Cloudy eyes

[purplesnakegirl]

Hi there,
I might just be a worried mother but I have noticed something strange with my 3yo female diamond. Both her eye's have just gone cloudy in the last week , I know that isn't so strange when she's about to shed but I'm pretty sure that its not the case this time as she only shed about 3 weeks ago and the rest of her isn't in blue either. The eye's arn't just cloudy but they also have a white area appearing at the top of her eyeball and it seems to get a little bigger each day. I don't think thats its retained eye caps because they are still intact on her last shed.

Here is an attempt to attach a picture




I have just started cooling her for the first time this winter and turned her temperature down to 24-25 warm end during the day and room temp at night. she is still very active though. I'm just wondering if her eye problem might be due to stress? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

[TrueBlue]

it looks like what i call white eye, there are 2 ducts inside the snakes mouth on the roof. They can get infected and cause this problem. best to take it to a vet.

[Wrasse]

Trueblue, would you know what would cause this sort of infection ? Would it be asociated with stomatitis in any way or not ?

[Rosemary]

I would turn her temp back up and take her to a vet if you are sure that she isnt about to shed. better safe than sorry I have had pythons shed 2 weeks apart.

[TrueBlue]

wrasse, it can happen quite easily especially it seems if very large prey items are feed. the ducts only need to get a bit of dirt, fur or something or get irritated to much and they can get infected.
Not asociated with canker to my knowledge.

[serpenttongue]

It looks like Panophthalmitis which is an infection between the eye and the spectacle. This is caused when the lacrymal ducts in the roof of the mouth become clogged up or infected(as TB said). This usually occurs during/after a snake has had Mouth Rot which can cause the palate to swell, blocking the ducts, or the ducts can become filled with the cheesy crap that Mouth Rot produces. If left untreated, the infection becomes worse and forces the spectacle outwards, which can look as if the eye itself is swollen. The vet will most likely give your snake antibiotics and in severe cases the fluid can be drained from within the spectacle. I would also get the vet to check for any blockages in the Lacrymal ducts.

[Wrasse]

I have seen the same sort of thing in a Boa that was bitten by rats due to live feeding. Her infection started under the skin of the skull and spread to one of her eyes, which went cloudy and with the same sort of solid white mark through it. Her treatment consisted of having the infected area on her head opened, cleaned and antibiotics given. The treatment had to be repeated a few times before she was given the all clear.

The white eye has never cleared up completely however and she has a permanant 'shed look' to that one eye now. Would it be likely that in Purplesnakegirls case, the eyes may not clear even once the infection is treated?

This has had no long term effect on the Boa, simply looks a little odd.

[serpenttongue]

Originally Posted by Wrasse

The white eye has never cleared up completely however and she has a permanant 'shed look' to that one eye now. Would it be likely that in Purplesnakegirls case, the eyes may not clear even once the infection is treated?

Wrasse, it looks like Purplesnakegirl has caught the problem in it's early stages so if she acts now, it should make a full recovery, with sparkling clear spectacles .

[TrueBlue]

As serp has said it can be a secondary infection to canker because of the swelling blocking the ducts, but hopefully the are just infected, although the only times ive seen it, it has only been on one eye only, with out canker present.
definitly get the vet to check its mouth thourghly as well.

[Wrasse]

Thanks for the info guys, I am always learning

[purplesnakegirl]

Thanks everyone for your help. It sounds worse that I initially expected and I'll be taking her to the vet asap!

[krusty]

keep us posted on the out come...........hope all gos well......

[purplesnakegirl]

I took her to the vet first thing this morning. The vet had a look in her mouth and couldn't see any sign of infection and told me that the problem was most likely from cold stress as it is the first time I've cooled her and she just isn't coping with it. She told me to warm her up and not to cool her in winter and if she still has the problem in a month to take her back to be looked at. I really hope that thats all it was and that she will recover soon.

[Wrasse]

How experienced is your vet with snakes ?

[purplesnakegirl]

She is not a reptile specialist but she is the only vet in the Canberra area who knows much about them.