Mouse w/ poss. RI - safe to feed?

[icygirl]

I suspect the mouse I bought for one of my balls may have the early stages of a URI. I don't hear any popping/crackling but he has been sitting in one place breathing rapidly. Is it safe to feed a mouse with RI to a snake - can they get an infection by ingesting it?

[littleindiangirl]

No, I dont think it's a problem. I know this is such a big deal for some people, but predators prey on the sick and dying. One sick mouse isn't going to hurt him in the long run.

If that store continues to sell you sick mice, I would look elsewhere or switch the snake to FT. I do believe that a higher nutrition food source is the best for your snake in the long run, and sick after sick/dying mouse just doesn't have the same quality as feeding home grown well fed mice.

[MarkS]

Most diseases (not all, but most) are pretty species specific. I always feed off the sickly looking ones from my rodent colonies. Never had a snake get sick because of it.

[icygirl]

Thanks to both of you for the reassurance. I usually do try and pick out healthy mice, but sometimes I misjudge. It's Petco, so there you have it.