Hey guys,

So today i attempted to feed my bp Roxy a rat. She didn't really want to move but she was ready in strike mode the whole time for the rat to get close. The rat got close and she struck but it jumped back in time and she missed. She stayed ready and waited ... and waited (it took awhile), but then the rat came close enough and she struck again. She managed to get it's neck and coiled around it. The rat was fighting back and I went in with the tongs to try and put then in its mouth so it wouldn't bite her. While holding it's mouth the rat continued to struggle and all of a sudden Roxy semi-uncoiled and the rat broke free and ran to the other side of the tank. Roxy stayed motionless so i touched her to make sure she was alive (she was thank god), but she was clearly discouraged and started looking for her hide. I removed the rat and took a closer look at Roxy to assess damages. She is not bleeding and she is slithering fine, however, she is very scratched up. I think she uncoiled because the rat was scratching her face too aggressively. I wasn't able to grab the limbs at the time as they were under her. Her face has a lot of lifted scales and her one eye is cloudy. I have seen her move both eyes but one is more clear than the other. Her body is pretty scratched up too but nothing too severe from what i looked at. To be honest i'm far more worried about her face. I checked her shed cycle and she is 28 days ahead, but her injuries and behaviour semi-suggest that perhaps she is shedding or preparing too. She doesn't display any noticeable shed-cycle features though (i.e. red belly, dull colour, lifted scales to the touch, foggy/blue eyes).

My question now becomes:

1. Should i 'get rid of' the rat and get a new one for her (perhaps this one is out of her league or maybe she is too discouraged)?

2. Should i do something ahead of putting it in the tank with her (e.g. stun it, make it dizzy etc.)? <---- I don't judge i know a lot of people who use the stun method by knocking it on the head but I will say that this would be very hard for me to do because i love all creatures

3. Should i feed her as normal again and just hope it goes well?


If anyone has experienced this or has had a similar situation I'd love any input or advice you might have. This is the first time something has 'gone wrong' during feeding so it was just a bit scary for me and I know BPs are tough but i worry for my little girl ... well not little per se - she's 7 now

Thanks for all your help in advance