Thinking about feeding LIVE? Welcome to the Live Pile - Page 16

tinkerbell · #**301** (**permalink**) 07-02-2009, 08:14 AM

I am new to the site and just finished reading all of the posts in this thread. I never really thought about feeding f/t until I started talking to people about buying snakes. As a teenager my brother owned ball pythons, he bred his own rats and he fed live prey. He never left them alone, and he got bit a lot "teaching" them to eat head first. I never did understand his theory, but it was how he did it.

I now own 3 snakes and foster one all eat f/t and I wouldn't have it any other way, It did take some convincing to make my husband understand that feeding live is very dangerous, and several people have talked to him about it and made him understand that it is not good for our snakes.

I am very glad to see a post like this...it gives very good information on what can happen when you feed live.

keithalw · #**302** (**permalink**) 07-13-2009, 06:47 AM

I was told live was better but to kind of knock them out. weird thing is i just posted a thread askin a few more questions and feedin was one of them. this thread has changed my mind totally i will never do live again

louise · #**303** (**permalink**) 07-13-2009, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by keithalw

I was told live was better but to kind of knock them out. weird thing is i just posted a thread askin a few more questions and feedin was one of them. this thread has changed my mind totally i will never do live again

then this thread has served its purpose

Vinny · #**304** (**permalink**) 07-13-2009, 12:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by louise

then this thread has served its purpose

Yes it has..

Mad Snake Keeper · #**305** (**permalink**) 07-14-2009, 10:15 AM

Wow. These stories and pics make me feel absolutely sick. How could someone do that?? It's just not fair!!

As of last week, I converted my last snake to f/t!

I am soooo happy. The last one to convert was actually the first snake I acquired; a fussy ball. She would eat nothing but live for two years. I closely supervised all live feedings very closely and removed the rat when it appeared to become agitated.

In conclusion, I greatly prefer f/t to live, but if I have to feed a snake live, I have no problem as long as it is supervised.

louise · #**306** (**permalink**) 07-14-2009, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mad Snake Keeper

Wow. These stories and pics make me feel absolutely sick. How could someone do that?? It's just not fair!!
As of last week, I converted my last snake to f/t!

I am soooo happy. The last one to convert was actually the first snake I acquired; a fussy ball. She would eat nothing but live for two years. I closely supervised all live feedings very closely and removed the rat when it appeared to become agitated.
In conclusion, I greatly prefer f/t to live, but if I have to feed a snake live, I have no problem as long as it is supervised.

you cannot watch close enough to stop a bite to the head or take out an eye. it happens in a blink of an eye.

Rachel SS · #**307** (**permalink**) 07-14-2009, 04:55 PM

I just want to post up a picture of one of my old rescues that got attacked by a live rat.

This is what happened even though the old handler stepped in an "pulled the rat off the snake"

Rats are sharp and quick and have big teeth.

Katie M · #**308** (**permalink**) 01-17-2010, 05:07 AM

I didn't realize it had been so long since there was a new post!! Well, this isn't my story - this is my friend Janna's story. I will place a link to her blog on iherp so you can read the whole deal, but here are the pictures of her latest rescue. It was left with a live rat for 2 days.

kellymack515 · #**309** (**permalink**) 01-17-2010, 05:14 AM

Oh god. That poor baby. I just want to tear the heads off people who do things like this.

Sakara · #**310** (**permalink**) 01-17-2010, 05:23 AM

omg Katie, that's terrible

I'm so glad you have her now... That makes me hurt that ppl would do that to any animal

BTW... I talked to my Sergeant buddy the other day, the one with the burmese... And he's still feeding live, but I told him that I will give him a few rabbits to try, frozen... And he did say that he is going to start trying frozen... He always thought it was cool to watch the burm "hunt"... But he's realized, after the snake got bit by a large rat, that it's not such a good idea... It's sad that it took a bite to realize that, but I'm glad he is finally taking the step to frozen

Katie M · #**311** (**permalink**) 01-17-2010, 05:27 AM

I don't actually have her, a good friend does - I forgot to add the link to her blog on iherp - iHerp : Online Husbandry, Community, Tracking, Reptiles, Photos, Tracking, Breeding, Snakes, and More!

I know that Janna is one of us (I need to get her over here!) and does the best she can by all of her snakes

zsanorah · #**312** (**permalink**) 02-01-2010, 08:54 PM

I am posting this for a friend who unfortunately found out first hand why its bad to feed snakes live food (yes I educated them before hand).
A female 5ft redtail who is kept in a 5L x 3ftw x 3ft deep enclosure, temp and humidity are correct.
She eats on schedule and hasn't had problems before this.
The wounds: (sorry ive yet to see the snake, this is what ive been told)
Bad tail damage, scabs have formed. The snake has been soaked, wounds cleaned and pain-free neosporin has been applied.
Mouth wounds of some sort. Snake can open mouth, some swelling but no visible infection.
All debris have been removed from the wounds and the wounds have been cleaned.
My friend is in the process of gathering the money for a vet trip but with the economy has been hit hard. Can you please (with out flaming) tell me what the best course of treatment at home would be in the mean time.
My friend is extremely upset over this and wants to do the best she can in the mean time, any advice would help. And yes, she is switching all snakes to F/T
There will be pictures and more details to come

love_kcdillas · #**313** (**permalink**) 02-01-2010, 09:10 PM

I need help feeding f/t! My dwarf boa is very stubborn. Can anyone help me?

Sakara · #**314** (**permalink**) 02-01-2010, 09:18 PM

zsanorah that's terrible to hear. but sounds like everything other then a vet trip is being done.

and love, if you start a new thread we can help you there. some just take time but I have never had a boa that hasn't switched. even after others telling me it would only eat live

let her go a couple weeks withough food and make sure you dangle and wiggle it

TammyJamaica · #**315** (**permalink**) 02-01-2010, 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by love_kcdillas

I need help feeding f/t! My dwarf boa is very stubborn. Can anyone help me?

Instead of trying to go cold turkey (or "Cold Rat") to start with going from live, just kill the rat and make sure it's dead, then feed it to the snake. Next time, if this worked, you can try F/T again. Takes patience but it's worth it!!!

love_kcdillas · #**316** (**permalink**) 02-01-2010, 09:34 PM

I started a new thread...here's the link
Failing at feeding f/t

Tammy: How do I pre-kill?

Sakara · #**317** (**permalink**) 02-01-2010, 10:14 PM

you kill the rat, lol... break it's neck or hit it against a wall.... sounds mean, but better then hurting your snake

Artistry Exotics · #**318** (**permalink**) 02-04-2010, 07:15 AM

Sorry for not getting over here sooner. Thanks Katie for posting Ophelia's pictures and a link to my blog.

Ophelia still has a long road ahead of her, but she is healing up well. Our vet is very impressed with the progress she's made in the time that I've had her.
She had three rounds of Ceftazidime injections, and as long as she continues to heal, she hopefully won't need any more. I've been applying Silver Sulfadiazine cream once a day, and twice a week she gets cleaned with Betadine. Her superficial wounds are pretty much all healed up now, and even the deeper wounds have closed up a lot. If some of the deepest wounds are still having trouble closing after another week or so, the vet and I have discussed closing them surgically. I haven't attempted to feed her yet (vet and I thought it would be best to wait), but she's just started shedding, so I'll try to get her to eat a pre-killed rat once she's through. Hopefully she will take a rat (almost all of my other snakes take F/T rats, so it'd be easiest for me since I don't have other frozen feeders "in stock"), but if not, we'll try mice, soft-furs, gerbils.. whatever it takes. One thing is for sure though - she will never see another live rodent again!
Here are some progress pictures taken 1/30/10 two weeks after intake:

For more (as well as the progress pictures at the 1 week mark), please view the "Ophelia update" blog I posted on iHerp here.

Sakara · #**319** (**permalink**) 02-04-2010, 01:41 PM

poor baby

I'm glad she has a good home now

Katie M · #**320** (**permalink**) 02-04-2010, 06:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Artistry Exotics

Sorry for not getting over here sooner. Thanks Katie for posting Ophelia's pictures and a link to my blog.

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Welcome Janna!! Be sure to post in the "check-in/check-out section" so people can know all the good stuff about you

Soooooo glad to hear Ophelia is doing better!!! I had no doubt she would, I mean, she couldn't have asked for a better nurse!!

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