Baby Garter Mouth Injury

[dnovak1236]

We have a 2 year old garter snake who is doing great! Very tame. My neighbor recently got scared when she seen a baby garter and I think when she tried shoveling it into a pan, injured it's mouth (it is crooked and he has lump on the side back of it). Since he is so small, I have tried small cut up worms, cut up pinkies and even meal worms (which I am pretty sure they don't eat). He isn't eating at all. I separate them while trying to feed the little guy. Since I can't put him back outside since the ground is starting to freeze (it has been 32 and below in Illinois), I don't know what to do as far as getting him to eat or is he too damaged. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. He is only the size of a earth worm.:confused:

[infernalis]

Welcome, and I wish I had something better to say.

Your description almost sounds like a broken bone.

If the little thing has a broken jaw, it may never recover.

Do you have any pictures?

[Scaley.Jade]

how about brumating?

[dnovak1236]

What exactly is brumating? Like bruising?

[guidofatherof5]

Welcome, a picture would be great. Keep offering food in its enclosure so that it feels comfortable. Is it drinking water? If, so it could go weeks without eating. This could be some great recovery time. Find a good Herp. Vet and have it evaluated. Hope this helps.

[infernalis]

Oh yeah, is the tongue still flicking??

If it is flicking it's tongue, that can be a good sign.

[reptile3]

Hi & Welcome... sorry to hear about your snakie. I hope it's ok. Like the rest said, does your snake tongue flick? Pics would be great!

[jitami]

Welcome. Thanks for trying to help the little guy. How long have you had it? How long is it now? Other than not eating, does he act normally? Pictures would be great. I'd be inclined to move it to a separate cage, give it plenty of hides and some water, and give it a week or so to settle in, then feed it in it's own cage near a hide... may try small fish in water so shallow that the fish flop around a bit. Don't want to prolong his suffering, if he is suffering, but it may just be typical "new to captivity" stuff, too. Probably wouldn't hurt to have his temps on the warmer side, too... as long as he's drinking water...

[Stefan-A]

What exactly is brumating?
Their version of hibernation.

[dnovak1236]

Thank you all so much. I am going to try to attach pics. He is flicking once in a while, but not like my bigger guy Wilson. He is really tiny (you can see against my hand). I have only had him about 10 days and he is extremely nervous but was curled up with Wilson earlier today. Any advice is so appreciated and thanks again for all of your help.

[infernalis]

I hope it is not as bad as it looks in the pictures.

So OK we have a flicking tongue, this is a good sign, it looks like it would be painful to eat, however snakes are wonderful healers.

I'd stop trying to feed it, keep handling to a very bare minimum and see what happens.

[dnovak1236]

Should I try to give him some water on my finger? It is pretty nasty but I feel like he has so much life in him. Thanks so much.

[infernalis]

Yes hydration is important for healing...

Please don't think I'm at all trying to be pessimistic or bring you down, I just don't want to get your hopes up too high, and then have your heart broken later.

Any food and or water is all good.

You and your snakie are in my thoughts.

WAIT Hold the press - Is this snake brown? It looks like it's brown in the photos.

[drache]

that looks pretty nasty
I second Wayne's recommendation - water, minimal handling
if you could get the little beast to a vet that would be great, but with something like that you'd need a vet who has experience with snakes I think
and Wayne - I think it's a dekayi

[Garter_Gertie]

Wayne, I was thinking it's a Dekayi, too... It's so little. But I'm no good at identifying snakes.

Maybe if a Dekayi it will take slugs????????

[crzy_kevo]

i agree id say it is a dekayi try getting some slugs to feed it

[jitami]

Awww, poor little guy. You've gotten some good advice already. Please keep us posted on his progress...

[dnovak1236]

Thank you all so much. I am not sure where to get slugs around here (we are in Illinois and the ground is pretty frosted over). Our pet store sells meal worms, wax worms, and night crawlers. Would a bait shop have them? I will look around in the morning to see what I can find. How long can a Dekayi go without food? Wilson does well and would eat all day if I let him (I will get a picture and post next time.... he is a handsome devil!) Again my many thanks and will keep you posted.:o

[tyflier]

Yea, I was thinking dekayi, too...

Anyhow...it doesn't look great, but it doesn't look fatal, either. It looks like there might be a cut on the back of the jaw. Is that true? If so, I would recommend getting him isolated and off of any substrate. You could use plain white paper towels, and it would help him heal cleaner.

It does look broken...this may require a vet to realign the lower jaw bone. You could try, but I don't recommend it unless you are familiar with recognizing the difference between a clean break and a jagged break by touch. If it's clean, it should go right in place. If it's jagged...it will take a qualified herp vet with a steady hand to get back in place. Either way...unless you're experienced it is best to go see a vet.

Until you can get to a vet, treat that cut, if it is a cut, and get him on clean, white papertowels with heat and hides. IF you can find some slugs, you could offer them to him. But a vet trip is definitely in this little guy's future...

[infernalis]

I sure wonder how this all turned out???

[Zephyr]

Thank you all so much. I am going to try to attach pics. He is flicking once in a while, but not like my bigger guy Wilson. He is really tiny (you can see against my hand). I have only had him about 10 days and he is extremely nervous but was curled up with Wilson earlier today. Any advice is so appreciated and thanks again for all of your help.Looks like a broken jaw... And looks like that's not a baby garter, but a dekay's snake. :)
***Edit- Whoops, didn't see page two.
But I do wonder, Wayne.

[reptile3]

after looking at pics, looks like a Dekayi too!!!:D I am learning, I sure would like to know how this snakie is doing too!! his mouth/jaw looks painful.

[dnovak1236]

He is surviving, but he still has not eating. He wants to, but it seems he can only flick his tongue still. Our ground is solidly frozen, but I did find small earth worms a couple weeks ago. I try giving a small piece everyday to no avail. So, I am going to try a small piece on a toothpick and see if I can force it in gently. Thanks for checking on him.

[anji1971]

Thanks for the update!
Best wishes........:)

[drache]

He is surviving, but he still has not eating. He wants to, but it seems he can only flick his tongue still. Our ground is solidly frozen, but I did find small earth worms a couple weeks ago. I try giving a small piece everyday to no avail. So, I am going to try a small piece on a toothpick and see if I can force it in gently. Thanks for checking on him.if he drinks, you might try putting a little clump of live blackworm or bloodworm in a small bowl with water
many petshops carry them for fish, and the ringneck snake I had took those
they're so small, a dekayi could slurp them right up - worth a try

[infernalis]

We just sorted out an emergency slug shipment to try and get this little snake some nourishment.

With mine eating pinky parts, the very few slugs I do have will be a blessing if they help this one recover.

Thankfully there was a short thaw last week and I managed to get about a dozen slugs from the yard before the weather turned nasty again.

[guidofatherof5]

Thaw? Here in Iowa that comes at the end of Winter. Wow!

[infernalis]

Thaw? Here in Iowa that comes at the end of Winter. Wow!

We have had a very unstable winter here. one day it's minus 2 then for 3 days its 50, then it drops back down to 12???

The ground has not truly frozen solid yet, Last week the night crawlers were out, and several of those slugs were out in the open eating dandelion greens.

[anji1971]

Wayne, we have that kind of winter here every year. Except we get just one day at a time of the 50's and several of the negative temps. The nightcrawlers here stay down until it's really spring, which can range anywhere from the start of April to the end of May.:rolleyes:

[infernalis]

I truly never expected to see any night crawlers, I was hunting slugs, and there the worms were.

[anji1971]

Lucky you. I have to buy them for a while longer.........;)

[infernalis]

Actually Anji, I ignored them, Since I cannot buy any slugs at any price, they were far more important.

[dnovak1236]

Illinois has had one of the oddest winters ever. We had over 2 feet of snow and on the 19th of Dec. the schools actually had to close from it snowing so much. It would rain on top of the snow, then we would hit 20 below with the wind. Yesterday was pretty nice as it hit about 28 and the kids ice skated out back. But our ground is still solid. Today, its a balmy 30 with rain??? We own a hand car wash, so needless to say, not a good winter for us. By the way, I cut a tiny piece of worm and put it on a soft edge plastic toothpick and got the piece in little dude. He was not happy (kept stinking on me), but I felt like I got a little something in him.

[infernalis]

I cut a tiny piece of worm and put it on a soft edge plastic toothpick and got the piece in little dude. He was not happy (kept stinking on me), but I felt like I got a little something in him.


Now that is the best thing I have read yet today:D

[olive oil]

That is great news.
Hope it keeps up.

[dnovak1236]

Thanks Wayne.... I think I might even bottle the scent and call it "El Stinkaya Parfume" brought to you by Little Dude! HEHEHEH

[reptile3]

Awesome, glad you got him to eat!!! Wayne is a magic man when it comes to dekayi's!!! That was super awesome Wayne to send him some slugs.

I don't miss Illinois weather at all!!! back in 1999, 2 1/2 feet of snow, in 2 days. I miss sledding, but not shoveling or driving in it!

here in GA we have had lots of rain for the past 2 weeks.. which we really needed it. It was 68 degrees, humid - with rain.

Glad to hear about the dekayi eating!!! yay!