake in a warm shallow bath for 10-20 minutes), have a source of water handy (to keep the snake moist for each attempt you peel), and go slow and steady.

A retained eye cap DOES pose a risk to the snake. Retained eye caps can be very dangerous for a snake, especially because they can harbor dangerous bacteria as well as make it difficult for the snake to see. To take it a step further, even though it's only one eye cap, the snake may not be able to capture their meal, and if it's live prey, that's not a good problem to have. Also, I'd imagine it's very stressful and an annoyance to be harbored with a retained eye cap.