Silv still not eating...

[Ryachanira]

So I have been trying in vain to get Silv (my recently rescued young garter) to eat since the last time he ate, last Friday (a week and a half ago). I have tried numerous methods, foods, times, and lightings for these feedings, and still no luck. I have tried worms cut and whole in his main tank (which is what I got him to eat originally), worms cut and whole in his feeding box, minnows and guppies in water bowl and flopping in a small bit of water in feeding box, whole pinky scented and dangling from tongs, cut pinky dangling from tongs, and my most recent attempt: pinky and worm cut up together in a sort of mush, in the feed box.



Wow, and I thought the live food was gross... this was so much worse. I am honestly proud of myself for making it through without getting ill.

Anyway, I know that snakes go for a long time without eating and he is not super thin and all, but of course it is a bit concerning, especially with him still being new and healing from his head wounds and such.

I was just wondering if there are any more ideas I haven't tried, or should I just keep trying with the things I already am? Which is usually the most successful? I assume that he would be hungry since he hasn't eaten in 11 days? Also, I would assume he is not trying to bruminate since he is still very active and exploring his cage?

Thanks!

[guidofatherof5]

The only thing I can think of is to back off. That's a healthy looking snake and probably knows what it is doing.
It might be time to let the snake be in charge. Waiting a week between attempts will hurt nothing in my opinion.
A short brumation period might just be what the snake is after.
We also don't know what that injury is doing to Silv.
I think you've done a great job caring for Silv

[Ryachanira]

Okay, I will try to back down a bit more. I had gone a few days before trying until tonight, and I felt bad not feeding him when I knew he hadn't eaten for awhile. I am going to make such a crazy mother someday, haha. I will be the parent that worries their kid is dying every time they sneeze. Even though I will be a doctor. Heh.

If he does want to bruminate, what signs do I look for and what do I do for him? I kind of hate the idea of sticking him in a fridge for a month when that head wound is still healing. Again, that might be the crazy mother in me. Plus I would miss him... he is a sweetie.

And thanks for your final comment - I am doing my best! I sure have learned a lot more about snakes than I ever planned to in the past few weeks.

[guidofatherof5]

Silv may be showing you he wants brumation time.
It doesn't have to be a fridge. A cool to cold(never close to freezing) place in the house might work fine.
I have too many snakes for my fridge. I'm scouting out a cold area in my basement that might work.

[ssssnakeluvr]

he may need to be brumated (hibernated). a month in cool temps since he is wild caught should help. make sure he eats nothing for 2 weeks then put his cage in a cool area in the garage or somewhere where temps will stay in the low 50's. check on him regularly as he will still be a little active. keep fresh water for him. then after 3 or 4 weeks, start warming him back up. that should kick in his appetite. some snakes will go into this state normally and won't feed. if this happens they need to be cooled...if not cooled, their metabolism won't slow down and they will starve.

[Ryachanira]

Okay, a couple more questions about the brumination. After I posted last night, I went to move Silv into his main cage and I think he may have eaten just a couple pieces of the worm/pinky goop. It was kind of hard to tell, and I am really not sure. I know that he needs to have not eaten for two weeks, so should I count the two weeks starting last night then, just in case? I obviously don't want him to have rotting food sitting in his tummy...

Second, do I need to cool him down slowly, or just stick him in his designated cold spot?

I think I may plan on trying to feed him next Tuesday, monitoring him to make sure I know whether he eats or not for sure, and if he does not then plan to cool him down in one more week after that. If he does eat, then good. Does that sound like a good plan?

I will start searching for a good cool spot for him!

[guidofatherof5]

If there's any chance he's eaten you must wait the 2-3 weeks. If you're wrong about him eating and you brumate him, it could cost him his life.
I chill my snakes outside their enclosures for a couple days then into the fridge.
I think the cool down time varies from different keepers.
This just what I do.

[Ryachanira]

Okay, I will definitely wait at least two weeks then.

I have a thermometer in my unfinished basement to see what the temp is down there, if it is the right temp I will just move his cage down there for 3-4 weeks assuming he doesn't take a worm next Tuesday. If I start by just not turning on his lamp for a few days his cage should drop to around 65ish and then I can move him to the basement.

Thanks for the advice!

[Ryachanira]

Okay, hopefully this will be my final question on this subject. Sorry for being so needy, I appreciate all of the help!

The basement is too warm (65, I was surprised), as well as the garage (60). The garage should of course cool down as the temp outside drops over the next two weeks, but just in case, I have a quick question about the fridge idea. Is there a minimum size of cage he needs for that, since obviously his whole 15 gal won't go in the fridge? And what all does he need besides the water - just that and perhaps some sort of hide? Although I have to say he has NEVER used the hide he has now, he prefers chilling at the top of the cage in his vines. Also, I just stick him in and check on him like, once a day, keep his water fresh - I don't need to do anything else for him during this time, correct..?

I am still crossing my fingers that he will eat on Tuesday, but if not it looks like the 23rd is brumination time for Silv!

[Ryachanira]

Update: Tried feeding Silv another scented pinkie last night, no luck. Some of the people I talked to at the KC Reptile Show said to leave him overnight in the feeder box with the pinkie, which I did... but this morning I swear he was cuddled up to the darn thing, haha. Anyway, then he started roaming around and was not interested in the mouse at all... so it was wasted and went into the trash.

Tonight I am going to leave him overnight with a worm in the feeder box, and if he does not eat it we will go ahead and start bruminating him next Tuesday. I think the garage should be a good temp by then, so hopefully I can just stick the whole cage out there for a few weeks.

Overall, he is still active, still super friendly, and his head injury appears to be healing up nicely. I can still see blood in both of his eyes (barely any in the good looking eye, quite a bit in the bad eye), so I am wondering how long it will take his immune cells to clear that up, hopefully soonish. But overall I think he is doing well. I am still amazed at ho much personality the little guy has!

I will let you know how the worm feeding goes tonight.