Reptile & Amphibian Forums

How long can a Garter snake go without eating?

My snake hasn't eaten in a week (he's on a goldfish/guppie diet) and I took him too the vet, and he said I should start force feeding him...and I want to wait till my snake sheds (he's going to shed in about 2 days) because I don't want to frighten him while his eye is cloudy, and tramuatize him even more.

First it depends on the size of the snake, and the temperature. A big garter can go a long time between meals. A week is nothing, after a month I'd start to worry. Babies should eat more often, but after a good meal they certainly aren't going to starve in a week. Of course, when hibernating they go months without food. Also, many snakes stop eating pre-shed. See if its appetite comes back after it sheds. Does the snake look thin? Not slender and sleek but actually shrunken? Force-feeding is traumatic, and is a last resort since not eating is a sign of some health problem that needs to be solved first.

My snake's weight is about 20 grams (length: 14 inches), temperature 75F. My snakes just started getting signs of pre-shed, even then, they would still eat, but maybe they changed? My snake is getting thin, when I hold him, he is starting to slightly flatten out. I know how traumatic force feeding can be, that's why I'm kinda waiting till they shed, because I really don't want to put them through that.

A fourteen inch garter could be left without food for a week with no effect. The question is why it wouldn't eat for a week if offered food. An unusually large meal might satisfy a snake that size for a week. And as I said before, snakes often go off food a few days pre-shed. I wouldn't be too worried yet. As for the temperature, ideally you want a gradient so the snake can move from place to place and regulate its temperature itself. Proper temp is particularly important for digestion. I try for 85 at one end of the enclosure and 75 at the other. Another thing to consider with garters is that sometimes they decide they are ready for brumation regardless of your intention. Sometimes you can coax them out of it, sometimes its better to hibernate them if they're determined. The only time I've had force-feeding do any good is with snakes that wouldn't eat because they didn't recognize the food they were being offered as prey. After a few times they adjust to new scents and take food on their own. A previously feeding snake that quits could have a disease, injury, intestinal blockage, etc, and force-feeding won't help and may hurt. A really starved snake will shrink to the point that the scales on either side fold into ridges. At that point its in trouble. Wait a few days and see what happens.
L'Chaim

At least for your reptiles. That one may know dogs and cats, but to tell you to force-feed your snake after just a WEEK without food (and showing signs of shed) is just plain ignorant.
The other posts all make good points: A week is nothing at ALL to worry about. Many snakes will go off feed when getting ready to shed. And MANY snakes will slow WAY down this time of year, regardless of temps (I think if the light they are exposed to is "natural" light ---ie, from a window--- they are responding to the shorter days)
How long can they go? Months, if they are healthy. One of my little garters (the size of yours or smaller) went 3 months last year without eating. Started right about this time of year, and after 2 months I put him in the basement (dark & colder) for an additional 3 weeks. When I brought him back up, he started feeding within the week...Slamming everything I put in front of him. His feeding response was so strong that I was able to make the switch to pinks with no fuss. Both my garters have been feeding like pigs all summer long, and, guess what? The one who went on a hunger strike last year at this time has not eaten in 2 weeks and the other one has not eaten in over a week. Am I worried? Heck no! Some of my ratsnakes are doing the same thing.
The first year I kept snakes, I about freaked when they would go off feed. Now I expect it this time of year. Good luck and keep us posted. Duffy