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Feeding my Snake DISGUSTING Frozen Mice

B

Bones

New member
Hello,

I have an adult corn snake which I feed frozen mice. I don`t like feeding it (I don`t know if it`s a boy or a girl) live animals because I am an animal lover. The last three times I have purchased frozen mice for my snake, they have been in disgusting shape. It looks like whoever the pet shop is buying these frozen mice from, is taking a sharp tool and sticking it between the eyes of the mouse and killing it that way.

First of all, I don`t agree with that because I know there are more humane ways to do this. I know they are needed because snakes and other reptiles need food too. But I don`t like the thought of a mouse being stabbed between the eyes just because a snake needs to eat. Because they have been stabbed, when I cook the mice they smell rotten (like old hamburger meat), and sometimes leak wattery pussy blood after they start to defrost. It is disgusting.

Last night I fed him the last mouse I had. It was the most disgusting one yet, out of the three pkgs (When buying them I couldn`t see the mice without opening a sealed box - that`s why I didn`t know their condition until after purchasing). Anyway, it leaked out watery blood in the package and ended up soaked. When dropping it into the tank, I thought it looked pretty weird. But I threw it in anyway. My snake grabbed it and started to back up very quick with the mouse in his mouth. As he was backing up, the side of the mouse burst open! Sending blood and guts all over the tank, all over my snake, all over his heat rock.

I don`t know what to do about this. First of all, I do not know a lot about what they do to kill the mice but obviously they are doing something wrong. I have had my snake for a few years now and when buying frozen mice before they were never like this. I am also wondering what I should do about the blood and guts in his tank and all over him. I want to clean him/it up, but now that he is in feeding mode I'm not sure if I should do it now or wait a few days.

If anyone has any suggestions for me as to what I should do (when I should clean that up, and if I should complain about the frozen mice or not) please let me know!!!

Thanks
Kevin
 
I'd definately have spoken to the shop after the first dodgy mouse! Have you looked at buying 50 adult mice on one of the online rodent supppliers?
 
No I didn't know you could get them online! I may look into that if I can't find decent frozen ones anywhere.
 
Even with factoring in the postage, it works out far cheaper for me to bulk-buy. Because I breed a fair few babies I order a few hundred small pinks, large pinks, then I sell most of my babies so I order fuzzies and hoppers 100 at a time, and so on. For 1 adult snake I'd definately just order 50 or 100 adult mice.
 
Apart from the gross mice thing... are you actually *cooking* them, as you've stated?? :S
Also, heat rocks are NOT safe for snakes!! Your poor guy (or girl) could easily get burnt on those.
I know there are other members on here who agree with me. I would strongly suggest changing your heat source!
 
I put the mice in a bag and put them in hot water. I let it sit for about 4 minutes.
Why would it be any unsafer then the mat?
 
Bones most heat mats are outside of the tank and on thermostate to make sure the glass never gets to hot for the snake. So the snake is never in direct contact with the heat source.
 
Ya... everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, I have read about corn snakes in several *updated* books and online readings (so basically anything within the last couple of years) has voted AGAINST hot rocks!!
I personally use a heat bulb right now, which forum users also seem to vote against, but will be switching to a heat mat on a thermostat because I won't around to control the temperature.

I don't know if 4 minutes in warm water is actually cooking the mice, which would be bad if it was. Cooked mice can actually make your snake very ill. But, a lot of people also put it in warm water, so I don't know. Just thought I'd raise a little heads-up! I just leave mine on the counter in a baggy to thaw for an hour or two.
 
My goal is to defrost the mouse so that my snake isn't forced to digest a rock of flesh. I don't actually "cook the mouse"
 
Yeah, that's really disgusting, and in the hundreds of mice I've fed, I've never seen one like that! I get mine from RodentPro, but have also bought from petsmart/petco when I ran out, and there's was expensive but fine. Their mice are killed with CO2 I believe, so there isn't any visible blood and definitely no exploding mice. The rotten smell is weird too.

As for the heat rock, I would also recommend against it. Heating pads can certainly get too hot, but if you have a thermostat, it's always the perfect temperature! Thermostats and heating pads can be bought at pet stores. Good luck!! :)
 
I'd just order online. Far cheaper, and they last as long as they don't get freezer burned. Ditch the heat rock; I can't think of a single herp those are good for.
 
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