Refused meals.

[Elise.m]

So, Snickets and Wiggles decided to gang up on me today and not eat. I think Snickets didn't eat due to low temps last night. We turned our heater off (Got worried about Carbon Monoxide) and the one time we do that in weeks, she decides to hang out in the cool hide. That's the only reason I can think of why she didn't eat. The lowest it could have gotten would be 70.

Wiggles seems to be going through a temper tantrum. Hissing, bad shed, one retained eye cap... He was fine up until today, I went to go change his tub and he wouldn't let me. Kept hissing and blocking his body so I couldn't pick him up.

So, I'm left with a medium rat and a small rat. The medium rat is ok, seems to be acting like a normal rat (Cute bugger too). The small one I'm worried about. I put him in Micron's tub at first, and he found the first crook he could and stayed there. Micron wasn't interested in him, so I switched the rat with Wiggles cuz his was moving around alot more. Micron took his rat almost instantly, Wiggles still didn't.

I'm wondering if there could possibly be something wrong with the rat since two snakes refused him. He's very lethargic, doesn't move much at all really. The rats at the store weren't in very great condition. I saw a dead one in the racks (already decomposing) and also one that had patches of lost fur. Now I know NOTHING of rats, so if someone could help out that would be fantastic!!!

Never thought I would be worried about the health of a rat, but here I am. If he's suffering I'd feel so bad, and would like to end his misery somehow.

[kc261]

He's very lethargic, doesn't move much at all really. The rats at the store weren't in very great condition. I saw a dead one in the racks (already decomposing) and also one that had patches of lost fur.

Ew. I'd be looking for a new place to get your feeders. Remember this is the ONLY source of nutrition your snake gets. Would you want to eat a diet that consisted only of wilted vegetables, meat products that came from animals already half-dead before they were slaughtered, etc?

In my experience, lethargic, not moving much mice or rats die soon. If none of your snakes will eat it, you might want to find another way to euthanize it.

Another possibility is to take it back to the store and demand your money back.

[wilomn]

Ew. I'd be looking for a new place to get your feeders. Remember this is the ONLY source of nutrition your snake gets. Would you want to eat a diet that consisted only of wilted vegetables, meat products that came from animals already half-dead before they were slaughtered, etc?

In my experience, lethargic, not moving much mice or rats die soon. If none of your snakes will eat it, you might want to find another way to euthanize it.

Another possibility is to take it back to the store and demand your money back.

Probably not going to go over well with the store.

I'd just whack, toss it and find a new supplier.

If they look that bad in the store who knows what they look like at the breeders. This can go either way though, they may be good from the breeder and get sick at the store. Or not.

Still, I know there are folks out your way that breed. Check with Mike at Isis Reptiles. I think he's still breeding rodents. Some damn fine snakes too, though not any balls that I know of.

[Elise.m]

He actually breeds them there. It's a reptile shop, that's kinda like a store. I guess I should have called it a shop.

I'm looking to switch them all to frozen, but don't want to do it until I get back from Vegas in two weeks. And when I do that, I'm going to be ordering off the internet.

I'm going to keep this lethargic rat for a week, or 5 days. He's too big for Wiggles, and since Micron ate yesterday I have no one to feed him to. Too small for Snickets.

I'll check out Mike, thanks Wes.

Thanks for the replies, I appreciate it!

[Elise.m]

Just an update.

I was watching Wiggles last night, and saw him realign his jaws. I saw him show interest in the rat yesterday, but I think he was intimidated by the size. I went and got a mouse just now, pre-scented, offered, and he took it.

So, now I'm almost convinced that there is something wrong with the small rat. The medium rat, I don't think there's anything wrong with him, just Snickets being picky, and/or the temp drop messed with her. We've been having crazy weather, so I'm sure the ambient temps dropped a little overnight. They're back up though.