| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| Wendy |
Posted - 07/05/2011 : 23:55:49
I was checking this morn on my snake, noticed a swollen eye, it looks if filled with water, (well that what it looks like) I can see the eye moving inside. Background is I brought the snake 6 weeks ago, from pet shop so have no previous. Since with me has fed well, and shed 2 weeks ago. I did house him on aspen but now on kitchen roll (not sure if aspen can cause this) He last fed 3 days ago. Took him to vet, they said retained eye cap. But I have been looking at posts about retained eye caps and does not seem same to me. Sorry about lack photos, have some on my camera, but cannot seem to get em on here. |
| 20 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Thante |
Posted - 27/05/2011 : 18:38:47
I'm glad its seems to be shrinking, thats great news
keep us posted on how it goes :D |
| snowstripe420 |
Posted - 26/05/2011 : 23:22:00
Photos? |
| Only1Nitro |
Posted - 26/05/2011 : 22:50:55
good luck i hope you get the right outcome |
| Wendy |
Posted - 26/05/2011 : 00:01:06
in answer to bob, yes they did swab, (came back negative)
to, Thante the eye has not been drained and no blue dye, was put in,
thanks spree, started saving just in case.
On the check today, his eye seems slightly different, does not seem smaller but the skin (for want of a better word) looks saggy, a bit like a balloon that has been deflated, and a bit wrinkly, but as I said eye does not look smaller to me, I have been looking every day, my OH has only seen it every few days thinks it is smaller. I did not have camera ready. I will try to get photo tomorrow. But I am handling him the minimum just cleaning and water changing ATM. Thinking may have him out tomorrow for nice cuddle, he is acting normal, so I am thinking, I should treat him normal :-)
Thanks again to everyone who has offered advice, xx |
| Thante |
Posted - 24/05/2011 : 02:27:54
I'm glad my post help and didn't just scare you more :P
I've been reeding over what you've said and it does seem very much the same as cherry was. Not acting any differently to normal, not having any problem eating or shedding, just one massive eye! I went through exactly the same thing with the vets i saw, went through 5 or 6 in all i think. the one who was the most help and eventually removed cherrys eye was very good, yet was still stumped by the problem. However she had heard of similar things happening in other types of snake, never in corns.
It was this vet that made a number of suggestions towards the tear duct (the nasolacrimal duct that lotabob mentioned). That it could be blocked with aspen dust, or it had healed over. To test for this they drained some of the fluid out of the eye and replaced it with a blue die. It the blue colour does not vanish from the eye over a few hours or day then its probably blocked. If it does drain .... then its like Cherry and thats not the problem.
I'm reluctant to give advice as it may still prove to be different to Cherry, although they do seem similar. However i can tell you what i did, and Cherry is still alive.
I kept on news paper that i changed every day while checking her, I took everything unnecessary out of the tank to avoid her damaging the eye by rubbing too much (rock, fake plants, wood, just left in two toilet role tubes and water). Tried not to handle her for long periods, just to check the eye, make sure there was still movement, that it hasn't gone cloudy or gotten bigger. If you have some way of recording the size it helps.
I fed her tinny mice, so as not to irritate any swelling in the mouth, but as she was happy to eat i think this was more paranoia then necessity. In fact a did probably go a bit over kill over worry with her haha but its hard not to when the eye looks like its about to burst.
Keep a very close eye on her. The size of the eye seemed to jump up without warning for me, instead of gradually growing. The moment anything changes contact the vet, If you need i can give you the name and address of the place i used as at least they have seen the problem once with me :P although it may be a long way for you to travel.
The point at which they decided to remove the eye the problem has been there for several months, and it was only on the flesh around the eye starting to bleed that they decided to take the step to remove the eye. They had not wanted to do it earlier and she was so young at the time and they eye itself still seemed to be alive. Trust me, if it reaches that point you will be able to tell immediately.
start putting aside £10 a week, i was just able to afford the operation by doing that and doing a full weeks extra work . |
| lotabob |
Posted - 24/05/2011 : 00:05:15
I've been nerding over this one, looking stuff up in vetinary articles and the thing that has popped up a few times is 'obstruction of the nasolacrimal duct'. It drains from the eye to the mouth via the jacobson's organ. Did the vet swab the mouth to test for infection or was it a visual inspection. Its also possible for the duct to be obstructed due to genetic flaw but you'd rule out infection first. |
| Spreebok |
Posted - 23/05/2011 : 23:28:13
If it seems to be none changing and not causing trouble, then yeah, I cant see why it would need removing, I meant it more as something to bare in mind if it gets worse or whatever, I'm terrible at wording lol! |
| Wendy |
Posted - 23/05/2011 : 23:18:31
quote:
Originally posted by Spreebok
Maybe it would be worth ridding the problem completely and having the eye removed? I dunno if your snake is too small for surgery, but if it's not getting any better, it may be something to keep in mind. A bit last resort, I know :/
I honestly have no idea, snake has no tear duct, mouth/teeth problems, that so far has been detected. So far the vet has not advised removal of the eye, just to watch for any change. |
| Spreebok |
Posted - 23/05/2011 : 23:05:14
Maybe it would be worth ridding the problem completely and having the eye removed? I dunno if your snake is too small for surgery, but if it's not getting any better, it may be something to keep in mind. A bit last resort, I know :/ |
| Wendy |
Posted - 23/05/2011 : 22:51:42
quote:
Originally posted by Kehhlyr
If you've had vets charge you that much without giving a proper diagnosis then I believe you are being fobbed off and are simply just giving the vets some beer tokens.
Any rep vet that saw that would have a better idea than "just bring him back if it changes". Imagine going to the doctors because your eye was like that and he said something similar.
I have seen 5 different vets, all charged, and examined the snake but could not give me a reason why the eye was swollen. I hope I am not giving them beer money, but they did not know why the eye was swollen. Said they had not seen this before. The snake has not got any worse, I do not know what to do. You seem more knowledgeable, what do you purpose I do? I need help with this. |
| Kehhlyr |
Posted - 23/05/2011 : 22:00:33
If you've had vets charge you that much without giving a proper diagnosis then I believe you are being fobbed off and are simply just giving the vets some beer tokens.
Any rep vet that saw that would have a better idea than "just bring him back if it changes". Imagine going to the doctors because your eye was like that and he said something similar. |
| Wendy |
Posted - 23/05/2011 : 20:49:57
[quote]Originally posted by Thante
Hi.
I have to say i've had a look at the photo and gained an instant personal interest in whats happening to your snake.
Although I don't want to scare you, as this could be something completely different. You might find it helpful to hear what happened to my snake.
Cherry, who was my first corn snake had what looks like almost the same problem. She was bought from a shop at Blakemere craft centre, a few months after coming home her eye started to swell,and get bigger full of clear liquid. There was no discomfort, mites, retained shed or other obvious problem, but it kept growing and growing.
Dispute running loads of tests on all sorts of thing from infections to blocked tear ducts no vet or specialist was able to work out what the problem was. They drained the eye of liquid and it went back to normal, the first time they did this it took almost a full month to return to its full enlarged size, at which point they drained it again. This process repeated for a number of months, however every time it was drained it took less time to return to its enlarged size. Until She was going from normal to Bug eye overnight. At this point the vets did some last ditch attempts to work out what was wrong, by which time it was so big it was causing her to bleed. The vets eventually concluded that it was a genetic problem as every test they ran came back clean, and they decided that to save her they must remove the eye.
So i now have a happy healthy one eyed snake.
I know that this is a hell of a horror story, and i really hope that your little one doesn't have the same thing, but i felt that it is only right to warn you of the possibilities.
If, god forbid, it is the same, and it is genetic then i am going to go out of my way to find out where these snakes are coming from and put a stop to the breeder producing them.
Wow, Thante, thanks for the post. I have been told there is nothing physically wrong with my snake, (apart from the eye) he has since shed so I now know, it is not a retained eye cap. No infections, etc, (that the vet can see. just seems to be a mystery) Snake has eaten every week, without any problem, And does not seem to be in any discomfort at all. I have been really worried.
Your mail has really helped me, so far spent I have £285 on different vets, trying to find what is wrong. The eye has not been drained at all, but does not seem to be much bigger than it was. The last vet said too keep an eye (no pun intended) on it, and bring him back if any change. This I intend to do, but will also let you know of any change.
I would like to thank you for posting this, I know it is a horror story but it sure has helped me.
Thanks again |
| Thante |
Posted - 21/05/2011 : 18:46:10
Hi.
I have to say i've had a look at the photo and gained an instant personal interest in whats happening to your snake.
Although I don't want to scare you, as this could be something completely different. You might find it helpful to hear what happened to my snake.
Cherry, who was my first corn snake had what looks like almost the same problem. She was bought from a shop at Blakemere craft centre, a few months after coming home her eye started to swell,and get bigger full of clear liquid. There was no discomfort, mites, retained shed or other obvious problem, but it kept growing and growing.
Dispute running loads of tests on all sorts of thing from infections to blocked tear ducts no vet or specialist was able to work out what the problem was. They drained the eye of liquid and it went back to normal, the first time they did this it took almost a full month to return to its full enlarged size, at which point they drained it again. This process repeated for a number of months, however every time it was drained it took less time to return to its enlarged size. Until She was going from normal to Bug eye overnight. At this point the vets did some last ditch attempts to work out what was wrong, by which time it was so big it was causing her to bleed. The vets eventually concluded that it was a genetic problem as every test they ran came back clean, and they decided that to save her they must remove the eye.
So i now have a happy healthy one eyed snake.
I know that this is a hell of a horror story, and i really hope that your little one doesn't have the same thing, but i felt that it is only right to warn you of the possibilities.
If, god forbid, it is the same, and it is genetic then i am going to go out of my way to find out where these snakes are coming from and put a stop to the breeder producing them.
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| Invalid User |
Posted - 21/05/2011 : 16:31:56
Any update on this? |
| snowstripe420 |
Posted - 14/05/2011 : 20:32:40
any luck? |
| josh9961 |
Posted - 13/05/2011 : 13:16:26
I had this problem with my first corn right after she shed, I was just calling the vet when I looked in her tank and it had gone back to normal. A year on, and it's not happened again, at the time I thought it was her trying to shed an eyecap or some thing! |
| Mamma |
Posted - 10/05/2011 : 10:40:47
Any luck finding a specialist vet? |
| Kehhlyr |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 14:19:54
Or this one: http://www.companioncare.co.uk/plymouth.html
Companion care vets down this way are superb, I also believe one of them is on this forum, Hi Debbie *waves*.
When I first heard that Pets at Home were gonna be having a vets in them I was a bit dubious. But since having gone there multiple times with multiple animals I've found mine to be absolutely superb.
Poor Tom at my local had to take on the ferocious Chalkie for a health check a little while back before breeding. Typically she was a lovely normal snake then instead of the monster that she really is.  |
| Wendy |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 14:10:39
quote:
Originally posted by lotabob
Done a bit of digging and found a reptile vet in Plymouth http://www.seymourvets.co.uk/index.html
Thanks very much Bob will have a look at site, This is the one I was thinking of ringing tomorrow http://www.filhamparkvets.co.uk/Main%20menus/Exotics.shtml
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| lotabob |
Posted - 08/05/2011 : 13:47:51
Done a bit of digging and found a reptile vet in Plymouth http://www.seymourvets.co.uk/index.html |
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