rat question

[pretzelpretzel]

okay soo I went to go thaw out a rat for Pretzel the other night. Usually it takes about 2 hours for a rat to thaw out for me, but after two hours I checked on it and it was still pretty frozen. (this was a larger one than usual so that is probably why). I didnt have time to wait for it to thaw out longer (it was 2 am at that point and I had class in the morning) so I threw it back into the freezer. Is it still safe to feed? Ive heard that if you let it thaw out it starts to grow bacteria and what not.

Also another question.. Ive heard that at some point you dont feed your ball python every week, like when there fully grown. How do you know when that is?And then how often do you feed them, once a month? Ive had Pretzel for about a year now and got him as a baby @60 grams, now he is around 800 last time I weighed him. He is on small-to-medium rats.

[pkcconstrictors]

Just look at the snake. Does he look fit, and muscular. Or is he starting to look fat behind the jaws (like a sausage).

[Sonny1318]

That prey size seems a little big, especially for a male. If that’s actually what he’s eating regularly, maybe you should start to stretch it out a bit in between feedings for sure. Just my advice.

[Bogertophis]

If that rat was still really cold & you re-froze it, it's likely just fine...it's mostly when they closer to room or feeding temperature that you want to avoid.

You may find it's a little more mushy (quality loss only but still safe) when you re-thaw it, but I'd say it's safe to feed (unless it smells spoiled, of course).
And I'm pretty fussy about this stuff...that was probably me "on the soapbox" warning about bacterial growth. Even if a snake in the wild might eat
a dead rat in a similar state because they are desperate, they may have developed a better immune system to have survived so far...or maybe it doesn't
work out so well for them health-wise, but we never know, do we? So I prefer to error on the side of caution for my pets. Just my ...

BTW, the best way to thaw a large rat quicker is to change the (cool) water about every 20-30 minutes. In winter our cold tap water can use a little warm
water added just so it's not SO cold. But I hate thawing large rats...they do take a while anyway.

[RickyNY]

okay soo I went to go thaw out a rat for Pretzel the other night. Usually it takes about 2 hours for a rat to thaw out for me, but after two hours I checked on it and it was still pretty frozen. (this was a larger one than usual so that is probably why). I didnt have time to wait for it to thaw out longer (it was 2 am at that point and I had class in the morning) so I threw it back into the freezer. Is it still safe to feed? Ive heard that if you let it thaw out it starts to grow bacteria and what not.

Also another question.. Ive heard that at some point you dont feed your ball python every week, like when there fully grown. How do you know when that is?And then how often do you feed them, once a month? Ive had Pretzel for about a year now and got him as a baby @60 grams, now he is around 800 last time I weighed him. He is on small-to-medium rats.

I always wondered the same thing when my royal was a baby, but he self-regulates his eating.
I too was feeding every week until he was 880 grams and a year old (I keep weight and feeding records), and then he stopped eating for over a month. When he resumed eating I tried to feed every week but he would refuse every other rat, so I went to every 2 weeks and he never refuses a meal now.

[Bogertophis]

I always wondered the same thing when my royal was a baby, but he self-regulates his eating.
I too was feeding every week until he was 880 grams and a year old (I keep weight and feeding records), and then he stopped eating for over a month. When he resumed eating I tried to feed every week but he would refuse every other rat, so I went to every 2 weeks and he never refuses a meal now.

They let you know, pretty much it's about a year old when you'll have better luck lengthening the time between meals. It's also because the size rodent they're eating
has increased...it takes longer to digest & this is true for any snakes, but ball pythons are in a class by themselves when it comes to making 'rules for their owners'.