What happens if I don't remove an old eye scale?

[Profanicus]

Yes it's another "bad shed" thread!

My Woma recently got rid of the old skin, but there is what looks to be 1 eye shield scale left, I only just noticed and it's been over a week since the shed.

I searched the board and tried the warm moist hand towel method last night, but I couldn't get it off. I was scared of damaging the eye so I gave it a rest after a good few goes.

I will try again tonight but I am wondering, what are the consequences of not removing it?

 

[FAY]

Apparently, one left on is OK as long as it gets rid of it at the next shed, if not then you have to remove it.

I personally, hold the head and keep diipping a cotton bud in warm water and very gently go over the eye continually and it eventually comes off.

This needs to be done very gently and can take a while, so you need to be patient.

 

[waruikazi]

I've heard of some snakes having upto 7 retained eye caps and once removed the snake seemed to be in good health.

I've removed them off wild caught snakes but using a little bit of sticky tape in a dabbing sort of motion until enough sticks up to pull off. You need to use 'soft' tape for this, the stuff that isn't particularly sticky and opache in colour.

 

[J-A-X]

i dont know i'd be recommending sticky tape to someone with minimal experience with doing it (no offence intended profanicus, even i wouldn't attempt it)

try a warm damp pillowcase, give him plenty of room in it, tie off the end so he cant get out, and put it back in his tank for half an hour or so, - not near the heat, you dont want a steamed snake - when you get him out, check if its still there, if it is then try gently 'stroking' the damp pillowcase on his eye, - and remember their eyes are not as sensitive as ours once it has softened its quite easy to remove, and the pillowcase is less stressful on him than trying to force his head underwater or holding his head still for half an hour,

I will always check sheds for eye scales (spectacles) and tail tips, its easier to get onto retained shed sooner rather than later.

 

[waruikazi]

Jax with the right tape it is actually really easy. Even a n00b could do it.

 

[Chris1]

i read somewhere that a damp bath towel sewn together works better cos of the rougher texture,...cant remember who posted that tho,...

 

[J-A-X]

We all hear that tape in an enclosure isn't a good thing incase it gets stuck to the snake, so deliberately using tape on a snake doesn't seem like a good idea for a noob to be doing, and i think your use of the term "right tape" suggests that using the wrong stuff could cause a problem. I've been lucky and only had to deal with retained tail tip and a half removed spectacle.

maybe a pic of the process might make us Noobs at this procedure a little more comfortable..

 

[FAY]

I've heard of some snakes having upto 7 retained eye caps and once removed the snake seemed to be in good health..

I have also heard that they can get infections under these unremoved eye scales.

 

[imported_Varanus]

I've recently had to remove a retained spectacle from a juvenile Collett's and simply place him in a sealed plastic tub (with air holes) in a shallow "bath" of luke warm water which was then placed on a heat pad set at 30c. After 10 mins, the spectacle had come off of it's own accord. (a technique I stole from Gordo, if I remember correctly )! I have avoided the problem since, by adding a moist paper towel to his hide a day or two before shedding.

Hope this helps!

 

[waruikazi]

The stuff i use is called officemax invisible tape. It's the only tape i have used and seen others use, i shouldn't have said right tape sorry, cause i haven't used any other tape for this job. It works the same way using a cloth or anything else does except instead of having a rough surface to grip the lense it has a sticky surface.

No pics of doing it sorry. I like to hold the snakes head and use a quick forward motion going away at about a 45 degree angle from the snakes eye. Do this two or three times until the shed lifts then either pinch it with your fingers or tweezers and pull it off.

We all hear that tape in an enclosure isn't a good thing incase it gets stuck to the snake, so deliberately using tape on a snake doesn't seem like a good idea for a noob to be doing, and i think your use of the term "right tape" suggests that using the wrong stuff could cause a problem. I've been lucky and only had to deal with retained tail tip and a half removed spectacle.

maybe a pic of the process might make us Noobs at this procedure a little more comfortable..

 

[Mooseman]

I purchased a woma with retained eye scales. We tried all the easy methods first nothing worked.
Then used low stick masking tape removing some of the adhesive by sticking the tape to a hard
surface and removing it before wrapping it around my finger and gently rolling it over the eye so
as it pulls the scale sideways. I removed 12 scales and he has shed well ever since with increased
humidity. No apparent damage and is mating with his girl as i type.

 

[J-A-X]

Mooseman:
the process sounds simple enough, but the 'removed 12 scales' doesn't sound like a good thing, i'm glad your boy came through it ok, but i'm still not convinced that someone with minimal confidence and experience couldn't cause permanent damage, i'll stick to the damp pillowcase / towel i think, it may take a little longer but i would only do the tape as a last resort.

 

[Mooseman]

Jax this was a last resort we tried every thing else we could think of and i would not recommend the
tape for one scale as you can usually remove one with little drama soaking cotton bud with water damp
towel etc. My snake would not feed and when a woma wont feed something had to be done. He fed the
night after we removed them. So in short i agree with you.

 

[J-A-X]

i wasn't suggesting it was a first resort in your case, and i know full well that a lot of people do this, and only as a last resort, but i didn't want any noobs reading this to think that is was all as easy as it sounds, and without potential dangers, and do this without trying other methods first

i tend to play 'devils advocate' in a lot of threads, and ask questions that newcomers probably should ask but don't know they should, (if that makes sense) i see it as a way of getting information out there instead of the type of posts that only give statements of "do this" and not give all the info on the how and why it it should be done,

 

[xxMelissaxx]

The stuff i use is called officemax invisible tape. It's the only tape i have used and seen others use, i shouldn't have said right tape sorry, cause i haven't used any other tape for this job. It works the same way using a cloth or anything else does except instead of having a rough surface to grip the lense it has a sticky surface.

No pics of doing it sorry. I like to hold the snakes head and use a quick forward motion going away at about a 45 degree angle from the snakes eye. Do this two or three times until the shed lifts then either pinch it with your fingers or tweezers and pull it off.

I did this with my first python when I was about 12, and had no trouble at all! Had tried the damp towel and other suggested methods - wasn't working and after numerous attempts, I managed to seriously aggravate my python. I then called my breeder all stressed out, and he outlined this method and suggested that I try it. Worked well.

The "right kind" of tape isn't difficult to find or distinguish from others - it's commonly called Magic Tape, or as waruikazi said, Invisible Tape. It's thinner, more flexible and opaque, and has more of a matte finish than the regular, shiny tape.

This is just my experience with it, but I am in no way saying that there aren't risks involved as Jax is advising.

 

[waruikazi]

Jax you have said so yourself that you haven't had to do this yourself. Why play devils advocate when you have nothing to contribute yourself? Ask us about the process, ask the when's and how's and why's and for clarification but don't question the validity of a process, that works perfectly well time and time again when you are not experienced in this problem yourself.

 

[J-A-X]

i didn't realise i was questioning the validity of the process, ! i'm was concerned that a newcomer will see 'use sticky tape' as the last post (and not research further) and then post a thread 'I accidently removed 12 scales while using sticky tape'

read back through the thread and see how much additional info has been given on how to use the tape method..... a couple of different types of tape have been named, a couple of different techniques have been described, and we have heard that a member has been doing it since they were 12 years of age. but it has also pointed out that there may be potential risk (unplanned scale removal ) a great 'pro and con' discussion as far as i'm concerned.

As humans we are hard wired to be gentle with eyes... so we tend to be gentler than is needed when dealing with snake eyes, the posts that you and other established keepers have made here, have maybe encouraged 'n00bs' to try the tape when nothing else has worked,

I am merely trying to assist in the spread of the pool of knowledge that is out there from likes of well established keepers like yourself,

 

[xxMelissaxx]

i didn't realise i was questioning the validity of the process, ! i'm was concerned that a newcomer will see 'use sticky tape' as the last post (and not research further) and then post a thread 'I accidently removed 12 scales while using sticky tape'

read back through the thread and see how much additional info has been given on how to use the tape method..... a couple of different types of tape have been named, a couple of different techniques have been described, and we have heard that a member has been doing it since they were 12 years of age. but it has also pointed out that there may be potential risk (unplanned scale removal ) a great 'pro and con' discussion as far as i'm concerned.

As humans we are hard wired to be gentle with eyes... so we tend to be gentler than is needed when dealing with snake eyes, the posts that you and other established keepers have made here, have maybe encouraged 'n00bs' to try the tape when nothing else has worked,

I am merely trying to assist in the spread of the pool of knowledge that is out there from likes of well established keepers like yourself,

I agree with what you're saying.

When I stated that I did this when I was around 12, I did not mean to make out that a totally inexperienced keeper should rush off and try it! I can see now that I should have elaborated. I was only twelve or thereabouts, but had already had 4 years experience keeping pythons. I used the tape method with very detailed instructions from a very experienced keeper, and had a lengthy discussion with him before even attempting it.

What I was trying to say is, this method can work, but I did not mean for anyone to read this thread and then go off and do it without further research! More like, this may be an option to consider and then further research when other, more simple methods fail.

 

[J-A-X]

I agree with what you're saying.

When I stated that I did this when I was around 12, I did not mean to make out that a totally inexperienced keeper should rush off and try it! I can see now that I should have elaborated. I was only twelve or thereabouts, but had already had 4 years experience keeping pythons. I used the tape method with very detailed instructions from a very experienced keeper, and had a lengthy discussion with him before even attempting it.

What I was trying to say is, this method can work, but I did not mean for anyone to read this thread and then go off and do it without further research! More like, this may be an option to consider and then further research when other, more simple methods fail.

melissa, i wasn't infering that you jumped in without a clue, merely pointing out that it is possible for someone so young to do this, and trying to point out how much extra detail was provided once i started questioning what was offered as advice, i'm glad you had an experienced breeder to guide you through this. Not everyone has that available to them, as not everyone buys from breeders, and as a public forum we are able to 'pick the brains' of the brains trust that exists here,

Leaving retained shed on any reptile is not something to ignore, and can lead to issues, but people should also be given a whole range of advice, as well as explainations on how to carry out various procedures if that is what is advised, that is all that i was trying to point out.... somewhat unsuccessfully it would appear from some of the replies,

 

[Dipcdame]

All this talk of doing things with eyes is starting to make MY eyes hurt!!!!! I've had the MD's for uuuummmmmmmmmm................. however long now...... but the confidence levels to be THAT brave, waruikazi, are totally zilch!!! I think I'd go grab a friend who handles snakes all the time, to ask what he'd do, poor soul!!!!!! and talk him into doing it for me, I'd be rather afraid of doing some sort of damage.