Feeding in the enclosure and substrate ingestion

[jmiles50]

So, I've always fed my animals outside their enclosure in a specific feed box. I've heard both arguments about why you should and shouldn't feed in the enclosure. My issue is they're on orchid bark, and I'm wondering if anyone has had issues feeding on orchid bark and it causing an issue like impaction?


J.Miles

[jmiles50]

Anyone???


J.Miles

[The Serpent Merchant]

I've yet to hear of an actual case of impaction caused by substrate ingestion. Is there a risk? Yes, but it is a minor risk at best.

[anatess]

Are you feeding F/T? If so, if you dry out the rat before offering, the bark have a lesser chance of sticking to the rat. But if the feeding tub is working out for you, then you can just keep on doing it.

I feed in a feeding tub because I feed live rat and I have a fancy vivarium that has lots of rat hidey places and I don't really want the rat to poop and pee in my snake house and I don't want the rat to chew up the decor... Been doing it since 2008 without issues.