Quote Originally Posted by Snakey Lakey View Post
This is a very interesting discussion. I try to feed my Wandering Garter snake as varied a diet as I can, but I still worry about thiaminase and thiamine deficency.

Sometimes I feed thawed cut up bits of frozen Bluegill. The Bluegill has been in the freezer so long that it is rather freezer-burned, almost like freeze-dried. When reconstituted with water, is this safe to feed? Or should I just throw the Bluegill out.
Frozen fish is safe and nutritious for six months. Bluegill is free of thiamin. Therefore, fish caught in August/September could be fed until February/March. With a little planning, you can cover almost the entire year. Depending on when you provide brumation for your snakes, you could begin again with fresh Bluegill early in the spring.

Sometimes I feed a few (not many, and not often) bites of Tuna that cling to the can when we make Tuna-salad, is that ok?
Tuna has a problem that is different from thiaminase, but similar. Tuna is known to be deficient in vitamin E. Further, Tuna is packed in salty water or oil. I would not feed canned tuna to my snakes. However, if Tuna is known to be free of thiaminase, and if you have access to affordable sushi, you might feed raw tuna once in a great while. (Raw salmon is free of thiaminase, and is the staple fish that I use for feeding).

Three times I have fed about a half-dozen bites of canned cat food cut in half, after our cat has lapped up the liquid and rejected the solids. Is this safe?
I have fed cat food to a baby that refused to eat, but I would strongly advise against it on a normal basis.

In the past this snake has also eaten bits of beef, beef-heart, chicken, frozen-thawed jack-rabbit, and partially canibalized mouse fuzzies.
raw meats and mouse parts are typical diets for garters.

The stores that sell goldfish and rosy reds are well over one-hundred miles away, so I do not feed those very often, and worry the whole time about thiaminase. Maybe stores should consider selling bluegill, crappie, pumpkinseed, or other sunfish fry as safer feeders.
All of these species are thiaminase safe, but the fry will have spines in their dorsal fins, which would be dangerous for the garter to ingest. strips of bluegill would be safe, but not available as a live food, of course.

I saw on the list that Anchovies contain thiaminease; but what about the canned variety from the grocery store? Presumably, they were cooked during the canning process. One can of Anchovies and one can of Sardines have been sitting in the refridgerator since before my father passed on, three years ago (no one else in the family eats them). Could I offer them to my garter, or should I just throw them out?
Canned anchovies/sardines contain oil and are smoked. They are not safe for your garter due to the flavorings that are added during processing.

To keep your bluegill from freezer burn, freeze each fish in a ziplock bag that contains water. The water will encase the fish, and prevent dehydration from the freezer - this will make them last the six months you need to have a supply most of the year.