Quick Feeding Question

So I just fed my slitherbaby for the first time. He was a very good eater--took out two pinkies(which were probably a little small. I'll go with a fuzzy next time), but he did something that alarmed me slightly. The second one? He just swallowed whole. While it was still alive. He didn't bother with restricting or anything. Just slithered right over to it's head, bit down, started gulping it down. Is this safe? The first one he restricted and did normally, but the second one he just seemed to be like, "Last time took longer and was a waste of time. Again, With FEELING!", but it worried me. I mean, sure, it's a pinky and I don't think it could do much damage, but is this something I should try to prevent, in the future? I don't think he could get away with that with a adult, but what about fuzzies, etc?

Edit: As soon as I get a webcam, I'll be sure to give you guys pics of him. He's absolutely gorgeous--I wound up getting him from Old World Pythons, at Mars.

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Originally Posted by LSama

So I just fed my slitherbaby for the first time. He was a very good eater--took out two pinkies(which were probably a little small. I'll go with a fuzzy next time), but he did something that alarmed me slightly. The second one? He just swallowed whole. While it was still alive. He didn't bother with restricting or anything. Just slithered right over to it's head, bit down, started gulping it down. Is this safe? The first one he restricted and did normally, but the second one he just seemed to be like, "Last time took longer and was a waste of time. Again, With FEELING!", but it worried me. I mean, sure, it's a pinky and I don't think it could do much damage, but is this something I should try to prevent, in the future? I don't think he could get away with that with a adult, but what about fuzzies, etc?

Edit: As soon as I get a webcam, I'll be sure to give you guys pics of him. He's absolutely gorgeous--I wound up getting him from Old World Pythons, at Mars.

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Pinkies ok.. Anything bigger needs to be P/K or F/T for your snakes safty

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Pinkies ok.. Anything bigger needs to be P/K or F/T for your snakes safty

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No offense meant, but this doesn't exactly answer the question posed: My snake just basically swallowed a pinky whole, still alive. Could this do any damage to him? I'm probably going to be feeding live. The snake can and will do the killing on his own. I'm merely concerned about what happened ten minutes ago, when he decided he wasn't going to do the hard work: Is there a possibility that it could scratch him or something? I know that sounds insanely rediculous, but..

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Originally Posted by Freakie_frog

Pinkies ok.. Anything bigger needs to be P/K or F/T for your snakes safty

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I feed my babies up to crawlers(eyes still closed) before i watch to make sure things do not go wrong.Now remember some ball pythons will never eat a frozen thawed rodent(i have 4 lol.You can try to switch them over when they are real young with a greater chance at success.

I wouldn't think it could hurt your snake it should be ok.

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Originally Posted by LSama

No offense meant, but this doesn't exactly answer the question posed: My snake just basically swallowed a pinky whole, still alive. Could this do any damage to him? I'm probably going to be feeding live. The snake can and will do the killing on his own. I'm merely concerned about what happened ten minutes ago, when he decided he wasn't going to do the hard work: Is there a possibility that it could scratch him or something? I know that sounds insanely rediculous, but..

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Your snake will be fine ... it knows what it's doing. ;)

-adam

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LSama

No offense meant, but this doesn't exactly answer the question posed: My snake just basically swallowed a pinky whole, still alive. Could this do any damage to him? I'm probably going to be feeding live. The snake can and will do the killing on his own. I'm merely concerned about what happened ten minutes ago, when he decided he wasn't going to do the hard work: Is there a possibility that it could scratch him or something? I know that sounds insanely rediculous, but..

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If the snake feels things are going down the wrong way he will normaly back off.I have had babies that never bothered wrapping up the rodent.Majority of the time you have nothing to worry about.Wait till he eats one behind end first :eek: ,again this will be ok up to crawler rats.As long as your snake is normaly eating this size that is.

"the stomach acid's should break down the pinkie, and i would not worry" From my kid Sim 11 yr old rat breeder...lol
My monitor eats(swallows) her pinkies whole with out any problems i don't see why your BP would... in short, i wouldn't worry too much about it.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by LSama

So I just fed my slitherbaby for the first time. He was a very good eater--took out two pinkies(which were probably a little small. I'll go with a fuzzy next time), but he did something that alarmed me slightly. The second one? He just swallowed whole. While it was still alive. He didn't bother with restricting or anything. Just slithered right over to it's head, bit down, started gulping it down. Is this safe? The first one he restricted and did normally, but the second one he just seemed to be like, "Last time took longer and was a waste of time. Again, With FEELING!", but it worried me. I mean, sure, it's a pinky and I don't think it could do much damage, but is this something I should try to prevent, in the future? I don't think he could get away with that with a adult, but what about fuzzies, etc?

Edit: As soon as I get a webcam, I'll be sure to give you guys pics of him. He's absolutely gorgeous--I wound up getting him from Old World Pythons, at Mars.

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I wouldn't worry. Usually the smallest prey I feed to my baby balls are big fuzzies, but I am taking care of a baby for a friend of mine that had some bad eating issues. He never ate anything voluntarily, so I had to introduce a prey item into his mouth. If it was anything bigger than a pinky, he would not continue to swallow it. So, I had to force feed him pinkies quite a bit. Sometimes he would go into constricting mode and sometimes he would just start swallowing. Yesterday he ate a fuzzy on his own for the third time. :)