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Se7enS1ns
Yearling
United Kingdom
354 Posts |
 Posted - 09/04/2012 : 00:43:47
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An interesting, and very gross attempt, at a feed tonight...
So I pick out a rat from the freezer, pop it in a freezer bag, and place it on top of the vivarium where its warm, as I do every week. Came to get the rat out a little while ago, and noticed there seems to be a fair amount of blood around its arse end, and a little around the nose too. The rat also seemed very "fluid" around the stomach, like a furry bag of water - also it seemed to smell pretty bad. I was considering binning it to be on the safe side, but then thought that maybe that's just how some rats are, and figured if it wasn't up to scratch, Ifrit would probably turn his nose up anyway, so no harm, no foul, and all that jazz.
So I pop the rat in the feeding box, and go get Ifrit. He didn't seem quite as keen as normal, had a real good sniff around the rat, but eventually struck at it and coiled around it, then started swallowing it from the head end, so I decided to leave him to it and went to go watch telly whilst keeping one eye on him. About ten minutes in, and I hear this fairly loud(ish) low "pop" noise, so I go to look in the box, but couldn't see a great deal as Ifrit was partially coiled around the rat, but his jaws were down to the shoulders of the rat. I did notice that the smell had got a lot stronger though, and there was a suspicious pool of water under Ifrit - I figured he'd split the rat. It happens I guess, but this time it was different, it wasn't just split, it had exploded!
Another ten minutes or so and I could see Ifrit was looking to get out of the box, which is usually him telling me that he's all finished. I went to go pick the box up, and was greeted by the sight of the destruction - Ifrit had regurged the portion of the rat he had got down, so the head end was soaked in blown liquid, and the entire stomach of the rat had burst wide open with its guts, blood and poo strewn around the box - it had burst so spectacularly (if that is the right word) that the rat was almost in two halves with just it's spine and a bit of flesh holding the two halves together. Ifrit seemed rather pleased with himself however, despite the scene of destruction and the fact that he was covered in rat slop - in fact he didnt want to go back in the vivarium! The aftermath in the box was horrific to the point where I was wretching a little at the sight and smell - the feeding box was put in a bin liner and slung straight in the outside bin. Absolutely no way I'm cleaning that mess up - I'd only just bathed Ifrit yesterday too!!
Just hope this doesnt put Ifrit off rats, I only managed to switch him last week. Why did this happen?? Bad rat, bad thawing technique? I've had smaller mice feel very soggy, and I've had a rat split slightly also, but nothing like this!
Is it possible to give your snake food poisoning from incorrect thawing? |
www.royal-balls.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/dandavisreptiles |
Edited by - Se7enS1ns on 09/04/2012 01:09:53 |
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ShadEO9
Yearling
United Kingdom
126 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2012 : 12:09:09
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When i first read the title of this thread i was waiting for another microwave defrost attempt disaster lol
I have never experienced anything like this myself, And it does sound pretty gross for both you and Ifrit.
Maybe it was built up gas inside the rat, Or maybe some sort of stomach infection unknown which had built up inside the rat.
I think something like that would be the sensible explanation as to why Mr Rat went BOOOM!
Lemme know how your next feed goes. I hope this will have little if any affect to Ifrits appetite. |
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n/a
deleted
7384 Posts |
Posted - 09/04/2012 : 12:30:37
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Ewwww!
This sort of thing happened to me yesterday, but I know what caused it. The mouse was defrosted in the fridge overnight with some others and placed in a bowl on top of the gas fire while I had my morning chillout with cigarette etc ...I got watching stuff on youtube and never bothered to check the mice and that particular mouse was in the hottest spot and its innards cooked and burst its belly. There was nothing wrong with it before that.
I binned it but the other mice, though a bit wet, were welcomed by the corns and carpet. It was a tiny bit smelly in the bag but not up to barf level.
Does sound like that rat of yours was old stock if the smell was so bad, especially as you'd only defrosted it that morning, but some snakes will actually eat carrion in the wild - I doubt if Ifrit will have any ill-effects. |
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Edited by - n/a on 09/04/2012 12:33:25 |
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Se7enS1ns
Yearling
United Kingdom
354 Posts |
Posted - 10/04/2012 : 23:09:17
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Well no harm no foul it seems - Ifrit ate tonight, so I seem to be forgiven for trying to poison him. He was a bit untrusting of me though, he's usually keen as mustard to strike, but I couldn't tempt him tonight, he just wanted to go back in his viv. I don't like doing this, but I put him back and he retreated to his big hide, so I left the rat on his "table" (a basking rock), and when I went in half an hour later, it had vanished.
Think I've put my finger on the cause of the explosion too - reckon it was purely down to heating the rat up on top of the viv, and in doing so have caused the rats stomach to partially cook. I defrosted tonights rat just at room temperature is it was so much better, not saggy round the gut at all, and smelled a whole load better too!
Live and learn I guess. |
www.royal-balls.blogspot.com
www.facebook.com/dandavisreptiles |
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Exploding rat!
