Re-freeze

[Horde]

Hi

My snake didn't eat tonight...I think it was stressed caused by yesterday vet visit where they removed a tick. I'm going to try again in 2 days.

I put his food back into the freezer, how many of you would do the same thing?

Good idea? Bad idea?

Any info would be great.

Thanks!

[cinderbird]

personally, i'd wait 5-7 days, and not 2. and i wouldn't reuse the rodent. It really depends on how long it was out and stuff.

[mrshawt]

I don't think it's a good idea to refreeze regardless of how long it was thawed for. Think about it, it's a decomposing body you are heating up. Yay bacteria.

[NorthernRegius]

personally, i'd wait 5-7 days, and not 2. and i wouldn't reuse the rodent. It really depends on how long it was out and stuff.

Good advice! If it was thawed & you heated it, you'll want to pitch it out. Those belly walls get awful thin from heating & the next try may have them bursting on ya... eeeK!

[cinderbird]

Good advice! If it was thawed & you heated it, you'll want to pitch it out. Those belly walls get awful thin from heating & the next try may have them bursting on ya... eeeK!

omg the exploding mouse syndrome. That alone would keep me from re-offering a thawed rodent. what has been seen can not be unseen!

[ctrlfreq]

I put his food back into the freezer, how many of you would do the same thing?

Good idea? Bad idea?

Not a good idea... When water freezes, it forms crystals, and the slower it freezes (like say because it's in the body of a rodent), the larger the crystals. These things are like razors, which cut through the cell walls, shredding them from the inside.

The net effect is your re-thawed feeder will literally fall apart because the cell structure can no longer support it's own weight.

[Fallout32]

Not a good idea... When water freezes, it forms crystals, and the slower it freezes (like say because it's in the body of a rodent), the larger the crystals. These things are like razors, which cut through the cell walls, shredding them from the inside.

The net effect is your re-thawed feeder will literally fall apart because the cell structure can no longer support it's own weight.

While definitely true, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The more the cells that are broken down the easier the feeder is to digest. Now if the rodent has been thawed for any longer than it takes to offer it (such as leaving it in the cage and walking away) please throw it away. When something is dead, decomposition starts very fast.

[Fallout32]

Forgot to add: It's not like a frozen mouse or a rat costs very much at all anyways. so imho better safe than sorry

[Horde]

thank you all!

I had 2 pinky's ready for him, so I threw them both out. I will try again Sunday. I can tell he's hungry, but for whatever reason he didn't take it. I can only guess that the vet visit set him off a bit. I will take everyone's advice and feed him Sunday.

I did notice that the pinky's did look different than the ones I have feed him in the past. The previous one's were pink, where these one's looked red! Does this seem strange to anyone?

[piper]

thank you all!

I had 2 pinky's ready for him, so I threw them both out. I will try again Sunday. I can tell he's hungry, but for whatever reason he didn't take it. I can only guess that the vet visit set him off a bit. I will take everyone's advice and feed him Sunday.

I did notice that the pinky's did look different than the ones I have feed him in the past. The previous one's were pink, where these one's looked red! Does this seem strange to anyone?

A ball python should not be eating pinkies. They can be started on rat fuzzies. Eyes not open yet and fur beginning to grow.