Swolen eye sockets.

[superboer]

Good evening all, this is my first post to the forum, so let me introduce myself, I have been keeping snakes for 11 years now, from colubrids to elapids, and have recently become more interested in the big beasts, today I baught off a sick albino burm, they previous owner had baught it at a VERY well known petshop but lets not even go there, it had mites but that's all cleared up after a good BIO-KILL spray down, now the remaining problem is that his eye sockets are swolen up, what do I do now? As I have never had this problem before, wil it become better after a shed? Should I soak him? I'm looking forward to your responses.

PS: I am Afrikaans, so please forgive my spelling. .

Best regards.
Superboer.

[rolandslf]

Please post pics of the head and eyes so we can see what the affliction is.

[Westley Price]

I recall I had a Carpet Python many years ago with the same symptoms (bar the mites) and the swelling on the eyes were a result of a mouth rot/infection issue, which was barely visible externally, but as soon as you opened the mouth there was yellow pus/mucus everywhere.

Have a look inside the mouth if you get a chance.

But often a heavy mite infestation leads to swollen eyes too, so it might just be that which will clear up after a while.

If the mites are cleared up and you have washed the excess bio-kill of the snake, no need to soak I recon.

[Jamster]

If you have a probing kit or something similar, gently run it around the rim of the eye socket or under the occular scales. Mites often burrow into that area where the eyecap meets the underneath of the occular scales because there is soft tissue there. If I am correct you should scoop out a bunch of mites. Just make sure you use something with a blunt tip and be gentle. Snake also tend to become thin and dehydrated due to mites, the eye sockets may just look swollen due to the dehydrated skin in the surrounding area.