HELP Rats too BIG!!!

[Mochelem]

Ok I just went to the pet store and bought a Rat for the one snake that wont eat frozen and I bought one thats too big, she killed it just fine but shes having trouble getting it down, her neck is stretched so far it looks like its going to rip and shes not even past the front shoulders... What should I do?

If she does manage to get this thing down should I skip a feeding?

[FatBoy]

In my experiences if she can't get it down she will back off. I would not skip a feeding, I would offer and if she doesn't eat then so be it.

[Samuel]

I would think that if it was too big .. she will stop. I don't think it is something I would worry about waiting to feed her again though. Go get one the right size, and let he at it. She is obviously hungry if she is trying to fight that thing down right now.

I am no expert .. but that is how I would handle it.

I had my snake do this to me once before. I thought there is no way he is going to get it down, but that's when he used his back end to wrap around the mouse and stretched it out and gobbled it up.

[zues]

Just leave her alone. If you keep bothering her she is less likely to eat it. If she is in a high traffic area put a towel over the cage to make it dark.

[Mochelem]

She managed to get it down but she looks like she ovulating right now, also she didnt curl back up in her hide like she usually does she all stretched out....

Poor girl, dont know what I was thinking.... The rat looked smaller in the store....

[kc261]

I don't know about skipping a feeding, but after a super big meal I would wait an extra day before handling just to be sure... 72 hours instead of 48.

[ViciousBliss]

if she's stretched out she's just digesting, don't worry... just let her digest and leave her be for a while and she should be fine

and ETA i agree with kc261 about waiting an extra day before handling!

[frankykeno]

Just keep an eye on her, give her extra days before you mess with her and see how it goes.

Back when we had only a couple of snakes and bought our live prey from a pet store I used to use my own hand to measure with, as in, I need a prey as big around as this or that using my own hand as the measuring instrument. It really helps since pet stores don't put a warning on their rodent enclosures..."rats may be bigger than they appear".