copperhead has gone blind???

[steve]

Hi herps! Can anyone tell me what could have gone wrong here?
In September last year 2006, I took one of my adult male copperheads to a vet because it had swallowed a very large bark chip whilst eating; the vet decided that an op to remove it would be my best bet, because the bark chip was to big and would not pass. so I decided to go along with it, now after costing me a hefty some of money, more then 3 times the snakes value, I took it home for it to recover, the wound healed up nicely and it shed well after that, about 6weeks afterwards, it ate its first meal, and to my surprise it never ate again after that, and subsequently started going blind?? I know this because what used to be pitch black pupils, turned into what looked like grey empty fish bowls, which looked very different to my other copperheads, however the pupils would still dilate and contract as normal.
The snake has never been the same since, it aimlessly moves around the viv, bumping into things and vigorously tongue flicking etc, it is now nearly 6months since the op and three months since it last ate a meal, IV tried treating it with panacure and fenbendazole but still to no avail? It is defiantly not interested in breeding because I have put him with females that my other males go bananas for, and he has not interested in the least. It still has fairly decent body weight and looks to be in good shape apart from what looks like liquid filled eyes, or some sort of cataracts.
I think the only explanation could be that the drugs the vet used to anesthetise it, had some sort of adverse effect on it...I really am clueless here can anyone help me clear my guilt and enlighten me? And would it be more humane to euthanize the poor guy?
I can post images if need be. Thanks

[rubida]

Best to post the pics! Did he shed after the operation?

Did the vet use a inhalational- or intravenous anaesthetic?

[steve]

Hec my cam doesn’t have a high enough resolution to take the close ups i need to show the pupils. Ill borrow a friends cam with a higher pixilation ASAP.
Yes he did shed and the wound healed up real well.
I really can’t be certain what type of anaesthetic was done, but id say inhalational is most likely.

[steve]

Has anyone ever had or heard of a similar occurrence, or even seen a snake with cataracts??

[steve]

oh yes sorry the op was more then six months ago, and its been longer then 3months since it last had a meal.

[Bushviper]

I have not heard of this before.

I have seen numerous snakes which had no eyes and they did pretty well in captivity. The one was born without eyes and 6 years later it was still going strong.

Having heat sensing pits I would have assumed that it would find prey and eat it. If the tongue flickers over dead prey it should also eat.

My copperheads have also not eaten for more than 3 months because of it being winter.

Give the snake another 2 months or so and see if it starts eating. If it is losing weight I would take it back to the vet and see if he has any better suggestions before euthanasing it.

[steve]

thanks, ill hang in there and see how things go, perhaps with the warming up of spring he will come rite.

[Telgalad]

Have you tried taking it to a eye doctor For animals.

[Alan Hyde]

Steve, sorry to hear this mate. I have no idea what could be wrong but just want to wish you the best for him.

While on the subject of eye defects , one of my nasicornis was born with one eye going horizontal like a vine snake, the pupil is nearly always dilated too. the snake is healthy and growinng well ,but if offered food to the bad eye side it strikes and misses. I would assume that the snakes brain is recieving a confusing visual message