Breeding Rats That Have Been "Vaccinated"?

[Xotik]

I was looking in to possibly starting breeding a few feeder rats of my own. I looked into it a bit - picked some color patterns that I liked (I would only be getting two or three adults, so the adults would be largely pets) and read up on breeding.

I mentioned it to an acquaintance, and she mentioned she had two females that she didn't have time for - and volunteered to give them too me, as long as I didn't tell her if I fed them off.

She was the second owner of these two rats, and she found out from the original owner that they had been "vaccinated." The original owner doesn't know what they were vaccinated for, other than that "it was to prevent them from being used as feeder rats." I asked her what she meant - but she just kept repeating that. Even after me telling her that there isn't a "shot" that could keep a snake from killing a rat.

I'm wondering if maybe a regular run of the mill shot like rabies is poisonous to snakes? If I breed a "vaccinated" rat, and feed off the babies - are there any forseeable complications? I'm mainly in this for rat pups - for my two 119g and 130g babies. If the pups are toxic - the babies would be hit the hardest I'm assuming, because they are so small and young.

Sorry for the rambling, but does anybody have any idea, with the limited information I have?

Should I pass over them just in case? (Leaning towards this, or just taking them as pets)

[satomi325]

I personally don't think vaccinated rats will make a difference. It won't pass onto the babies. When you vaccinate a female dog, its not going to pass onto the pups. They're still susceptible to whatever disease. The pups would still need vaccines themselves. So yeah. You should be fine with that pair.

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[Foschi Exotic Serpents]

I've never heard of this at all.. It sounds like a scare tactic to me. You couldn't give a rat a live virus vacc anyway. I don't know of any vet in their right mind that would. It would be a dead or what they consider "half dead" virus if someone actually talked a vet into vaccinating a rat. Then the body finds it, builds antibodies, destroys it, and it's gone.

The only thing I can think would be dangerous are the lingering chemicals that are in all vaccinations but again, I really don't know why anyone would vaccinate a rat. What would they need to be vaccinated against?

[youbeyouibei]

You might ask a vet, if you could find one that wouldn't charge you an office visit for the inquiry. That, or just do like you mentioned and take a pass on them. Around where I live an adult female rat of breeding age goes for $5.00 or so from a pet store and for a lot less from a private feeder/breeder. If $10.00 is the cost of some peace of mind, I'd take a pass on them rather than risk them actually having something that could injure or kill your snakes, remote as the chance may be.

[Rhasputin]

Sounds like a load of bull to me.

If you're worried about it, just don't feed the two adults. If there was something wrong with the 2 adults from a 'vaccine' then the babies would be safe, because it wouldn't be passed on.

[Xotik]

Thanks guys! I didn't want to assume that anything wouldn't be passed on.

I've asked a few friends who had rats strictly as pets if they had them vaccinated, and I'm getting a resounding, No. I'm guessing it's just a scare tactic as well. Covering my bases though.

And I wish the breeders here were that cheap- ours run around 10-15 depending on if you go to petsmart/petco or if you go to our amazing local petstore. Granted, I'd rather spend 15 there than 10 at the other places. And as far as I know, there aren't any breeders in my area.

[wolfy-hound]

I've heard similiar things from the sellers because they don't approve of anyone feeding a snake their natural diet. It's complete bunk. Most of the time you can't trace the info back to a source, and if you do, I'd bet they'd have to pony up a apology because it was pure lies.