Shedding problems and stuck eye caps

What a normal shed looks like

VCA describes the sequence: the skin dulls all over, a few days later the eyes turn cloudy blue-grey, then they clear and the snake rubs against something rough to peel the skin off from head to tail^[1]. The whole process can take 7–14 days^[1]. Young, fast-growing snakes shed more often, perhaps monthly^[1].

The skin is fragile during this time, so handle gently or not at all^[1]. Snakes may hide, use the humid hide and skip meals^[3].

Stuck shed

Difficult shedding (dysecdysis) is a symptom, not a disease. The usual cause is husbandry: wrong temperatures, wrong humidity or poor nutrition^[1]. What helps:

• Raise humidity and give a humid hide^[1][4].
• Provide rough surfaces, like logs or rocks, to rub against^[1].
• For a stuck patch, the RSPCA suggests a bath in slightly warm water to soften it. Don't pull it off; you can damage the new skin underneath^[4].
• If shed problems keep coming back, fix the setup. The RSPCA says repeat problems are usually set-up related^[2].

Retained eye caps

Snakes have a clear scale over each eye (the spectacle) instead of eyelids, and it should come off with the shed^[5][1]. Check every shed skin for both. Caps left in place can, over time, cause permanent eye damage and blindness^[1]. The RSPCA warns not to remove them yourself at home because of the risk of serious injury to the eye^[2]. Book a reptile vet.

When it's a vet visit

VCA says retained pieces of skin after a shed are worth a vet check for infection or a humidity problem^[5], and that a snake whose problem persists after you've fixed humidity needs an exam by a reptile-experienced vet^[1]. Find a reptile vet through ARAV.