Slow eye recovery

[guidofatherof5]

Many months ago I made a post about a male radix that was found on our back deck. He was easy to catch since I stayed on his right side. He never saw me coming. We call him Patch.
Since then I've been working very gently with his bad eye. In addition to the eye problem he also has some damage to his right supra-oculair and frontal head scales. For some reason they have turned black in color.
As you can see from the second photo the eye is cleaning up nicely. I think I've done all I can do for Patch. I hope to get an eye specialist to donate some additional work needed.
I still believe he is retaining some old eye caps that will need to be surgically removed. He is a great male and worthy of the investment. He was on our deck and didn't mind being caught. I think he heard about or free medical services. There's another benefit for this male, he has a beautiful pattern and will be joining the Stud Services Division of the Ranch. I'll get my money out of him:D
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/male_eye_problem.jpghttp://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/eye1.jpg

Here's what the head injury looks like.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/patch_head.jpg

[Charis]

Those two pics are of the same eye? Looking really good! Talked to my vet again about Tikki's eye problem & she said it could take a year or more for her eye to shrink down, so apparently most eye issues take quite a while to resolve. So it looks like he still has the use of that eye? Was it just a lot of retained eye caps? I hope your vet can fix the rest of it!

[guidofatherof5]

Was it just a lot of retained eye caps? I hope your vet can fix the rest of it!


Yes, sort of. I think the eye problem was caused by the injury to the head scales. I'm thinking a burn from heat or possibly a chemical burn.

Here's a couple photos of this handsome male green phase(my favorite radix color) T.radix.
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/patch_pattern1.jpg
http://www.thamnophis.com/thamphotos/data//500/medium/patch_pattern.jpg

[Snakers]

nice WORK!

[Charis]

Yes, that does look like some kind of chemical burn. Wonder what he got into? It looks pretty localized, is he burned anywhere else, or just around that eye? He is a very handsome boy.

[guidofatherof5]

Yes, that does look like some kind of chemical burn. Wonder what he got into? It looks pretty localized, is he burned anywhere else, or just around that eye? He is a very handsome boy.


That's the only blemish on his body.

[ConcinusMan]

First thing I thought when I saw that is that somehow he got burned. If it is a chemical burn, black would indicate some sort of caustic chemical such as sodium hydroxide. Poor guy. I'd hate to think that somebody might have intentionally injured him.

[guidofatherof5]

First thing I thought when I saw that is that somehow he got burned. If it is a chemical burn, black would indicate some sort of caustic chemical such as sodium hydroxide. Poor guy. I'd hate to think that somebody might have intentionally injured him.

My first thought was gasoline. I'm not sure that would cause such a reaction to the skin.
In any event, he is safe and out of harms way.

[commongartersnake]

Very nice you took care of that very nicely, make sure to have to vet on speed dial just in case you get another problem with that eye I think it should be fine but just in case, the pattern on that snake is very nice.

[jitami]

That's amazing, Steve. Can I ask what you've been doing to treat his eye/head? I would have thought that eye was a gonner.

[guidofatherof5]

That's amazing, Steve. Can I ask what you've been doing to treat his eye/head? I would have thought that eye was a gonner.

When the eye was at its worst I would treat it with mineral oil every other day. Once every couple of weeks I would give the snake about an hour in a high humidity shed box. I would then use a clean/wet 100% cotton towel and gently rub the eye. At first I would only spend a minute doing that since that was all the snake would tolerate. As time went on he would let me work longer at the eye. One of the last times, he let me try for about 30 minutes. I would have to hold his head to keep it steady but Patch made no attempts to get away.
It looks to me as if has the original cap or burn is left on the eye. I don't feel comfortable messing with that. I've done all the good I can do and don't want to injure the eye. I will leave the final work to a trained professional. I hope My Vet. can talk the Vet. eye specialist into donating the needed surgery. If they won't donate the surgery I hope they can make it affordable to me. I think the eye is 90% better than it was and left alone his vision is greatly improved. I also think it is entirely possible for his vision to be fully corrected and that's what I'm shooting for.

[jitami]

I'm quite impressed! Has he shed since getting to this point in his recovery? I'm wondering if that last little bit may come off with his next shed?

[guidofatherof5]

I'm quite impressed! Has he shed since getting to this point in his recovery? I'm wondering if that last little bit may come off with his next shed?

That's what I'm hoping for.