HELP! Retained eye caps on ball python

**replover** · #1 06-15-2007, 09:11 AM

UGH GAWD!!!

I think my ball python has retained an eyecap. It shed, but it didn't shed in one piece. This is the first time this has ever happened since I owned him when he was a baby. He always shed in one piece before.

The entire right side of the face and neck was retained, and I was able to soak and rub the rest of it off, but the eyecap isn't coming off.

I've used that trick where you wrap sticky tape around your finger and dab at the eye to no avail. The tape sticks to the eye but when I dab, the entire eye moves, and the eyecap doesn't budge. It feels like I'm pulling his eyeballs out!

The eyecap isn't just an eye that is silverish/bluish after shed. I seem to see a little flake of skin or something like part of it has flaked off but half is still there.

What do I do now????!?!!?!?

I don't even know if that's still the eyecap or if I messed up the eye with the dabbing! Maybe the eyecap fell off with the first dab (I didn't see it) and I pulled the normal eye skin loose!

I currently put him in a small critter keeper with a wet towel inside hoping he'll rub it off. But he's not doing much rubbing. Just lying there hiding.

**Lyn** · #2 06-15-2007, 09:20 AM

I would not suggest the tape and dabbing....too much damage could be caused. Did you try putting him in a pillow case with a damp cloth? That can help tremendously for eyecaps and retained shed....

Give him time to relax a bit and check him over again. Hope your little guy turns out ok...keep us posted....

**replover** · #3 06-15-2007, 09:26 AM

As I said I already have him in a small tub with a wet towel in it. He's not crawling around though so no rubbing is done. he just crawled under there and is like hiding.

I don't know if that's a retained eyecap but I am pretty sure because the entire side of the face and neck was retained shed.

**venus** · #4 06-15-2007, 09:29 AM

If you put him in the pillow case he has less room to move around and has to do some rubbing. Its a great plan and really works well. Let us know what happens.

**Knox** · #5 06-15-2007, 09:49 AM

I have always read to not worry about the eyecap until it is retained for 2 sheds, because it will sometimes come off with the next shed.

Any wisdom to this?

**replover** · #6 06-15-2007, 10:20 AM

Alright it is certainly a retained eyecap because there is skin there. Usually it can pop off I read with some baby oil but the problem is that PART of teh eyecap has shed so it's not like a "lens" anymore it's just bits of skin and it's driving me nuts! What should I do. Should I just wait for the next shed? Or will taht be worse? If I wait for the next shed it should be still fed so it will actually shed again.

It's like the eyecap is still on, but the skin is still attached all around the outer edges of the eye and won't budge. And the middle there is a slit in the skin with a patch in the middle that has shed off. It's like a lens attached around the edge but with a hole in the middle.

**Rich** · #7 06-15-2007, 10:57 AM

I have seen this suggested already, but I will state the same thing. You need to take a pillow case, and toss the snake inside it. Then take a towel, soak it in warm water, ring out the excess water so it is wet but not dripping, and toss it in with the snake. Take the entire pillowcase and tie the end now so the snake can't escape, and place the pillowcase in a dark, warm location. (Back in the snakes enclosure near its heat source works well.

Leave the snake overnight in this setup. The snake will try to escape the bag, and as it looks, will rub itself against the towel and the wet pillowcase. The moisture will help separate the skin and the rubbing will help snag the eye cap naturally.

**replover** · #8 06-15-2007, 11:10 AM

OK I have pillowcase in hand. But are you use this works for eyecaps? Or just body skin? Also, any particular material of pillowcase I must use to make sure it can breath?

**Rich** · #9 06-15-2007, 11:47 AM

As long as it is a human pillowcase, the animal will breath just fine. Human pillowcases (the only kind I am aware of) are 100% porous. That means air can circulate through it freely.

**replover** · #10 06-15-2007, 06:06 PM

I'm going to wait a few days. I had the pillow case and towel wetted ready to put him in but he seems to scared after all the soaking and nudging and sudden disturbance in his normal life. I don't want to stress him out so much so I will let him calm down for a few days before I put him in any pillow case. He's just too scared and nervous like he's never been before. Also he seems fine and isn't bothered by the eye like I am. He can obviously see from that side as well. I made this decision after careful consideration. Meanwhile I have the normal enclosure humidity raised and re-wetted the humid hide.


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