She won't eat anything

[snickersnake]

Thanks to all of you for all the help you've given me thus far. My worm farm is working out great.

But my little garter quit eating. She wasn't eating that much to being with. 2.5 months ago, when I first got her, I started with fish and although she was interested, it was as if she didn't know what to do with them. I tried worms and although she didn't eat many, she knew that they were food. But in the past 3-4 weeks, she's eaten one worm and that's all.

Her cage is warm enough. She acts interested in the worms. She crawls around them, surveying them the whole time they are in her cage. But she won't eat.

She's still too small for pinkies and I doubt she'd go for it anyway. I am worried sick. She is the best garter I've ever had.

I know that I asked for help with this about a month or so ago but it's a little more critical now. Getting used to her surroundings is no longer an issue. (I got her the last week of August.) Thanks again.

[olive oil]

Oh my, I'm sure you are worried sick. Are the worms cut small enough for her?

[drache]

have you ever tried spitting pinks lengthwise for her?

[guidofatherof5]

The bright spot is that she was eating. I had a baby start eating and then quit for almost 2 months. Keep offering and don't lose hope.
Now, with that being said I have also had them do the same thing and never eat again. I ended up putting them down since starvation was there choice. I have started a new procedure for babies that won't eat and are in dire need of food. I went to our local Walgreen(Drug store) and got a couple free syringes(Get the ones with the smallest opening). I diced some worms as small as I could. With the help of someone(needed) to hold and the other to feed. The person holding will use a playing card to insert in the mouth. The object is to protect the glottis and lower jaw. With the card separating the jaws the other person can insert the syring end and pump some food in. I am working on locating some very small medical tube to attach to the end of the syring. This way the tube can be placed past the back of the jaw and the gullet. You want the food in the trachea. This helps to keep them from forcing it back out.
I know the adage "Only the strong survive", but my arguement is that they are in my care and I will make every effort(within reason) to afford them a chance at life. There is a lot to consider before you undertake force feeding. There is a lot of stress for the snake and stress for you. The more you work with them the more of an emotional tie you have. They are so delicate and can be injured very easily.
Sometimes you just have to let them GO(taken whichever way you want). This is a call we all have to make on a snake by snake situation. I have fought for months to no good end(my opinion). I have also fought for months and six months later ended up with a growing beautiful snake. I feel your pain. I don't want to let any of them go, either.

[drache]

what you're looking for is something like this
Product Listing Health Care (http://www.beanfarm.com/store/agora.cgi?cart_id=4416466.30235&product=Health_Care&user4=Medicating/Feed%20Tools&xm=on)
(scroll down a little)
I recommend a food processor, if you're going to use actual rodent
those tubes clog pretty easily, and it's totally frustrating to have that happen when everything else seemed to go so well
if you have access to any other meat product without fillers or weird additives - those are fine too
my vet has used a special dog food, and beef or chicken baby food is okay too
this is just to bulk the baby up and get some protein into them

[Garter_Gertie]

Dave, the Naturalist at the park, said when he was a kid he had a garter eating cat food outta his hand.

Give that a try. If not outta your hand, in a dish with a teeny bit o'water...

[mtolypetsupply]

Guido,

I had to squirt some solution into an abcess in my horse's foot a few years ago. The vet gave me a tip that fit on the syringe like a needle would but it was just a flexible plastic tip about 2 in. long, tapering into a very thin tube. I wish I knew the real name for it, sorry. Anyway, sounds like what you're looking for to have for emergency feeding. I'm sure your vet would have something like that.

[ssssnakeluvr]

sounds like it's getting ready for winter.....normal brumation time....going off feed....make sure the snake hasn't eaten for at least 2 weeks (any ffod in the intestinal tract will ferment and kill the snake). you can put him in a cooler area, below 55 degrees, with water, and let him cool off for a couple weeks. then warm him back up and he should start feeding soon. I do that with my non feeders...some snakes naturally go into brumation and some don't. watch for weight loss too during brumation, some is expected, but you don't want wrinkles on their side..then they are in bad shape..

[snickersnake]

Thank you to all of you for your help. It is breaking my heart.

I have tried cutting up pinkies and tried feeding from my hand. The worms I feed to her are definitely small enough. No interest. I've never experienced this before.

I guess I am not comfortable with cooling her down for brumation because she stopped eating well before the weather change.

Guido and drache, thank you so much for the information. I will keep trying other things for a little while, but in the meantime, will have to think about force feeding and get the supplies necessary. Guido - thank you for what you wrote...it made me feel less alone with this situation.

[snickersnake]

You know, I didn't mention that when I feed her, she isn't interested in the food but she wants me to pick her up. She comes over to my hand and I used to pick her up and play with her before putting her back to eat, but she just wanted to be picked up again. I stopped that practice, but my hand going into her cage to feed her is enough to get her one-track mind only on being picked up.

She still looks okay. I have tried feeding her while holding her, but she's not interested. I'm going to try guppies again, in a larger bowl. Then take her to the vet next week if it doesn't work. Anyway, I just wanted to add that information. Thanks again for all your help.

[jitami]

Awww.. she sounds like a sweetheart, too. Let us know how it goes with the guppies. Just curious, and I'm sorry if you've already said, but how big is she?

[adamanteus]

It may be getting near the time to consider force-feeding her, Lori. This isn't necessarily such a trauma. For a small snake you need to use (obviously) small food items, but they need to be firm enough so they don't just fall apart in your hands. Pinky or fuzzy legs and tails are good for this.
Sometimes it's enough just to push the food against the side of the snakes' mouth, this can often trigger a feeding response.
The best of luck, Lori. Please keep us informed.