How Long Can Opossums Go Without Food?

Because opossums are low-maintenance animals, these animals have grown in popularity as exotic pets. You may wonder how long opossums can go without food because the animal is considered beginner-friendly and diets are an important aspect of their upkeep.

Opossums can go several days without eating, depending on what they ate at their last meal. Joeys (baby opossums), on the other hand, cannot survive for long without food and will die within a few days if deprived of food and water.

This article not only tells you how long opossums can go without food, but it also informs you how to recognize a starving opossum, what to do if you find a starving opossum, and what they eat.

Let’s find out everything we can about how long opossums can go without eating.

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How Long Can Opossums Go Without Food?

An opossum can go for several days without eating. However, the length of time they can go without food is determined by the opossum’s last meal. If the opossum eats a large meal, it can survive for several days, and possibly up to two weeks if it has access to water. On the other hand, if the opossum has a light meal and is also dehydrated, signs of health deterioration begin to appear.

There is no exact number of days that opossums can go without food. However, if opossums lack food for an extended period of time, they will suffer from nutrient deficiency. In no time, the effects of starvation will begin to manifest.

It is important to note that baby opossums will die within a few days if deprived of food and water.

How To Know When An Opossum Is Starving 

When an opossum is denied adequate food and water for an extended period of time, signs of health deterioration appear. Look for the following symptoms to see if your opossum is dying:

• Tongue sticking out: Due to a lack of adequate nutrients in its body, your opossum’s tongue may stick out involuntarily. The tongue sticking out should not be confused with when an opossum is hunting for food. Opossums also stick out their tongues to attract prey to kill and eat.
• Slow Breathing: Laboured breathing indicates that your opossum is starving and may have an underlying disease. Veterinarians link this issue to the heart, lungs, or respiratory system.
• Limp body: If your opossum has starved for an extended period of time, it is likely that it will lose weight. Severe weight loss is a contributor to an opossum’s limp appearance.

What Should You Do If Your Opossum Is Hungry?

After confirming that your opossum is starving and the symptoms listed above have manifested, the following steps will help the opossum recover if cared for and catered for immediately:

• If you got the opossum from the wild, isolate it to check for disease signs.
• Provide enough water to the opossum to treat dehydration.
• Provide adequate food for the opossum and feed it on a regular basis.
• If the opossum is not afflicted with any disease or disorder, proper care and attention should be sufficient to get your opossum healthy.
• If there are any other signs of disease, we recommend you take your opossum to a veterinarian.
• Avoid overfeeding your opossum to prevent refeeding syndrome.

What Do Opossums Eat?

Opossums eat almost anything and usually feed on garbage. Because these animals are omnivores, they can eat both plants and animals. Opossums are natural scavengers. Nuts, grass, fruits, insects, mice, birds, worms, snakes, and dead animals are among their common foods.

Is possum the same as opossum?

No, possums and opossums are distinct animals despite their similar appearance. Possums and opossums differ primarily in size and tail length. Possums have bushy tails, whereas opossums have scaly tails.

Final Note

If you have recently captured an opossum from the wild or have recently adopted it as a pet, make sure you create a feeding schedule that will meet your opossum’s needs so it does not go hungry for a prolonged period.