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Fresh dead vs f/t?

With fresh killed you still run the risk with parasites. Even freezing isn't 100% for some things, but it definitely helps out. All of my snakes eat F/T, though when I have to, I do feed fresh killed. I personally would rather not have to kill any animal, but if it is to feed myself or my animals I will do so.
 
Thank you all for your input and information. I will do some more research into the stores source. Glad this did not turn into a "feed live" topic!!

What are signs if a snake has been infected with parasites from mice?
 
I was told loose stools was one and another would eating but losing or not gaining wait but I would have to look that information up to be for sure.
 
watery stools without form I guess you can say. My adult ghost sometimes has loose stools but has no parasites. She got a full vet check up when I rescued her. So that isnt a tell all sign.
 
beautifullywild77 said:
watery stools without form I guess you can say. My adult ghost sometimes has loose stools but has no parasites. She got a full vet check up when I rescued her. So that isnt a tell all sign.
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Maybe I'll get a vet check on her. My first snake and after 1 1/2 years couldn't hurt:cheers:
 
You could always take a fecal sample in to the vet. It doesn't hurt to get them check out but I know Vets can be expensive. We are lucky we found an experience reptile vet that only charges 30 bucks a visit and 10 bucks for fecal tests
 
Twice yearly fecal tests would probably work if you want to continue feeding fresh killed mice. That way, if your snake comes up positive, you can treat it, and know to not go to that source of mice anymore.
 
Very, helpful article beautifullywild. The whole parasite thing is one of the reasons I started my own dubia colonie for my tarantulas. After loosing a couple of very costly specimens. Really want to avoid having anything to do with that mess agian, if it can be avoided. Do you think maybe a small colony of mice, I could probably pull it off fairly easy with the setups I have in the garage, then I would know they are clean and what kind of nutritional value they bring to the table so to speak.
 
beautifullywild77 said:
If it was your colony and you tested the colony from time to time you could have a safe feeder colony.
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I may try that, I think it would be alot cheaper and for me in the long run, and benificial for my snake as well...LOL between you and me defacing the American flag is wrong!!! LOL:D
 
So no one is concerned with satisfying their snakes natural instinct to hunt? Guess I just love my snakes more.
 
David B said:
So no one is concerned with satisfying their snakes natural instinct to hunt? Guess I just love my snakes more.
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If you feed live and don't care about risking your snake's health and life from parasites or bite wounds I just don't see that as love. As far as the "natural instinct to hunt", there is NOTHING natural about living in a box in someone's house. Pets don't live natural lives, or die from things that wild animals do.
Dogs and cats and other pets have a natural instinct to hunt too, why don't we just let our pets kill things then?

Edited to add, David you should do a search under live feeding. It is pretty much frowned upon here, for many reasons. The best snake keepers just don't do it....
 
David B said:
So no one is concerned with satisfying their snakes natural instinct to hunt? Guess I just love my snakes more.
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There is nothing natural about having a snake in a cage and throwing in a live mice run way too many risks. There is nothing natural about having them not being about get away from each other if things dont go right.

My snakes strike and coil around the f/t just like if it was life. So saying you love your snakes more because you feed life is ridiculous and sounds to me like you want a debate.

You might use the search button to see that feeding live is a very heated subject on this forum.
 
I prefer f/t because I find it easy. I can stock up on mice and just open the freezer and thaw when it is time to feed. Not to mention it wouldn't be cost effective for me to feed f/k. I just bought a year supply of f/t for the same price it would cost me to do f/k. They only way I could save more money is if I bred them myself but I would just have a munch of pets then. lol

David B said:
So no one is concerned with satisfying their snakes natural instinct to hunt? Guess I just love my snakes more.
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As already stated nothing in natural about eating in a box and I can give my snakes the same joy by dangling the food just as I would a live one and giving a few tugs of the tail once they grab it. It even becomes a game for a few of them. Then those that are shy eaters and won't eat in front of me I don't have to worry about them getting eaten alive. I have had a snake get hurt while he grab right and it was fast the mouse still managed to get a tooth in my snake while I was watching. It is just not worth it to me. I love my scale babies to much to let them get hurt if I can avoid it.
 
David B said:
So no one is concerned with satisfying their snakes natural instinct to hunt? Guess I just love my snakes more.
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How do you know if you satisfyed it?? What the difference??
All this live feeding talk because it better or natural is just a joke to me.

If the corn snake will die because it won't eat nothing else beside live, That's the only reason to feed live.

Simple as that.
 
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So no one is concerned with satisfying their snakes natural instinct to hunt?
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What about satisfying their natural instinct to not live in a box in your home?

Seems that if you're all about satisfying their natural instincts, then you wouldn't be keeping Corns as pets in the first place.
 
David B said:
So no one is concerned with satisfying their snakes natural instinct to hunt? Guess I just love my snakes more.
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Hunh. I guess I should be releasing mice and rabbits in my home for my cats and dog to hunt and consume, because it would satisfy their natural instincts. And I guess it was wrong of me to neuter them, because I suppressed their natural instincts to fight, mark territory, and procreate. And I should give them fleas, so it satisfies their natural instinct to scratch at fleas.
 
David, it's your choice entirely. These people always say same thing because they feel sorry for the mouse, they're on a propaganda mission of some kind.

If you're aware of the risks, go ahead and feed live just make sure the snake is ravenously hungry. And if these folks get their panties in a bunch don't waste your time, I'm amazed how this doesn't get old for them.
 
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