Can you feed off rats that have growths?

double post?? sorry

Op,
growths could be due to as you guess an infection or a genetic issue or an environmental contaminate. To my mind I'd not feed a rodent with a massive infection bacteria are can have funny effects some times and I'd not want any large colonies with my snake. Genetic is likely fine as it is just abnormal. An environmental cause I'd also not feed off as what ever was strong enough to cause a visual mutation in a rodent might be strong enough to effect your snake.

As you cannot be sure which it is no I'd not bother to save a few dollars the risk (slight but still there) is not worth it.

Thank you all. I have read a great article on growths in rats at http://www.ratfanclub.org/abscess.htmland it looks like a puss pocket. According to the article it should heal on its own. So I am going to feed off some of my slightly smaller rats and let the abscess rats continue to grow and heal and see what happens.

I really hate seeing them die for no reason. Food is fine but other than that it bothers me. :)

For the rat you need to aspirate the abscess. Take a needle and probe it, or if you have a small scalpel make a very small incision in the lump. If pus comes out, then you know it's an abscess or a cyst. You can continue to squeeze it out, and treat the wound.

If only blood comes out it's cancer or a hematoma.