My yearling BP eating a HUGE RAT

[Armiyana]

if a neighbor put out poison for them then your snake would have eaten that too.

Never ever feed a wild rodent to your snake.

I saw a dog get poisoned by thier owner because outdoor dog was catching the poisoned rats from the owner's garage when they tried stumbling away. Not a pretty sight with the bleedout.


Would have the same concerns with the reptiles.

[Sunnieskys]

I would get a fecal done now. As good as you intentions were, they can cause serious harm to your snake even dead. Bag up some poop and take it to the vet for a fecal. And watch your snake closely now.

[Ladybugzcrunch]

Rat poison is effective for mammals, not birds and I am guessing not reptiles. However, that rat is way to big and could cause your snake big issues. At least skip two feedings. And yes, that rat has parisites which may or may not infect your pet. Yes you have more rats. You’ll want to get that under control before winter. Rats pee as they walk and do transmit disease to people. Put out rat poison. Buy the logs and thread a wire through it. Attach the wire to a brick or something heavy. Be sure other pets like dogs can not get to the poison. They love it too. Do not put poison outside as it will kill all the squirrels and othe non target critters. Just one bite is my favorite rat poison. Amazon has it cheapest. Good luck to you.

[Nz2500]

nice... the reactions on this thread sure ruined this guy's week.

(not disagreeing with any of your critism/"advice" but by reading some of your posts you'd think it was the end of the world)

Now he is probably freaking out over a possible rat infestation and/or thinking that now his ball python is on deaths door, unless it get severe medical attention NOW.

Guys, alittle subtlety can go along way.

[hilabeans]

nice... the reactions on this thread sure ruined this guy's week.

(not disagreeing with any of your critism/"advice" but by reading some of your posts you'd think it was the end of the world)

Now he is probably freaking out over a possible rat infestation and/or thinking that now his ball python is on deaths door, unless it get severe medical attention NOW.

Guys, alittle subtlety can go along way.

If your neighbor's house was on fire would you give them hugs & kisses and ask about the grand kids before telling them? Couple of big red flags in OP's post that needed to be addressed swiftly.

OP - appropriately sourced and sized prey and you're good to go.

[Bogertophis]

Generally it’s a bad idea to feed your snake wild animals. If you have no way of verifying that animal is free of disease, parasites or poison, don’t risk it. Ever. Unless you have your own lab to do blood tests or X-ray vision, you can’t judge that by just looking at an animal.


Good luck. Hope your snake will be okay.

This ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ I'm in total agreement, I'd NEVER feed a wild-caught rodent to my snakes for all those same reasons (diseases, parasites, or carrying a less-than-
lethal dose of poison & other contamination), you cannot possibly tell by looking & it's very risky for your snake. Hope you remember to get the stool checked by a
vet in the future. Also I'm not a fan of feeding super-sized prey....hope your snake is OK.

[Nz2500]

If your neighbor's house was on fire would you give them hugs & kisses and ask about the grand kids before telling them? Couple of big red flags in OP's post that needed to be addressed swiftly.

Not my point and you know this. I agree with all the advice, BUT you guys dont need to be so Melodramatic.

[Bogertophis]

The other concern I would have is about you, KFG_Reptiles: you risk all sorts of disease just by handling that rat to feed your snake, things like leptospirosis,
not to mention they nearly always have fleas that can jump off in your home & cozy up to you or other warm-blooded pets. ("Do you feel lucky?" Well, do ya?)
I'm betting you never thought of that... just about getting rid of a pest & saving money on snake-food. It's not worth it, sorry.

[hilabeans]

Not my point and you know this. I agree with all the advice, BUT you guys dont need to be so Melodramatic.

Oh nonsense, everyone was perfectly fine. Peeps need to have a bit of discernment when reading written replies since tone is nearly impossible to translate accurately. You can read drama into it if you want to or just take it for what it is - firm advice by way of safety warnings.

I betcha OP is totally ok.

[PitOnTheProwl]

This. Wild rodents are often riddled with worms. Also as was pointed out rats live in colonies and if a neighbor put out poison for them then your snake would have eaten that too.

Never ever feed a wild rodent to your snake.

This right here....