Why does my snake keep retaining its eye cap?

Why does my snake keep retaining its eye cap?

Retained eye caps can occur with incomplete shedding but may also happen when the rest of the skin is shed intact. If you need to help your snake shed, be sure you’re familiar with safe skin and eye cap removal methods or visit your exotics vet to have it done.

Why does my ball python keep shedding its eyes?

Many owners get an issue when their ball pythons get bad eye shed, developing retained shed on eye caps. A retained eye cap will look like a creased spectacle (or film) covering one or both ball python’s eyes. Retained eye cap might be due to low humidity levels in the cage and lack of hydration.

What do snake’s eyes look like after they shed?

Snakes shed all of their skin in one go. When they’re done, you should see one long piece of dead skin with no holes or missing parts. Your snake’s eye caps are clear, round scales that cover the eyes. They are also known as ocular scales, brilles, or spectacles.

What to do when your pet snake is shedding?

Remove eye caps manually if they’re not coming off with other shed skin. If your snake’s eye caps still aren’t off once it’s finished shedding the rest of its skin, dab them with mineral oil using a cotton swab and wait 24 hours. Afterward, check to see if they came off.

Is it bad to have retained eye caps on snakes?

While there’s some speculation on the proper treatment of retained eye caps (or if you should treat them at all), the condition can cause eyesight, duct, and infection problems down the road, should it continue through multiple sheds. It’s always best to examine the skin your snake sheds. (Plus, it’s pretty cool to see.)

What does it mean when a snake sheds its eye cap?

Eye caps, also known as brilles or spectacles, are specialized scales that sit over your snake’s eyes. When it’s time to shed, your snake will naturally shed their eye caps along with the rest of their old skin. However, sometimes, pieces of shed – including old eye caps – can remain stuck to your snake.

What to do if your snake is not shedding its skin?

Incomplete shedding may be a sign of a health problem, such as an infectious disease, internal or external parasites, internal abscesses, or a nutrient deficiency. These should be discussed with your veterinarian as soon as possible. Retained eye caps can occur with incomplete shedding but may also happen when the rest of the skin is shed intact.

How can I get my snake’s eyecaps off?

Return to enclosure. When the snake starts working on loosening and removing the head shed, get in there and assist, gently working the shed back over each of the eyes, keeping the shed moist, to make sure both eyecaps are removed.