Laxative?

[cheryl]

Good evening;
Question...are nightcrawlers a natural laxative for snakes or am I dealing with coincidence here? I took my injured/sick garter to the vet because I was afraid it was going to die, and wanted to know if I was needlessly prolonging it's agony by keeping it in captivity. When I had started treating the spots as the vet had instructed it became quite obvious that we were dealing with a significant, deep injury. It ate a goldfish, but had been in the crate for over a week and hadn't pooped. The vet looked him/her over and thought he looked somewhat better than it had in the pictures. He clipped the ends of some sort of bone-like structure that was protruding from the wound and I got more of the antibiotic cream for him. The next day I saw his mate eating a nightcrawler in my garden. I caught one and fed it to 'Baby'. He loved it. The next day he pooped. I gave him another one this morning. You guessed it...worked again. You have mentioned feeding them trout. I have some rainbow fillets in the freezer from our last trip to the hills. Would it work? Anything else easily available in small town SD?
Thanks for your help!
Cheryl

[KITKAT]

Hi

Yes, I have found earthworms to be a natural laxative for garters.

Goldfish are a problem food, but only if you fed them frequently. It is best to avoid goldfish. Acceptable fish feeders for garters include the following:

Rosey Reds (small pink minnows sold in pet stores)
Bait store minnows called "Crappie" minnows
Strips of trout
Guppies (sold as feeders in pet stores)

I would suggest freezing all fish for 30 days before feeding, thaw the fish in a container of warm to hot water, then place on a dish with a few drops of water around them to keep them moist.

[ssssnakeluvr]

worms aren't exactly laxatives....they are mostly water so they digest fast and pass....make lots of mess!!!!!