feeding live rats

[wolfy-hound]

The only thing that happens if you re-freeze it is it gets a little more squishy. Nothing bad happens other than that though. But don't do it more than once or you might start getting a load of bacteria in the rat/mouse/whatever's gut cooking up.

That "squishy" is the guts deteriorating due to the deomposition process beginning.

[Rhasputin]

That "squishy" is the guts deteriorating due to the deomposition process beginning.

No, actuallly. The 'squishy' is the ice crystals from being frozen several times, tearing the cells of the body apart.
It happens with meat and veggies too. Try putting a green onion in the freezer, and see how mushy it turns, it's because it doesn't have the 'strength' to withstand the ice crystals when it's freezing, and as they grow, they rip the onion to pieces (microscopically).

[gardenfiend138]

No, actuallly. The 'squishy' is the ice crystals from being frozen several times, tearing the cells of the body apart.
It happens with meat and veggies too. Try putting a green onion in the freezer, and see how mushy it turns, it's because it doesn't have the 'strength' to withstand the ice crystals when it's freezing, and as they grow, they rip the onion to pieces (microscopically).

Regardless, re-freezing a defrosted and heated prey item is not a 'best practice' in keeping reptiles.

[Rhasputin]

Regardless, re-freezing a defrosted and heated prey item is not a 'best practice' in keeping reptiles.

Of course not.
But times is hard!

[gardenfiend138]

Ewww last night I ripped off my first rat tail doing a c/d :-[
Thankfully the one tug did it!

[Robonarc]

I feed live and I've never had any problems before. But tonight the rat gave her a little nip in the back of the neck. She's not dripping blood or anything but I can see a little bit of red. Is there any reason to be worried or will this heal up on it's own?

[Salodin]

I hear shedding helps heals those things. It's probably like any other animal, the skin will heal like normal over time, but the scales won't be repaired of damage until it's shed and replaced.

[JChristine23]

Ewww last night I ripped off my first rat tail doing a c/d :-[
Thankfully the one tug did it!

What's a c/d and why did you rip off the rat tail? I'm introducing my BP to a f/t rat on Monday. Just wondering if I am missing something.

[Robonarc]

What's a c/d and why did you rip off the rat tail? I'm introducing my BP to a f/t rat on Monday. Just wondering if I am missing something.

C/D is cranial dislocation, basically breaking the rats neck. Pin the rats head to a table with a ruler or something and pull the tail to break the neck. I'm surprised the tail would come off but then again I've never tried it. I don't have the stomach for that, I'd rather let the snake do the killing lol.

On another note my snakes wound seems to have healed. I got a bottle of Betadine and now I can't even see where she got bit.