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16 Posts |
 Posted - 29/12/2008 : 23:49:51
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Hi,
My name is Mart. Im 17 years old and have recently got a female corn snake for a christmas gift, to put in with my male but have noticed that one of her eyes is really cloudy, whilst the other is completely normal. The man in the pet shop said that this was because she was due to shed, however it has been five days and she has not changed to a darker colour, but her one eye is going cloudier while the other remains normal. She has also not changed her appitite she is constantly hungry and out looking for food also active when i read that corns can be quite snappy during their shedding periond and prefer to hide until due shedding their skin, and do not really get very hungry. I also did some more research and found something about occasionly some corns may not shed their eye lid or lids from their last shed skin, but due to not having her last skin i am not sure wether this is the problem. The man had also said to my mother that the snake was aggressive and this is not true at all she has a very good tempermant and is indeed calm and freindly snake. This why i am writing to ask, seeing as it sounds to me that this man really has no idea what he is talking about. I have had experience with a range of snakes from anacondas to corns and pythons and never had or seen this problem before.
Have you any solutions for me? Thank you.
Mart. |
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Kazerella
The Corn Snake Admin
United Kingdom
3093 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 11:00:09
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A retained eye cap could be a possibility, but it would be hard to determine without a photo. Any chance of you taking one so we can have a good look?
Was the eye like that when you got her or is it a recent thing?
If she was going into shed you would see both eyes going cloudy and the skin looking pale on the entire snake really.
If it is a retained eyecap, the best thing to do would be to either take her to the vets or back to the shop so an experienced keeper can have a go at removing it. I know you can do it yourself with a cotton bud, but it's quite risky. Especially if your snake is quite active. |
 
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matty18714
The Count of Corniness
United Kingdom
4428 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 12:23:59
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| It does sound like a reatined eye cap. Like Kaz says its quite tricky to get one off. A pic would be good. |
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16 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 13:26:50
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I have taken photos, however i have a new laptop and for some reason it will not let me put the pics on to here. does anyone have an msn email address so i could try send them in an email?
Many thanks.
Mart. |
Edited by - n/a on 30/12/2008 13:36:14 |
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matty18714
The Count of Corniness
United Kingdom
4428 Posts |
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n/a
deleted
16 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 13:43:04
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Thanks, i have sent an email to you.
Mart. |
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matty18714
The Count of Corniness
United Kingdom
4428 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 13:46:49
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| Got them, I will put them up inna sec. |
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matty18714
The Count of Corniness
United Kingdom
4428 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 13:52:21
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The snake deffinatly isnt in shed. Is it just the bit that would normaly be black which is now grey, or is it the whole eye? |
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deleted
16 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 14:01:55
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yer it is just the pupil that is grey so have no idea wether or not it hasn't shed one of it's caps, surely the whole eye would be grey if it is the old cap, wouldn't it?
I have seen blind snakes before, so do you think this could be the case?
Mart. |
Edited by - n/a on 30/12/2008 14:03:22 |
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matty18714
The Count of Corniness
United Kingdom
4428 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 14:44:38
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| Its not a retained cap, like you say the whole eye would be grey. Is the eye still perfectly round and not dented? |
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16 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 14:49:03
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yes it is completely normal in shape
Mart. |
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Paulusworm
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
686 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 17:33:42
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| Can snakes suffer from cataracts? With it being just in the pupil it kinda looks like that to me or some kind of eye infection within the eye itself. Does it look worse in the photo than when you see it for yourself? |
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Edited by - Paulusworm on 30/12/2008 17:35:46 |
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16 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 19:34:45
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| no it looks exactly the same when im looking myself. |
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Paulusworm
The Corn Snake Moderator
United Kingdom
686 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 20:15:54
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Nothing to do with the flash then. I've been digging around a bit since the last post and general opinion is that yes they can get cataracts. Personally I would get it to the vet to get it checked for a cataract in that eye. At least you can rule that out if it isn't. Let us know what the vet says.
If you're stuck for a specialist reptile vet, and live near Portsmouth, I can point you in the direction of one. |
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 20:41:18
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i agree with the above it's not a retained eyecap having seen the pics now (although that was my initial thought). I'd recommend taking her to a reptile specialist vet for their opinion but if it doesn't bother her and she doesn't seem to be in any pain there's no reason why she shouldn't do well. maybe a bit of extra thought when handling eg. not reaching and picking her up from her 'blind side'.
you said you already have a snake, so if you're handling her calmly and confidently that may be why she's not 'aggressive' (or defensive?) with you. i recently bought a boa that the owner wouldn't handle as she was scared of her, the girl wouldn't even get her out of the viv to show her to me when i went to see about buying her. Marilyn's been an absolutely angel since i've had her, and other people on here can vouch for her chilled out nature too.  |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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16 Posts |
Posted - 30/12/2008 : 21:25:11
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ok, thanks for the helpful suggestions guys. What i'll do is in the morning i will take these photos to the pet shop and explain to see if they can do anything and see if they will pay for the vet costs.
Many thanks.
And i love boas to lol
my freind has recently just bought a breeding pair of a rare species of boas and cost him £1200 just for the snakes. can't remember the exact species but he also has a breeding pair of green tree pythons and a western hognose snake. |
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Kazerella
The Corn Snake Admin
United Kingdom
3093 Posts |
Posted - 31/12/2008 : 13:41:32
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Poor little mite! That's definitely not a retained eye cap 
Keep us posted on what happens |
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gingerpony
Queen Bee
United Kingdom
10455 Posts |
Posted - 31/12/2008 : 21:10:52
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quote:
Originally posted by Mart W
And i love boas to lol
my freind has recently just bought a breeding pair of a rare species of boas and cost him £1200 just for the snakes. can't remember the exact species...
wow that's a few ££££s! my boa is an endangered species too in it's native Madagascar. Dumerils boas are covered by CITES (preventing exportation of endangered species), has to have paperwork proving it's CB not CF or WC and should be microchipped for identification purposes.
you'll have to get your mate to sign up the www.therainbowboa.co.uk - it's the closest thing to a boa site that we've got  |
cornsnakes, ratsnakes, bullsnakes, boas and day geckos
Location:Leeds/York/Selby area |
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16 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2009 : 00:28:58
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Yer, I'm actually out in Germany until june as we have been posted here due to my farther being in the armoud forces. Over here the rules are a bit different with things like that. Like live food as well, isn't it illeagal to feed snakes alive food now in the uk?
over here they are allowed to eat their food alive.
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Kehhlyr
ǝʞɐɔ sǝʌoן
United Kingdom
8173 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2009 : 01:59:11
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quote:
Originally posted by Mart W
isn't it illeagal to feed snakes alive food now in the uk?
Very grey area that. Some people think it's illegal, but it's not.
It is however illegal to cause suffering to an animal.
If you give a live mouse to a snake, then you are causing suffering to the mouse.
Odd isn't it?
There are exceptions to this rule though, and that is if the snake is not eating, and it's health is bad because of not eating and it's running the risk of death, then you can 'try' live food to see if it encourages the snake to eat again, therefore stops the snake suffering.
It should just be a straight yes you are, or no you can't. But being the UK, we have to have complicated guidelines. |
-=Kehhlyr - The Resident Loon
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matty18714
The Count of Corniness
United Kingdom
4428 Posts |
Posted - 01/01/2009 : 21:42:50
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Yep, live feeding is legal as long as you dont invite/encourage people to watch it when you do it. That includes videoing it and putting it on the net for example.
I read something the other day and I recon its an eye infection (which they can give you antibiotics for). See what the shop owner/vet says. |
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