need help getting left over shed off of eye

[Repto-Girl]

hey guys, how would you get some skin from a recent shed off of the eyes? w/o harming the snake. It's like covering half the eye. I just got the snake, I traded for him ,so I don't know what humidity they were keeping him at.

Thank in advance,
Repto-Girl

[cornsnakekid92]

roll normal scotch tape around you fingers and apply to his eye and carefully pull off in a rolling motion. A raise in the humidity would help too.

[Muggle]

Look at this > http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=28039&highlight=caps :)

[Tracee]

Scotch tape?! Crikey, I've never heard that one before.

Lukewarm water and easing the eye cap off using a cotton bud/q tip would be kinder.

[vanderkm]

If the shed was more than a few days ago, just leave it, it will come off with the next shed. Trying to remove them when they have been stuck a week or so can do more damage to the underlying eye scale.

If the shed was recent, put the snake in a small, enclosed container with a very damp towel that almost fills up the container. You can wet the towel with slightly warm water. Keep the snake confined for at least a couple of hours - prefer to keep in a warm room (80 degrees, but not on an actual hot spot). There can be a bit of water on the bottom of the container, but you want the snake to be crawling through the towel, not soaking in water.

Once the eye-cap has had a chance to hydrate, remove the snake, check to see if the eye cap has been shed (often they will have rubbed it off). If it is still present, use the towel to firmly stroke the side of the face - both directions - over the eyecap. I find the snake will often push through the folds in the towel. The cloth won't damage him if the eye cap is well hydrated, and I find this a lot easier than trying to manipulate a Q tip near the eye. It is usually quite easy to get it off. If not, repeat the soaking for another couple hours. If no success then, wait til the next shed, but provide a shed box from the time the snake is blue.

good luck with him,

mary v.

[Repto-Girl]

I'll try some of these ideas. He's a pretty calm snake so I think he'll be ok during all this.
Thanks again!
Repto-Girl

[cornsnakekid92]

Scotch tape?! Crikey, I've never heard that one before.

Lukewarm water and easing the eye cap off using a cotton bud/q tip would be kinder.


Not to rip it out but If you do it slow and carefully it isen't bad and my full grown RTB was fine with it :)