Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got this girl and it looks like she might have eye cap problem. Do I just have to wait until she sheds again or sould I soak her and try to get it off?
Thanks for your input in advance.
Phil

I would say soak her. However, if it is stuck, it won't come off on it's own even after soaking (unless you are way-too-cool and lucky).

I like to soak mine in lukewarm water a couple inches deep for 20 minutes. Happily, mine don't have many shedding issues, but for the few that occasionally pop up, after 20 minutes' soak, anything that is going to loosen up will be loose. All you need to do is to GENTLY rub the stuck portion with a damp fingertip. If the snake is head shy, this could take some trickery, and using a Q-tip to GENTLY rub at the eye cap might work better. I can't stress that word "GENTLY" enough; if you are too rough, well, I shouldn't have to tell you that you could injure the snake. This is especially so if there isn't actually a retained eye cap.

Either way, a soak should help - if there actually isn't a retained eye cap in place, the snake probably needs some more moisture if her eyes look dried out enough that you are worried there is a retained eye cap!

Good luck to you!!
~Rebecca
-----
0.1 Dumeril's Boa '04 (Courtney)
1.2 Ball Pythons
[1.0 '05 Orange Hypo (Specter)]
[0.1 '05 Het Orange Hypo (Sylvia)]
[0.1 '03 Normal (Sue)]
0.2 American Pit Bull Terriers (40lb darling lap dogs:Brandy&Mara)

Yes a soak should help. If not you could always try puttin the snake in a damp pillow case with a wet cloth in side and leave him in there over night and see if that works. Sometimes balls do have a little silver look to there eye, but it shouldn't be real silver! Otherwise you may just have to wait till next shed and see what happens! Good luck!