Filtering water? Reissued meals? [Moved from FAQ (sorry bout that!)]

[jaxom1957]

Tap water often contains chlorine and fluoride that can be harmful to your snake. It is recommended that you at least dechlorinate tap water or bottled water.

What is your opinion of Britta/Pur water filtering pitchers? I use a Pur pitcher for my own drinking water, and use the same, allowed to warm to room temp, for my snake.

If the snake refuses the rodent for any reason, remove it and offer it on another day.

What is your opinion on re-freezing pinkies a snake has refused? I was afraid that the pinkie would become freezer-burnt and unappetizing, so I kept it in the fridge for just one day and then threw it out when the snake refused it again. How long is a thawed pinkie still safe to feed if kept refrigerated?

 

[JTGoff69]

#1, How long was the pinkie out at room temp?
#2 Are you offering it every day?

Answer to #1, more than a few hours, throw it out.
Answer to #2 don't offer items every day, they will become disinterested. Wait til the next scheduled feeding day.

 

[jaxom1957]

#1, How long was the pinkie out at room temp?
Answer to #1, more than a few hours, throw it out.

#2 Are you offering it every day?
Answer to #2 don't offer items every day, they will become disinterested. Wait til the next scheduled feeding day.

1. Pinkie was thawed to room temp by putting sealed baggie in cup of 130F water for ten minutes. It was offered to the snake for 20 minutes. I was afraid to let it cool for much longer, in case that affected her digestion. 'Gummi' ignored the pinkie the entire time. As soon as I put Gummi back in her (just found out Gummi was a her today!), I put the pinkie back in the bag and put it in the fridge. After Gummi turned up her nose at it again the next day, I disposed of it.

2. Gummi just came from PetCo (Please refrain from chastising me for getting a hatchling at PetCo. I plead youthful ignorance and throw myself on the mercy of the court.), and had her last meal almost a week prior. The day after she refused to eat the pinkie the second time, she ate TWO, one right after the other. That was Thursday, and I will feed her again next Thursday, as I want her on a one-week schedule if possible. I'd rather alter feeding portions and keep her on a schedule than alter feeding periods.

Thank you for the reply!

 

[Old World]

Hi, if i were to put the pinkies into a ziploc kind of bag, then put another one around that would it lessen the amount of freezer burn on the pinkies? thx

 

[jaxom1957]

Hi, if i were to put the pinkies into a ziploc kind of bag, then put another one around that would it lessen the amount of freezer burn on the pinkies?

I think freezer burn is caused by the food partially thawing and then refreezing, so I don't know if double-bagging would help. I have a lot of 2" x 2" ziplock baggies that I use to store body jewelry, and I plan to drop a pinkie into each one and then put those into a larger bag. It will be trial and error by first to figure out how many I should need for one week's feedings, but that is what I would like to store together.

I figure if I have a week of food in each bag, I can pull one out of the freezer a day or two before I feed, let it thaw slowly in the refrigerator, and the finish warming up the way I do now. I use hot water from the tap (mine runs between 130F and 135F), put the pinkie baggie in a mug, weigh it down with a spoon and fill the mug with hot water. Within five to ten minutes, it's body temp.

Some articles I've read say that corn snakes will eat carrion they come across, but I am really hesitant about giving the babies anything that has been at room or body temp for more than an hour. I am too exited about having them to risk them in any way.

 

[Old World]

Good ideas, i think ill do that once i get my snake, it sounds like it will work fine

 

[Old World]

Oh, i want to know if it matters what time you feed the snake, during the day? Or at night when they are more active. But i can imagine that it all depends on the snake

 

[jaxom1957]

Oh, i want to know if it matters what time you feed the snake, during the day? Or at night when they are more active. But i can imagine that it all depends on the snake

From everything I've read so far, corns are most active at dawn and dusk, so those are probably the best feeding times. Most people aren't out of bed by dawn (though I often haven's gone to bed by then), so dusk is probably best.

Truthfully, I doubt if it matters all that much to the snake. I don't think a hungry snake will turn down a meal just because Mother Nature hasn't rung the dinner bell yet.

 

[jenkva]

Hi jaxom1957!

Regarding the water, I don't think it makes any difference whether it is filtered or not.

It is better to feed your snake at night as they are nocturnal and are more active during the night.

What I personally do is to defrost the food in hot water and offer the food to the snake when still warm. If the snake does not eat it, I leave it overnight in the viv on the top of a container or papertowel (never on the substrate itself!!) If it is still not eaten by the morning, I put it back in the freezer for next time (at least 5 days gap). I put it back in a normal sandwich bag and then newspaper around it and then in a container.

Also, if you have a hatchling and feeding it pinkies, you should be feeding it every 4-5 days, not every 7 days as the smaller the food item is, the less nutritious it is.