My corn snake has stuck shed on her head. What's the best way to help?

By your description, it could be retained eye caps. Some snakes that go through difficult sheds or have been subjected to poor husbandry may retain multiple caps. Try soaking him in a warm bath for 20-30 minutes. Afterwards, use a cotton swan to dab a drop of mineral oil onto each eye. One or more caps should come off within 24 hours. If not, have him examined by your veterinarian or a vet experienced in treating reptiles.

Soak her in a warm 50/50 solution of water and unflavored PediaLyte for 0-30 minutes. This, along with a gentle abdominal massage, may help her pass the blockage. If it is dries stool, the warm bath may soften it enough so you can wipe her clean. If it persists, have Noodle examined by your veterinarian or an experienced herp vet.

Thank you for your question about Loki, and thank you for the photos - they are very helpful! From what I can see in the photos, I think that you are asking about the large white area that extends from the eyes forward to around his nose and down along his mouth. This looks like areas of retained shed on top of new skin. Difficulty shedding, or dysecdysis, is often the result of imperfections in the husbandry. I would recommend starting with soaking Loki in 85-90 F water once daily for 15-20 minutes. While in the bath, you can wet a paper towel or cloth and get the areas of retained shed wet. Use caution around his eyes and nose, however, as we don't want him to feel uncomfortable or panicked. I would also suggest evaluating the husbandry and diet closely. You can consult an online care sheet, such as anapsid.org or Reptiles Magazine, and see if there are any areas that you may need to make adjustments. Common areas that require adjustment include lighting (UV lights need to be changed every 4-6 months), temperatures, and humidity/hydration/water. I would also recommend taking Loki into a veterinarian at some point for a wellness examination. Your veterinarian can make recommendations that are tailored to Loki after his physical exam has been performed. I hope that gives you a place to start, and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach!

Soak Razor in warm water for 15-20 minutes. Gently rub off any loose shed but do not pull or tear at it. If he is wiggly, you can place him in a small container with paper towels moistened with warm water for 15-20 minutes. The moist heat and humidity should help with the shed. Make sure he can breathe in the container. You can put this moist hide in his enclosure so he has a place to go when he is shedding. Monitor his stool and submit a sample to your vet to diagnose intestinal parasites if you see more "green liquid".

Thanks for reaching out about Natas and including photos. This could be something as simple as dry skin, so application of an olive oil once every few days might help return the skin integrity to normal. Remove any substrate that could adhere the lesion. A veterinary visit is recommended to assess and provide a diagnostic/treatment plan. A fungal or bacterial dermatitis, nutritional deficiencies, and other problems are still possible. Good luck.

She may have had a retained eye cap that came off and caused injury to her cornea. This can happen during difficult sheds. Only an experienced herp vet or veterinary ophthalmologist can make this diagnosis after a close and thorough eye exam. Lilith should be examined as soon as you can get an appointment. Keep the eye clear of debris by rinsing with plain saline several times daily until you see a veterinarian.

Periscoping is normal. Most snakes do it when hungry or if curious or I in an object. "Stargazing" (staring straight up, nose pointed upwards) is of concern and may indicate serious viral infection. The lost scales may have been due to low humidity during her latest shed. You can gently clean the spot with dilute Betadine solution or chlorhexidine. A thin film of triple antibiotic ointment can be used if indicated. She should heal up fine. If it does heal or begins to spread, have her examined by your herp veterinarian.