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Puncturing pinks.

princess

princess

Cornaholic
kathylove said:
If you need to get rid of some large rodents, you might consider puncturing the belly to speed digestion. Connie Hurley did an experiment with baby corns and pinks. The ones fed the punctured pinks grew more rapidly, so it would probably help with adults eating large meals as well. I feed mostly f/t "holey pinks" now to my babies.
Click to expand...

Can someone give a run down on how this is best done with F/T of various sizes. Do you cut deeply or just make little slits? Should they be slashed up thouroughly or just a couple of times.....This is such a gross post...I'm ashamed of myself!!!

For anyone wondering...this has sprung forth from this thread...

http://www.cornsnakes.com/forums/showthread.php?t=17189
 
I've started to do it with small mice and just make 1 staight slit between the front and rear legs once they have thawed. It does seem to work though and i will be continuing with it.
 
I found mostly that you just need to get through the skin barrier. Puncturing into a cavity helped minimally, but had very little advantage over just putting cuts in the skin. I personally put 2 - 3 cuts over the back. This avoids accidentally puncturing the thin body wall of the abdomen and having messy feedings. Just through the skin, over the shoulder blades, back, and pelvis.
 
I just started doing the cuts with my last feeding. I have a small pair of cuticle scissors just for this purpose. They make perfect little angled slits very easily in the skin.

One question, do you do this with adult mice too for the adult/yearling snakes or just hatchlings?
 
I do this personally with all of my feeders, mice and rats. It's amazing how quickly the food bulge goes down compared to when I don't.
 
I am COMPLETELY sold on this.

I've been doing this for well over a month now (maybe 2), and have DEFINITELY noticed a difference. He seems to be more regular (but that could come with growth), but it's the lump that sold me. It goes down FAST. I don't even follow the 48 hour after feeding rule anymore, and I used to wait sometimes 3 days. If the lump is gone after 24, I'll let him sleep in my lap or in my hand (he'll stay curled for hours) but I'm still careful to put him back if he gets too active (just to be safe).

I just take a pair of scissors and make 5 or 6 little cuts into the skin around the sides, back, and top of the head, like Hurley said. The point is to allow the snake's stomach acids to enter the mouse so it doesn't have to break down the skin first.

Just my opinion but everyone should do this. :)

Edited to add: Please do not cut up live mice.
 
Wow

The theory behind it is so logical...What a brilliant idea!!!! I'll deffinately start this method up when I get home. Thanks for your posts everyone!
 
Another thought...

If the snake's digestive juices can get in and start the breakdown a bit faster this way, I guess it would be a great method for helping along problem digesters (regurgitators) if you can speed the whole thing up and move that little mouse along.
Has anyone looked into possible problems from the mouse being broken down too quickly. I know in other creatures, various nutrients are broken down and absorbed at various points in the digestive system so would the fact that the mouse is quite 'unrecognisable' by the time it leaves the stomach make a difference on a molecular level????
I've cleaned up some poops in the past that are digested but perhaps not brilliantly, so you can still make out teeth, fur, etc....and no it was most deffinately not a regurge..100% sure it was a poop.
 
I don't have a control group like Hurley did, but I am cutting all of the feeders now except my amels. She doesn't need any more help digesting! She's growing fast enough :) I am going to measure my hatchlings regulary and see how their growth compares to my other two that I already had.
 
shouldn't have spent so much time away. missed some really helpful and interesting posts. will start trying this method as well.
 
Hurley said:
I found mostly that you just need to get through the skin barrier. Puncturing into a cavity helped minimally, but had very little advantage over just putting cuts in the skin. I personally put 2 - 3 cuts over the back. This avoids accidentally puncturing the thin body wall of the abdomen and having messy feedings. Just through the skin, over the shoulder blades, back, and pelvis.
Click to expand...

Ever since I read the article Hurley wrote in the "Something About Corns" Newsletter showing her findings fromm this experimentation...I have been doing the same with ALL my feeders. The digestion rate is simply AMAZING. I can't wait to see the increased growth rate without having to OVERFEED my snakes. They all seem to prefer it as well...all of my snakes have been much more aggressive eaters since I began this method.

I just went to the local drug store and bought a $0.99 pair of fingernail scissors. They are extremely sharp and just the right size to make a good cut without overcutting. I also put several (usually about 4) cuts perpendicular to the spine running from the back of the neck to the tail.
 
I have also been doing this to my pinkies as well. I had a problem snake (regurges) and since I have been cutting the skin 4-5 times, I have had no problem with the regurges.
 
I just can't resist... Would one want to use pinking shears to do this to pinkies???
:roflmao: :rofl: :laugh01:

Sorry its been a loooooongggggggggg week!
 
dang, i just fed my corn within the last 5 minutes. Should have cut him because it was a large one. And as well as letting the stomach acids in, it prevents bloating.
 
Dont go cuting live pinks. Guts can come out. This can cause vital nutrients to be lost. Also, it's just plain painful, and It may cause the pik to die and stop moving, which your snake would not like.
 
Patm---this thread is over 3 years old. Please stop dragging up old threads that you come across while searching---it really serves no purpose.
 
Ooops... That little box at the bottom titled similair threads is so evil... that's how I end up with all these old threads.

I'll make sure to check the date more often.
 
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