Nothing like a verbal assault from Petsmart....

[Jay_Bunny]

If we have an animal that won't eat frozen we have to try and once we see frozen won't work, if im not mistaken we have to have a veterinarian "prescribe" live food. Or at least that is how I was told it works.

I will write a longer reply tomorrow when I am on the computer.

[Rhasputin]

At the very least, any snake should eat pre-killed.

In the UK it's against the law to feed live animals to snakes. The law says you can't 'Cause the animal any un-necessary harm' and specifically, you have to euthanize the animal first, or it goes through un-necessary pain according to that law.

[BbyBoa]

At the very least, any snake should eat pre-killed.

In the UK it's against the law to feed live animals to snakes. The law says you can't 'Cause the animal any un-necessary harm' and specifically, you have to euthanize the animal first, or it goes through un-necessary pain according to that law.

I deff. see what you are saying, and I think it is much easier to feed F/T, but in the states a lot of times if you don't start your snake on F/T then getting him or her to switch can be a huge pain, especially if you have a picky BP. I know a lot of people that don't want to risk switching when there snake that just cost a few thousand dollars isn't eating because they don't like F/T. The easiest thing for them to do in that situation is just toss a live in. Really even is same concept even if your snakes are not top of the line and expensive. You can probably make the switch eventually when its been a few months and your snake is absolutely starving, but not many people want to put themselves or there snakes through that unless there is no other option.

[SNIKTTIME]

At the very least, any snake should eat pre-killed.

In the UK it's against the law to feed live animals to snakes. The law says you can't 'Cause the animal any un-necessary harm' and specifically, you have to euthanize the animal first, or it goes through un-necessary pain according to that law.

Sorry couldn't disagree with this post more.
If "at the very least, any snake should eat pre-killed" then explain why almost every snake breeder feeds live?
Also what the UK does, doesn't mean it's what we should do either. NY city all boas and pythons are illegal, maybe we should follow those laws also.

[Rhasputin]

Why would I have to explain why anyone feeds live?

I'm saying there should be no trouble getting any snake to eat pre-killed food.


My neighbor breeds ball pythons, and he was convinced his snakes would never eat pre-killed. But I gave him some, because I don't sell live as food, and his snakes took to them just fine.

Some snakes don't like F/T and with good reason, but pre-killed shouldn't be a problem for any reptile.

[dr del]

Hi,

In the UK it's against the law to feed live animals to snakes.

No it isn't.

This comes up fairly often even in the UK though. It is illegal to feed one live animal to another for the purposes of entertainment though. So all those youtube videos of idiots whoopping and cheering on the action would result in prosecutions.

It is illegal to mistreat any animal or withold vetinary treatment from an animal you know requires it. So if you bring home a live feeder animal you would be wise to have an enclosure suitable for it along with food and water in case it gets refused - but that holds true everywhere as simply common sense.

I'm not saying the RSPCA or SSPCA are exactly happy about it and might ask you some questions about procedure etc but it is most definately legal to feed a live rodent to your snake.

The problem with this is the RSPCA couldn't find their bum with both hands in their back pockets in regards to reptiles 99% of the time.

It may be worth noting however that the reason I wince every time I read a post telling someone to bash a rodent over the head or put it in a pillowcase and swing it against a wall is that, over here, you would be charged with animal cruelty and every single animal you own confiscated and rehomed.

And it would be years before you were allowed to own any animal again - if you ever were at all.


dr del

[Rhasputin]

The problem with this is the RSPCA couldn't find their bum with both hands in their back pockets in regards to reptiles 99% of the time.

It may be worth noting however that the reason I wince every time I read a post telling someone to bash a rodent over the head or put it in a pillowcase and swing it against a wall is that, over here, you would be charged with animal cruelty and every single animal you own confiscated and rehomed.
And it would be years before you were allowed to own any animal again - if you ever were at all.

Indeed.

[BPelizabeth]

Jay Bunny...your store was not always that way. I remember when you first started working there and the beardies were being underfed. I must say good on you for getting their reptile care under control.

Bottom line if they don't want to sell to you...they don't have to. However with that being said...going through that many channels to pick up 2 mice is a bit over kill and quite frankly insulting. But I have to say....that was a great line...."were they born that way". My husband and I laughed our booties off.

I feed live and will continue to feed live!!

[Jay_Bunny]

I will probably switch to feeding 100% of my snakes live soon (when I begin breeding my own) so I'm definitely not against feeding live at all.

BPelizabeth - Yep, I whipped my co-workers and managers into shape! We now have fat happy beardies.

[BAMReptiles]

even breeding your own, you're still better off feeding pk as opposed to live. i have hundreds if not thousands of rodents born every month and not 1 of my over 50 snakes HAS to eat live, they will ALL take pre-killed. if they take pk or ft there's no reason to feed them live, especially to switch them over to it. you're just asking for your snake to get hurt.