Retained eye cap??

I just got a good sized female for this season a few days ago. When I picked her up she had a stuck shed starting behind her eyes and continuing for about 8 inches down. I soaked her and cleaned off the shed, which came off easily with just my thumb and the warm water. Since then I've noticed that her eyes are very cloudy, but not wrinkled really like I'd always heard eye caps would look like. Just wanted to get other peoples' opinions on what this might be. I don't blame her previous owner, I've just never had much trouble with sheds and only once had a retained eye cap which was very distinctive. Any advice would be appreciated. I will post a pic as soon as she sits still long enough for me to zoom in on her eyes. Thanks!

hey adam depending what her eyes looks like..it maybe more than one shed stuck..if she will cooperate with you take a pair of tweezers,gentle scrap along the edge,see if the shed with pop out.does the eye look enlarged?

She might be about to shed again - I've had snakes shed again a week or so after a difficult or incomplete shed - I think nature's way of making as sure as possible that all the skin is off... do you see any cloudiness/ muted colours on her body scales as well?

Detailed pics would help....

Here are her eyes.



Her whole body does seem to be a little dull as if she would shed again.


Her belly is very pink and has been since I got her.


Thanks for your help, I hope these pics give a little more insight.

Brian, I will try that tomorrow. I am trying to not freak her out too much since she was just relocated less than a week ago. Thank you! As I said, I don't have a lot of experience with eye caps, just haven't had trouble with my animals so far.

Helen, is that a common thing? Or does it only happen in situations where they may have been in less than ideal conditions?

Originally Posted by AdamR

Helen, is that a common thing? Or does it only happen in situations where they may have been in less than ideal conditions?

To be honest I'm not sure. It's happened a couple of times to different individuals of my Fiji boas, but I haven't kept a great many other snakes. Mine are kept at natural background conditions (as I'm in their native country) so I don't control their humidity. I suppose that I may see more partial sheds than more controlled environments, and I rarely have to intervene.

If she didn't have a back story, I'd say your snake just looks like she's going in to a normal shed. I wouldn't be too fast to start scraping at eye scales until you see if she can shed normally, you might do more damage and may be she's going to handle it herself.

If it is a stuck shed it isn't going to make a great deal of difference if you get it off today or in a week. I'd wait a while, and just make sure she's got high humidity or regular soaks.

It looks like your snake is about to shed again. I picked up a female ghost not long ago. She was in shed when I got her and lost that skin a few days later. She ate a small meal and went into shed again within 2 weeks. I got her from a really good breeder (someone that I've not only done business with in the past, but I've seen his facility MANY times and is always impeccable). I mentioned it to him and he said that it's not really that uncommon for one to shed quickly a second time when stressed from relocating.

That was a first for me (after LOTS of animals relocating to my snake room), but she's fine now. I'm sure yours will be, too, but keep an eye on her just in case. That's definitely not the only reason that would cause her to go through a second, quick shed. Good luck!!

Definitely looks like she is shed cycle again. I wouldn't worry about anything until she sheds again and I bet she will be just fine.

Thanks everyone! I definitely did not know that they would shed again so quickly sometimes! I have soaked her again today, which she seemed to enjoy, and her humidity is staying around 65, just higher than what I normally keep them at. I will post again if anything changes. I was only worried thatit might be something more serious like an eye infection.

Adam

I have to agree as well, she really looks like she's in blue and getting ready to shed again, sounds like you are doing everything she needs right at the moment

Best of luck with her!