Stuck Shed on Eye

Embrace Calamity

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So I have a problem. My gecko (crocodile, if it makes any difference) had a bad shed. Winter hit all of a sudden and her humidity dropped enough for her to have her first bad shed with me. Unfortunately, some shed got stuck on her eye. (I have since fixed the humidity issue.) So I went to the only vet in our area with any reptile experience (though he's not an expert, but he did his research and talked to other vets to make sure he was doing everything right). He wasn't able to remove it, so he gave me some artificial tears and had me come back five days later. Still couldn't get it off. He suggested I go somewhere else about two hours away, but it's really stuck on there, and I'm afraid they won't be able to get it off either. What happens if we can't get it off? I know that's not something that usually comes off with a proper shed, so then what? Any help or words of wisdom from anyone who's gone through this kind of issue would be appreciated.

~Maggot
 

DrCarrotTail

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When my gecko had his eye issue the drops I was using didn't work. The vet prescribed some terramycin ointment which stays on the stuck shed for a longer period of time since its a gloppy gel instead of a liquid and after a couple of weeks of using that when I was just about to give up on it, the shed popped off. I don't know if there's a product that's similar without the antibiotics that might be better that you could pick up and try instead but I know the terramycin ointment is available over the counter from several online pet retailers. I also soaked my guy for 10 minutes or so 3x a week in covered contained of 90-95 degree tap water (covered so the air was as humid as possible) .
 

Embrace Calamity

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When my gecko had his eye issue the drops I was using didn't work. The vet prescribed some terramycin ointment which stays on the stuck shed for a longer period of time since its a gloppy gel instead of a liquid and after a couple of weeks of using that when I was just about to give up on it, the shed popped off. I don't know if there's a product that's similar without the antibiotics that might be better that you could pick up and try instead but I know the terramycin ointment is available over the counter from several online pet retailers. I also soaked my guy for 10 minutes or so 3x a week in covered contained of 90-95 degree tap water (covered so the air was as humid as possible) .
He gave me an ointment that says "lubricant ophthmalci intment." Is that the right thing? Or should I be getting something else?

~Maggot
 

DrCarrotTail

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The point was that its a gloppy ointment-type thing that will do a better job at keeping the eye moist than a liquid. If what you have is an ointment that has a consistency like Vasoline it would probably do the same thing as what I suggested.

Do crocodile geckos shed as often as leos? Do they shed in a similar way? If they do, I would assume the best chance the shed has of popping off is when the new skin underneath it is ready to come off and moist. I would actually smush if not rub it --SUPER GENTLY!-- into his eye to try to get it to penetrate the stuck shed as much as possible. Hold him for a few or soak him after you put it on too to keep him from licking it off immediately.

As I said - it took my guy almost three months of soaks, drops and ointments before the stuck shed came off. I was about to give up when the shed popped off as the vet thought it wasn't stuck shed but a ruined deflated eyeball we were looking at. I was overjoyed to find out he was wrong. It also took about 3-4 months after the shed came off for my guys eyeball to get back to normal but I'm amazed at how it has and am thankful as I assumed his eye would be ruined. They're amazing creatures.
 

B&B Geckos

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How did the vet try to remove it?
Keep the eye moist using Turtle Eye Drops. For removal, squirt plenty of drops in its eye as you restrain it, this can be the hardest part, the gecko will calm down quite a bit after a few seconds in a firm hold. It can be removed with a q-tip soaked with turtle eye drops in a rolling motion, you can also use blunt, rounded tweezers (disinfect first), the ones used to pick up stamps. Apply Turtle eye drops for a week or 2 after according to instructions.
 
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Embrace Calamity

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The point was that its a gloppy ointment-type thing that will do a better job at keeping the eye moist than a liquid. If what you have is an ointment that has a consistency like Vasoline it would probably do the same thing as what I suggested.
Yes, it's an ointment with a Vasoline-like consistency.
Do crocodile geckos shed as often as leos? Do they shed in a similar way? If they do, I would assume the best chance the shed has of popping off is when the new skin underneath it is ready to come off and moist. I would actually smush if not rub it --SUPER GENTLY!-- into his eye to try to get it to penetrate the stuck shed as much as possible. Hold him for a few or soak him after you put it on too to keep him from licking it off immediately.
They shed more often than leos. I've noticed she usually sheds about every 2 weeks. But it seems similar. Should I try to remove it at all or just apply the ointment, soak her, and let it do its own thing?
As I said - it took my guy almost three months of soaks, drops and ointments before the stuck shed came off. I was about to give up when the shed popped off as the vet thought it wasn't stuck shed but a ruined deflated eyeball we were looking at. I was overjoyed to find out he was wrong. It also took about 3-4 months after the shed came off for my guys eyeball to get back to normal but I'm amazed at how it has and am thankful as I assumed his eye would be ruined. They're amazing creatures.
Should I not make an appointment with the other place then? I'm not against it, but I feel like it would be a waste of 4 hours of driving, however much money, and a lot of unnecessary stress for her when the vet appears to have done what any vet would do to try to remove it.

~Maggot
 

Embrace Calamity

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How did the vet try to remove it?
Keep the eye moist using Turtle Eye Drops. For removal, squirt plenty of drops in its eye as you restrain it, this can be the hardest part, the gecko will calm down quite a bit after a few seconds in a firm hold. It can be removed with a q-tip soaked with turtle eye drops in a rolling motion, you can also use blunt tweezers (disinfect first), the ones used to pick up stamps. Apply Turtle eye drops for a week or 2 after according to instructions.
He used some drops (he told me what it was, but I don't remember what it was), let it set, tried q-tips, more drops, tweezers, more drops. I have a turtle eye rinse that I was using before I was given the ointment. Do I use one or both?

~Maggot
 

DrCarrotTail

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Why I was giving time frames was to say that I'd give whatever treatment the first vet suggested sufficient time to work. The metabolism and healing processes of cold blooded creatures can be much slower than our own and it may take much longer than you might think for treatment to work. How long have you been treating him? IMO you should give a prescribed treatment 2-4 weeks before reassessment. For my gecko I took pictures every week and compared them to judge whether anything was changing since its hard to tell by looking at something on a daily basis. I also brought the pictures with me to the vet so he could remember what the gecko looked like when he began treatment.

I hesitate to answer your questions about trying to remove the stuck shed or whether you should make an appointment with another vet as I haven't seen your gecko, I don't know how bad it is, I don't know how squirmy he is, I'm not a vet, and I know almost nothing about crocodile geckos. I was just providing you with some information and advice from my own experience. The rest I think you may have to use your own judgement and concern to answer.
 

B&B Geckos

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He used some drops (he told me what it was, but I don't remember what it was), let it set, tried q-tips, more drops, tweezers, more drops. I have a turtle eye rinse that I was using before I was given the ointment. Do I use one or both?

~Maggot
The Terramycin ointment is an antibiotic to treat eye infections. The turtle eye drops are basically artifial tears with vit A. I wouldnt think there would be any adverse reactions, but the drops may flush out the antibiotic. You'd peobably want to stagger the application of each med, but this is only my guess. I'd call the vet for his opinion on this one. Let us know what he says.
 
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Embrace Calamity

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The Terramycin ointment is an antibiotic to treat eye infections. The turtle eye drops are basically artifial tears with vit A. I wouldnt think there would be any adverse reactions, but the drops may rinse out the antibiotic. You'd peobably want to stagger the application of each med, but this is only my guess. I'd call the vet for his opinion on this one. Let us know what he says.
I don't have an antibiotic ointment, I don't believe. Like I said, it says it's a lubricant/artificial tears ointment.
Why I was giving time frames was to say that I'd give whatever treatment the first vet suggested sufficient time to work. The metabolism and healing processes of cold blooded creatures can be much slower than our own and it may take much longer than you might think for treatment to work. How long have you been treating him? IMO you should give a prescribed treatment 2-4 weeks before reassessment. For my gecko I took pictures every week and compared them to judge whether anything was changing since its hard to tell by looking at something on a daily basis. I also brought the pictures with me to the vet so he could remember what the gecko looked like when he began treatment.

I hesitate to answer your questions about trying to remove the stuck shed or whether you should make an appointment with another vet as I haven't seen your gecko, I don't know how bad it is, I don't know how squirmy he is, I'm not a vet, and I know almost nothing about crocodile geckos. I was just providing you with some information and advice from my own experience. The rest I think you may have to use your own judgement and concern to answer.
I've only been using the ointment for five days. I'll see if I can get a hold of the other vet tomorrow and ask their opinion. Whatever I do, I don't want it to be the wrong thing. I screwed up enough for this to happen, and I don't want to screw up fixing it.

~Maggot
 

DrCarrotTail

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Like I said before I think for it to pop off and heal he has to go through a shed or two. If you're pretty sure its an eye cap and not something else and its only been five days I'd soak him a few times and continue with the ointment for at least another week or two sheds (whichever comes second) before heading to the second vet. Sometimes they take a while to soften up and a bit of luck before popping off. If you're worried and really think what the first vet told you to do isn't working I think the 4 hour drive and extra money are worth it for piece of mind.

Just in response to a couple other things that were said:

My guy was on ointment and drops. The vet recommended putting the drops in and then the ointment a minute or so afterward. If your flushing the eye I would recommend staggering it a bit more than a minute like B&B suggested. Calling the vet to ask his opinion might be a good thing.

For my gecko I just went to a drug store and picked up some sterile saline to flush out his eye (the vet recommended it). No vitamin A but it was $2 for 2x as much liquid as the turtle drops if all you're looking to do is flush the eye out. I was flushing my guys eye because I thought he had debris stuck in his tear duct. I'm pretty sure I was right in the end as the swelling that was left after his cap popped off went away after another month of torture for my poor guy.
 

Embrace Calamity

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I don't doubt the vet I saw, as I know he really did his research to make sure he was suggesting the right things, and I don't know what the other vet could do differently. There doesn't appear to be any debris, just stuck shed. Maybe could I use the drops in the morning and then the ointment in the evening?

~Maggot
 

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