Retained eyecaps

justinO · 01-16-04, 08:11 PM

Hello. forgive me if this has been asked a million times before, but how exactly does someone get retained eyecaps off? we recently acquired a ball and upon closer inspection, we noticed both eyecaps are still there (kinda wrinkly). I know there is a method with tape, but i'd perfer not doing anything that might damage the snake unless its a last resort.

my best guess would be to raise the humidity and wait till the next shed and hope that they come off then.

currently, her enclosure has a hot spot of ~95 degrees and the ambient is somewhere around 80 degrees. not sure about humidity, we just give her a big water bowl to soak in if she wants to.

thanks,

Justin and Jessy

Vengeance · 01-16-04, 08:35 PM

I've seen allot of people suggest to get a damp towel, put it in a rubbermaid container, put the snake in, close the lid and leave him in it overnight. His movment through the towel may lossen the eye cap.

scalawag · 01-16-04, 09:08 PM

I've used medical gause soaked in sterile saline or sterile water and gently move along the eyecaps front to back (same direction as it sheds) and that takes off the eyecaps. Very gently, if it didn't take it off, I probably wouldn't get too aggresive with this technique.

lilyskip · 01-17-04, 11:02 AM

how can you tell if eyecaps are still on? just wrinkly? marla may still have hers, but i can't tell, and am scared to try one of these methods if these are just her actual eyes, wrinkled from low humidity.

elevation24 · 01-17-04, 02:40 PM

When one of mine had a retained eyecap, I had a vet try to get it off because I did not trust myself. She said that she does not like to be forceful in getting them off due to the possible eye damage, and that it would be better to just leave it be and MAKE SURE she will have a perfect shed during the next cycle, and it would most likely come off.

From what I've heard, one retained eyecap is not a problem. It's when they begin building up that damage to the eye can occur.

Anyway, my vet could not get the eyecap off, and I made sure she could have a perfect shed the following time, and it came off just fine.

mykee · 01-18-04, 01:39 AM

I would just leave them on, and MAKE SURE that for the next shed, there is perfect husbandry to ensure a clean shed. With proper humidity, they'll come off next time guaranteed.

BoidKeeper · 01-18-04, 07:56 AM

Quote:

I've seen allot of people suggest to get a damp towel, put it in a rubbermaid container, put the snake in, close the lid and leave him in it overnight. His movment through the towel may lossen the eye cap.

Here here! This is the method I've been recomending for almost two years! Works every time with out fail. I wrape the snake in the towel, I don't just put him in there on top of the towl. The rubbermaid should be kinda on the small side too. Don't forget afew air holes and place it back inside the cage so that if it escapes the rubbermaid it will be inside it's cage.
I would not wait till the next shed for two reasons,
1. Too easy to correct with the towel rubbermaid method so why not do it. May eliviate some stress. I'm sure it can't be comfortable.
2. What if you don't get the humidity problem solved then you've got two layers of stuck on eye cap.
Never ever try to pull them off you can damge the eyes.
Cheers,
Trevor

sapphire_moon · 01-19-04, 07:59 AM

Leave them and if they don't come off with the next shed take her/him to a vet.
I made that MAJOR mistake when I was first starting out. I did not have a clue as to what I was doing, and didn't have one until I found this site.
Now because of my stupidity my male bp is probably blind. He has perfect sheds now, both eye caps come off, but his eyes are all scratched up looking (partly because he was always fall off of a lip in an old wooden cage) We don't know if he is blind or not. He eats normal (Except the last 5 months he has been eatting off and on. But I think that was because of the quality of the rats being bought), he cruises around his cage usually nightly

Vengeance · 01-19-04, 10:35 AM

What do retained eye caps look like? Does anyone have a picture? I had no way of checking the shead last time because by the time I saw the shed it was all rolled up into a ball and had hardended up. Seems Fred felt like sheding inside his hide.