Advice please

[lauwersp]

My two wonderful garters have been very happy for a year now. This morning, however, I awoke to find my smaller with his/her head tilted. She also is usually jumpy at being handled but was the most docile I've ever seen her. I picked her up but her head keep rolling and her body naturally follows so I would describe it as slowly twisting.

She was completely fine (from what I could tell) yesterday.

Advice please.

And thank you everyone.

[guidofatherof5]

Coulkd be serious serious. A Vet. visit is my suggestion.
What have you been feeding? Any suppliments?

[lauwersp]

Minnows... and I'm going to get some supplements today.

[RedSidedSPR]

Wow. I have no idea. But it looks bad.

[RedSidedSPR]

Minnows... that could actually be the problem. (i used to feed minnows, than i learned they are bad) But don't go by me.

[guidofatherof5]

Sounds like Thiaminase poisoning.
B1 deficiency. A Vet visit is needed ASAP.
Needs B1 injections if it's not too late.
B1 deficiency many times doesn't show until there is no hope of recovery.
Supps. at this point might help but injections of B1 will ad recovery even faster.
I don't report being a Vet. but simply took the information of its food and symptoms you described and drew a likely conclusion it was B1 deficiency.
Keep in mind or other snake has been eating the same food
Best of luck

[lauwersp]

yep... and the other one eats more minnows than this one... i guess i have to source baby mice... and of course vet and vitamins asap

[guidofatherof5]

I think the evidence supports that conclusion.
Minnows/goldfish as a main food source is not good.
Please keep us posted on your friend.

[ConcinusMan]

I have to agree that this sounds like neurological issues which can be caused by late stage B1 (thiamine) deficiency. This isn't good at all. A vet would be needed to determine if that is indeed what it is and there is a small chance he could be saved with B1 injections.

The only other possibility is an inner ear infection but that doesn't seem likely considering what he's been eating and the fact that inner ear infection doesn't usually happen unless there's been some kind of injury.

I've seen snakes born with "twisting motion" from severe inbreeding, and baby snakes born with a head tilt which later improved, but that's not the case here.

[infernalis]

Try offering fresh cold water.. dehydration does weird things too. it's worth a try.

sometimes they will refuse their own water bowl even if it looks fine to you.