Vitamin B1 Deficiency

[tayler123]

Hi all 3 of my garters have this and it's getting bad. What can I do to save them?I know a vet can inject the vitamin but I don't have the money right now for that.
I need to know a way or a type of food that can recover them.

I got them off a suppose good local breeder but turn out to be worng.
I switch over their diets to worms,crickets and salmon.

I'm hoping somebody can give me detail information on where can I buy the iteams and such.


thankyou!

[Stefan-A]

I'm sorry to hear about your snakes. To my knowledge, there's no home made solution to it. Even the injection might not do a whole lot of good.

[ssssnakeluvr]

don't feed crickets, they can't digest them.....not part of their normal diet

[gregmonsta]

If you can't afford a vet you should really consider finding someone who can pay for the treatment or giving them to a local reptile rescue centre. Vitamin injection followed by accurate aftercare and regular monitoring of vitamin supplements is the only thing that may cure this problem and has to administered as soon as possible. You need a vet to establish how far gone the deficiency is and how much vitamin supplementation is required.
I would raise this with the breeder too if you can ascertain that it was definately his fault and demand a refund/or that he pay the vet treatment and make as many people as possible aware of the quality of the snakes you bought from this person.

As Don just mentioned too - crickets are not suitable garter food and changing diet alone is not going to solve the problem.

[guidofatherof5]

Welcome to the forum. You have recieved great advice.
I have to ask. How do you know it is a B1 problem? What were they eating before? You stated you switched them over.
Over, from what? Can you give us some history on these 3 and maybe a photo?
I wish you the best of luck. Your 3 are in our prayers.

[drache]

all of the above
and - where in the country are you?
perhaps there are resources near you that you are not aware of

[tayler123]

Welcome to the forum. You have recieved great advice.
I have to ask. How do you know it is a B1 problem? What were they eating before? You stated you switched them over.
Over, from what? Can you give us some history on these 3 and maybe a photo?
I wish you the best of luck. Your 3 are in our prayers.


Hello there,
Well these garters are in early stages of B1( I have done a class project on vitamins problem in animals) so I kind of know the problem here.
The breeder used to feed them fish and somtimes worms and I don't have much options becuase I'm a student without money..I ment I switch the diet from fish to other types of food and only salmon for fish types.
I can provide a picture later.
Right now they just loose some controll I notice 2 days ago.
I had them for about a week now.
I don't want them to die :(

[tayler123]

don't feed crickets, they can't digest them.....not part of their normal diet
Sorry about that! I havn't feed any crickets yet to garters and now i'm not going to. I was told crickets are an okay food.
Thanks for the information!

[tayler123]

all of the above
and - where in the country are you?
perhaps there are resources near you that you are not aware of

I currently live in cape coral florida, I don't know any vets that will deal with snakes nor do I have the money to :(

[tayler123]

Most history I know of is that the breeder told me he didn't expect a WC gravid red side garter snake that he bought and have lots of new borns and was selling them. So I bought a trio of 2 males and a female.

[wolfpacksved]

welcome to tham... seems the best option, in my opinion, is to dust food items w/ some herp vitamin supplement. also, fuzzies and pinkies provide some sustinence.

[jitami]

How old are the snakes now? I agree with dusting with vitamins or get the kind that you can put in their water. If you're just noticing signs every once in a while hopefully the change in diet will be enough to get these guys turned around. I'd love to see pics, or even video if you can manage it. I would try to get these guys to accept frozen thawed pinkies or pinky parts, too. Good luck.

[tayler123]

I'm not sure how old they are but they are around 8-11inches.

[drache]

have you tried to switch them to frozen/thawed pinks?

[tayler123]

I don't like to deal with any form of mice that's why I choose garters.
I have now bought a calcium with vitamin d3 that goes along night crawlers they eat.
The worst ones I have tube down a mixture of water and the calcium.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

Between not going to a vet, and refusing to use a very valuable and sustainable food source for the snakes (mice) you are really limiting your snakes chances, which sadly will be slim to none without a vet's help. Rodents can help out a sick snake in that they are very sustaining and even small amounts can nourish a snake, especially a sick one, for a longer period of time that worms and fish alone. Worms and fish go through a garter like water and greater quantities need to be consumed and when sick sometimes they will not eat enough to keep their body healthy. Unfortunately if it is truely B1 deficiency, which, it may or not be, (since there are many other problems, diseases, and parasites and such that can cause similar symptoms to occur) the only thing that can truly help is straight injections from a vet. A diet change, supplements, shooting calcium water down their throat (which is majorly stressing them out by the way) are not going to be enough, and the longer it's put off, the more permanent damage that will be done to the snakes in question. I hate to say it here, but if you can't afford taking them to a vet, which is where they need to be, I would strongly consider offering them to someone who can afford it, or taking them to a reptile rescue. It's really not responsible to keep trying home remedies for such a serious and eventually fatal condition. Sorry you ended up with bad snakes. :(

[tayler123]

Between not going to a vet, and refusing to use a very valuable and sustainable food source for the snakes (mice) you are really limiting your snakes chances, which sadly will be slim to none without a vet's help. Rodents can help out a sick snake in that they are very sustaining and even small amounts can nourish a snake, especially a sick one, for a longer period of time that worms and fish alone. Worms and fish go through a garter like water and greater quantities need to be consumed and when sick sometimes they will not eat enough to keep their body healthy. Unfortunately if it is truely B1 deficiency, which, it may or not be, (since there are many other problems, diseases, and parasites and such that can cause similar symptoms to occur) the only thing that can truly help is straight injections from a vet. A diet change, supplements, shooting calcium water down their throat (which is majorly stressing them out by the way) are not going to be enough, and the longer it's put off, the more permanent damage that will be done to the snakes in question. I hate to say it here, but if you can't afford taking them to a vet, which is where they need to be, I would strongly consider offering them to someone who can afford it, or taking them to a reptile rescue. It's really not responsible to keep trying home remedies for such a serious and eventually fatal condition. Sorry you ended up with bad snakes. :(

your assuming too much. You have to respect my choice of on mice. I don't like feeding any kind of mammals to any kind of snake. If you took the time to read on first page I pointed out that no vets in my area deal with snakes becuase I took the time to call everyone of them. They were in very early stages and nothing major was happening.
Right now, one is in stage of shedding and havn't eaten but with the calcium he is recovering very good and seem not to have any problems anymore.
The other two I fed today worms with calcium and they stop shaking like they used to.

All is well and thanks for trying to help out :cool:
I also feed them every three days by the way.

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

hey look, I am only trying to help here, and if you don't want to feed a very sustaining food item to your snakes, it's ultimately your decision. I respect it, but i also respectfully disagree with it and am not afraid to say that. I never really got why people have a problem feeding rodents, but can still kill a fish or a worm for their snake with no problems. Either way, you are still causing the death of a living, breathing animal. But I have to say, and play the devil's advocate here, if you have not had this issue diagnosed by a vet (which I know you have stated many times you can't go to) then you also are assuming a little too much (that this is indeed a b1 deficiency) you just don't know for sure, even if you have done projects on the problem. You can speculate and check the list of symptoms all you want but you just can't be sure without a medical diagnosis. I'm not trying to be a jerk! I am merely pointing things out that I say to everyone, across the board, no matter who they are or what their stance on feeding rodents is. My goal is to help the snakes, not help or hurt people's feelings. Feelings are my last concern when animal's lives hang in the balance. Maybe I'm harsh, but maybe that's why some people jokingly call me a sociopath!

[tayler123]

I know your not trying to be a jerk. Thanks for all the information provided! Good to know people care in these forums!
I don't see how you can compare a worm or fish to a mammal, we just have different point of views :)
anyways here are some pictures I promise!
http://i41.tinypic.com/eagsph.jpg
http://i39.tinypic.com/jshaol.jpg
Here is everybody looking up happy to see me! :)

http://i40.tinypic.com/2a99xxe.jpg




Thanks all who have help!

[ssssnakeluvr]

your assuming too much. You have to respect my choice of on mice. I don't like feeding any kind of mammals to any kind of snake.
.
nothing wrong with your opinions...if you don't want to feed mice that's fine, just make sure to give a varied diet.....


on the part about not feeding mammals to any snakes.....don't get any other snakes then.....ALL snakes are carnivorous and eat other animals....a large number of them eat mammals, very large number. stick with small species that feed on worms, slugs, and insects and you should be fine. :D

[tayler123]

Yup! Thanks! :)

[reptile3]

I currently live in cape coral florida, I don't know any vets that will deal with snakes nor do I have the money to :(

Herp Veterinarians (http://www.anapsid.org/vets/index.html#vetlist)

Herp Veterinarians - Florida (http://www.anapsid.org/vets/florida.html)
there is one in your area... I would call & just ask,maybe they can give you payment options.


Herp Vet Connection (http://www.herpvetconnection.com/)
Herp Vet Connection (http://www.herpvetconnection.com/florida.shtml)

looks to be the same Vet as the other site...

Hope your 3 are ok!