Burm Shedding problem

[Soulmate]

Hi All,

I'm new here and have never owned a snake but my daughter owns one, and I'm now fostering a beautiful Burmese python who is 8 and a half feet long. Before fostering I learned everything I could, and got my daughter to help me with general questions etc. He is an amazing animal.

Previous to coming to my home, he was in a very small vivarium and his growth was stunted from what I know. His owner is a nice person but when she moved away, the snake bounced from house to house until I took him in. He is fed properly, handled lots, and he loves swimming around in the bath tub.

My problem is this: he shed a few weeks ago, and all the shed came off except over one eye. I know its really bugging him, and I have been giving him more than usual baths to help with this problem. I've also held his head, and gently touched around his eye socket, but its really attached well and he doesn't tolerate the face touching for too long. Whats next?? how am I going to get this dead skin off his eye?

Thanks for any help you can give me.

[droidurlooking4]

I had a similar issue about 2 years ago with a ball python. It sounds like his eye cap is stuck from the shed. What I found that works the best is more frequent warm soaks in the tub. If this doesn't do the trick the next step I would take is to use a commercial "shed aide" or mineral oil from your local store and apply the substance to the end of a q-tip or cotton ball. Very gently and I stress very gently dab the eye cap and let it sit for a short while. Following the application of whichever product you decide to go with attempt to gently remove with another cotton ball or q-tip, if this does not work you can attempt to use scotch and gently place it over the eye cap and remove it. I can not express the word gently enough. I have never had to go all the way to using tape, with a shed aide or mineral oil following a warm soak they have always come off. If this does not work or your not comfortable with taking all of these steps I would see a vet or seek someone else on here with far more experience than I. Best of luck to you.

[lady_bug87]

I hesitate when trying to remove caps and I have only had to do it twice, you may have to wait until the next shed and make sure your humidity is bang on

[Lankyrob]

DO NOT use tape on teh eye cap, if you PM Shaunyboy on here (or he may read this and post ;) ) he has a method for removal of eyecaps that are stuck :)

[Soulmate]

Thanks all! he is a wonderful animal! I'm already attached to him and I know within a few years he will go back to live with his owner. :( but while he is with me, the best care possible is what he will get.

Is it more common to see an eyecap get stuck? He really loves the bath tub and will swim around in it for hours. when the water gets cold, I warm it up a touch for him.

I'm hoping the water soon will take this cap off. Thanks all for your help!

[EmbraceCalamity]

How are the humidity levels in his setup? Shedding problems are usually due to low humidity. And can you see a vet? I've heard some horror stories of people trying to remove stuck shed around the eyes and accidentally damaging or even removing the eye.

~Maggot

[Soulmate]

Hi all, thanks for the tips. If you saw the enclosure that came with this burm, you would know why he isn't shedding properly, its made out of wood, and though its a beautiful enclosure, its not able to sustain alot of humidity. I've been looking at ideas to make a "Hide" and put in some damp towels, I'm also going to put in plants etc

The eye cap came off lastnight. I put him into a warmer than usual bath and he swam around for hours. When I looked at him at one point, the eyecap was folded in half and hanging. I put him under the water, and gently rubbed behind the eye and it came off with my finger. He stuck his head out of the water and a great big deep exhale..... I think he was pissed at me.

My next thoughts will be to get his enclosure humid enough that this doesnt happen again.

[millertime89]

pics of the enclosure? Unless it has a lot of ventilation or an open top it should hold humidity just fine since its made of wood.

[Soulmate]

I will take a picture tonight when I get home from work. Though I'm fostering this burm, I want to make sure he has the best possible care and love from me and my family.

[millertime89]

Thanks, seeing the enclosure will give us a better idea of what needs to be changed in order to help you help the Burm. Maybe I missed it in another thread, but how are you heating the enclosure and controlling the heating element and what humidity is it at currently?

[Lankyrob]

All my snakes are in wooden vivs, my gtp is kept at 80% humidity with no probs :)

[Soulmate]

The Burms enclosure came with a heat lamp which sits on top of the enclosure. The lid which is wood also and the full length of the enclosure had two grates in it, and thats where the lamp sits. I don't think its warm enough for him and so in the meantime while I gather up the money to properly care for this snake, I've put in a large plastic tote upside down. I cut a hole in it so he can go inside but he likes to curl into a ball on top of it so he is closer to the light.

I went looking for a large tree branch type thing but nothing I found at the reptile store was large enough. He is very curious and likes to roam around. we are going to look outside to see if we can find some very thick branches that we can use in his enclosure. Also, I will be buying a heat pad for him.

Currently he is eating jumbo rats, but I think they are too small for him. He eats one every 6 days. Rabbits are hard to find in this area so I am going to head to the grocery store and get a small chicken. For me, never being a snake owner before, I can't understand how he will be able to eat it, but it will be an interesting night watching him...

LankyRob, how do you humidify their vivs? I was thinking of buying a waterfalls type thing from the pet store.

This is the first time having a snake in my home but I absolutely love it. I always wanted one, my daughter owns a ball python, and she is very very knowledgeable. I praise her for being here for me when I see the slightest thing that tweaks my curiousity.

Any help with this big burm would be great!!

[millertime89]

The heat lamp is drying out the enclosure, if you don't know the temp your first order of business should be to order a t-stat and a way to check temps (preferably a temp gun).

How big of an enclosure is he in?

When you get a chicken make sure its a whole chicken, feathers, head and all. If he's 8 ft long try a 3-5lb chicken. Should be about right.

To increase humidity put a water dish over/under the hot spot and mist the enclosure with a spray bottle.

[EmbraceCalamity]

You need to get digital hygrometer and thermometers (you can get combos at Home Depot, I believe). Otherwise you have no idea what the humidity levels and temperatures are.

Adjusting things is hard to figure out when we can't see the enclosure. Is there screen? Screen + heat lamp = low humidity. Or is it wood and plexiglass or regular glass or what? And what substrate are you using?

~Maggot

[Lankyrob]

You need a solid top to the viv and the lamp INSIDE rather than on top. And the lamp must be guarded!!

Amy holes in the top of the viv is gonna leach humidity straight away.

In terrms of keeping humidity up i spray my substrate two or three times a week.

[shaunyboy]

DO NOT use tape on teh eye cap, if you PM Shaunyboy on here (or he may read this and post ;) ) he has a method for removal of eyecaps that are stuck :)

here you go Rob mate.....

Alternative eyecap removal (http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/snakes/363141-alternative-eyecap-removal.html)

the guy who did the thread in the link above is a good friend of mine,who works with a lot of different reptiles...

he writes clinical articles for a UK monthly reptile magizine,is in the proccess of writing a few different books..

i would use any of his alternative methods on my snakes

IMO never scrape at,use oil in,rub with a cotton bud,etc.....

imo a snakes eye lens,can be easily damaged by such things as,rubbing/scraping in circular motions with any type of materials,scraping the re tained eye cap with a finger nail,tweezers,etc

imo VISCOTEARS IS THE BEST PRODUCT OUT THERE FOR RETAINED EYE CAP'S and THEIR REMOVAL

cheers shaun

[Soulmate]

The viv is indeed a solid wood door. there are only two small grates installed which are about 10" by 8" I'm going to start spraying for now to boost the humidity. I also will buy some heated rocks. I will block the grates so humidity cant leach out anymore.

Thanks all for the great tips.

[Soulmate]

Just read the thread on Viscotears Gel. Sounds like it works great!! I will see if I can find it in Canada!

[Lankyrob]

The viv is indeed a solid wood door. there are only two small grates installed which are about 10" by 8" I'm going to start spraying for now to boost the humidity. I also will buy some heated rocks. I will block the grates so humidity cant leach out anymore.

Thanks all for the great tips.

DO NOT USE HEAT ROCKS!!! They are extremely bad news and nobody recommends them anymore :)

[nick654377]

DO NOT USE HEAT ROCKS!!! They are extremely bad news and nobody recommends them anymore :)

agreed unless you want a cooked reptile....:suspicious:

[Soulmate]

See! LEarning so much!!!

I've got an idea for a heat pad. using a rubbermade tote, and turn it upside down, and sitting it on top of a Heat Mat..... so his scales aren't directly in contact with the heat pad.

[Aaron_S]

See! LEarning so much!!!

I've got an idea for a heat pad. using a rubbermade tote, and turn it upside down, and sitting it on top of a Heat Mat..... so his scales aren't directly in contact with the heat pad.

Radiant heat panel.

It's naive to think the snake won't move a rubbermaid.

[millertime89]

Radiant heat panel.

It's naive to think the snake won't move a rubbermaid.

agreed, my snakes frequently rearrange there enclosures, even when I secure the things in there.

[KORBIN5895]

@op

Where are you located?

[Soulmate]

Makes sense about The Burm moving the tote, but I was gong to secure it to the bottom so if he moved the tote, the pad underneath went with it.

I know this may not sound nice, but this is a snake I'm babysitting and I'm doing as much as I can to keep him happy and healthy while trying to be cost effective. Who knows, this burm may be with me 6 months, or 6 years.

I live in Ontario, Canada

[iBaman]

i second the heat panel! hooked to a tstat, those things are gold =] How big of an enclosure is it? What may seem small to you is usually okay for them. 6x2x2 is a common size for larger snakes =]

[Aaron_S]

Makes sense about The Burm moving the tote, but I was gong to secure it to the bottom so if he moved the tote, the pad underneath went with it.

I know this may not sound nice, but this is a snake I'm babysitting and I'm doing as much as I can to keep him happy and healthy while trying to be cost effective. Who knows, this burm may be with me 6 months, or 6 years.

I live in Ontario, Canada

Make sure your local by-laws allow the size of animal. I know plenty of towns limit size or even no boas or pythons at all!

Also, don't take an animal that you plan to cheap out on because you don't know how long you'll have it.

Radiant heat panel. Thermostat. Save your house, save your wallet in the long run too.

[Soulmate]

I will go get a radiant heat panel. Thats an excellent idea.

Aaron, I get what you are saying, but "Cheaping out" is a little different than being "Cost effective"