Feeding Dexter...

[michellegrace88]

Hello all! I was hoping someone might be able to help me.... I've had my baby rosy boa for about a month and a half now, and he's been eating fine. However, I've been trying to figure out which thawing method would be best for frozen pinkies. As much as I've read up on these guys, there are some specifics that are NEVER mentioned. i.e) Is it okay that the pinkie appears bruised when i take him out? Is it bad that, whenever I check on my boa during feeding, it seems like he's constricted the guts out of the mouse? What am I doing wrong, and what could you suggest? Any info. will be appreciated and helpful!!! http://reptileforums.com/forums/images/smilies/tongue.gif

[Aaron_S]

For the boa question, it's ok if it looks like that. I have seen rodents eyes about to pop out of the skull while a snake constricts them. You can't do anything about it.

I fill a rubbermaid with hot water and toss my rodents in a ziploc baggy into the water. It thaws pretty quick. I know some people who use boiling water and just toss the rodents in the water without a baggy. That becomes your preference. I can't stand touching wet rodent fur so I use a baggy. It's ok if the pinky looks like it has bruises, it's probably just blood sitting there.

[citysnakes]

your rosy boa seems to have a great feeding response so i would say that you arent doing anything wrong at all.

i let my rodents defrost on a shelf in an area very close to my snakes a few hours before the lights go out. the defrosting rodents prescent the area and almost all the snakes start roaming their enclosures just waiting for food. i then place the rodents in bags and put the bags into tubs of almost boiling water for 10-20 minutes with the tub lids on. they come out nice and warm and ready for my waiting snakes.

hope this helps.

[Smilts]

wierd I hate the feel of dead mouse fur also so I also dethaw in warm water in the baggy in a bowl.

[Chu'Wuti]

I also dethaw in warm water in the baggy in a bowl

Dethaw? I thought that was a Southern "term." Guess it goes farther than I think, unless you're in the southern part of the U.S.

[Aaron_S]

Chu, if you check his location just under his name it says he's from Texas. Unless the Tx stands for a state that I'm unaware of.

[Smilts]

its hard to get further south but yea I think its a pretty southern term of course thinking about it, it doesnt make much since lol

[siz]

I say 'dethaw' and I'm from southern Canada, haha.

[Chu'Wuti]

Chu, if you check his location just under his name it says he's from Texas. Unless the Tx stands for a state that I'm unaware of.

ooops. I stand red-faced and corrected!! Thanks, Aaron! My bad for not reading closely enough!

And it's spread to southern Canada, too? Wow. Ah, well.

Back to the original topic (and my apologies for side-tracking us!)--

Michelle, it really sounds as if things are going along just fine with your boa. Still, I am really glad you asked this question, as I'm learning new things, too!

Julian, I am going to try your idea of thawing near the snakes for stimulating the appetite--maybe it will help with my on again, off again picky eater of a BP!

[michellegrace88]

Thanks so much for all the reassurance and tips!! Everything helps, and I guess I just can't help trying to be a near-perfect snake mom :rolleyes:

I'll get around to putting pictures of him up soon, check him out! :o


And thanks again!!

[Kmef07]

I hated trying to get my bp to feed!!!!! it fed so well for about 5 months then on month six it wouldn't eat i tried for 2 months and could not get it to eat. after the 2 months it ate a mouse i got from a retail store and it was had some disease and when my snake ate it the snake died a couple days later. i found out that the mice you get at local pet stores often are not bred in the best of conditions so i would strongly recommend that you find a breeder that is on a more local scale that you can get mice from. i fed my bp live so i guess not freezing it had more of a risk. my BRB is awesome at eating though and all i do is fill a regular cup up with as hot of water as the tap will get and leave it to soak next to the cage with a paper towel over it for 30-45 mins. be careful not to use too hot of water because that will cause the mouse/rat to cook and then your snake will not eat it......