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 #1725268


Skezzy1911
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 Bite!!!

my ball python recently got bit by a rat and i don’t know wut to do. the bite isn’t very severe, he was bit while he was starting to shed, so i think it might be just dead skin that the rat bit. wut can i do to treat it if anything? i’ll try to get a pic
05/04/08  08:40pm

 #1725455


LoftLizard
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1725268


 Bite!!!

How big is your snake... in grams?

How big was the rat/mouse... and how old?

What is your feeding technique...? As in, how long do u leave the rodent in, etc.?

A pic would be best as until then we can only speculate.

If you are feeding live then you need to do so responsibly and ensure you are feeding an appropriately sized rodent.

I feed all my pythons live and have never had a bite. I have had the odd rodent scratch and break the skin, but that has only been during constriction and when the snake is in shed. I actually think that is part of the process. Breaks the skin and facillitates the shedding process.

BUT if the rodent has broken through the skin, caused bleeding, and open laceration, etc... then you need to deal with that.

Again, you need to give some more information so that we can help you out with this.

I have never seen an appropriate feeding that has resulted in a bite from a rodent to a snake.

Did you actually see the rodent bite?

bruce
05/04/08  11:35pm

 #1725491


Skezzy1911
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   Message To: LoftLizard   In reference to Message Id: 1725455


 Bite!!!

sorry i dont have all the weight and stuff( i cant get a very good pic) but, how i usually feed him is i take every thing out of the cage. i make sure he is on one side of the cage and make sure he is looking at the other side i drop the rat and then he goes for it. on this instance i dropped the rat in and the rat goes over to mike (snake) and scrapes his top teeth on mike and some scales went up then mike got mad and ate him. as for the rat i can only say it was a medium rat which is wut we always give him. there isnt any blood so im guessing that it didn’t pierce the skin and im hoping that its only the skin he is shedding. this is the first time this has happened to him. i might have been exaggerating with the BITE!!! but i was just freaked out, but it was like a scraping motion and it did pull some scales. i’ll post more info if needed
05/05/08  12:23am

 #1725502


LoftLizard
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1725491


 Bite!!!

If you are feeding rats that are big enough to walk over and bite your snake then you are feeding rats that are too big.

The most I would feed is a 60g rat. And even that is the largest of what I would feed an adult BP.

I handle rats that size all the time, even if they wanted to bite and break the skin, they simply do not have the jaw power... or the inclination.

When you say a medium rat... that is a big range...

bruce
05/05/08  12:39am

 #1725521


Skezzy1911
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   Message To: LoftLizard   In reference to Message Id: 1725502


 Bite!!!

ok i just inspected the area and its nothing severe it was just the skin he was starting to shed, i coudnt see before but when he was going into his hide i was able to see the area and a piece of dead shedded skin was off. i’m so relieved and thanx for the incite
05/05/08  01:09am

 #1725537


X2Ford
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1725521


 Bite!!!
05/05/08  01:33am

 #1725550


X2Ford
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   Message To: X2Ford   In reference to Message Id: 1725537


 Bite!!!

I also wanted to add that I have one that i feed mediums to too.....(the snake is 1,034 grams) and the medium is still a little smaller than the girth of the snake.....I’ve seen alot of people post about feeding and "appropriate sized" prey....so which is it?
girth of the prey,or the weight of the prey?

just curious where everyone stands on this topic is all
05/05/08  01:52am

 #1725551


Skezzy1911
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   Message To: X2Ford   In reference to Message Id: 1725550


 Bite!!!

ok, so the the mediums i feed are definateley than the girth of the snake.
05/05/08  01:55am

 #1725552


Skezzy1911
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1725268


 Bite!!!

*smaller than the girth i meant
05/05/08  01:56am

 #1725654


LoftLizard
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1725552


 Bite!!!

For me it is a 60g rat at the most. If the snake needs more than that then I will give 2 smaller rodents equalling 80g. And that would be the highest end for me and to my biggest snakes. But even with that schedule I would skip the odd meal here and there.

Bruce
05/05/08  07:16am

 #1725809


Skezzy1911
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   Message To: LoftLizard   In reference to Message Id: 1725654


 Bite!!!

I feed mine at the beginning of the month and another one about the time he poops maybe a week after.
05/05/08  12:19pm

 #1725982


X2Ford
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1725809


 Bite!!!

I feed once a week
05/05/08  03:53pm

 #1726018


GA_Ball_Pythons
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   Message To: X2Ford   In reference to Message Id: 1725982


 Bite!!!

Feed a prey slightly smaller than the girth size and nothing larger than a small rat (4 weeks old – 75 grams) not only this will allow you to have a BP that eat with consistency but it will also reduce the risk of injury.

A 75 grams rat can bite you however he will not break the skin, the bigger the rat the more risk of injury, the bigger the rat the more likely a BP will fast to catch up.

Other things to consider when feeding like is to pre-scent the room which will entice the animal to eat (this also contribute to reduce the risks of possible injuries)
05/05/08  04:28pm

 #1726054


Marg
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1725809


 Bite!!!

Quote:

I feed mine at the beginning of the month and another one about the time he poops maybe a week after.


So you only feed twice a month?

Snakes should be appropriate size prey, Once a Week,

Quote:

Feed a prey slightly smaller than the girth size and nothing larger than a small rat (4 weeks old – 75 grams) not only this will allow you to have a BP that eat with consistency but it will also reduce the risk of injury.


Regardless of Poop!



05/05/08  04:53pm

 #1726112


GA_Ball_Pythons
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   Message To: Marg   In reference to Message Id: 1726054


 Bite!!!

Quote:

Regardless of Poop!

Yes, if I was feeding according to poop some would only get fed 6 times a year

Everybody gets fed once a week!
05/05/08  05:23pm

 #1726345


Skezzy1911
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   Message To: GA_Ball_Pythons   In reference to Message Id: 1726112


 Bite!!!

oh, i don’t want to sound stupid but i didn’t realize that they had to be fed so often. i know they can go along time without eating,although that’s not a reason to keep them SO long without eating. Also Mike doesn’t accept food while he is digesting his previous meal so that’s why i said until he poops. And occasionally he will digest it fast which would mean a 3rd rat for him. I wanna point out as well that Mike is an active and healthy snake and we have never experienced any health issues over any thing ever,except that scare he gave us, luckily nothing happened.



05/05/08  08:52pm

 #1726855


Marg
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1726345


 Bite!!!

Quote:

Mike doesn’t accept food while he is digesting his previous meal


Digestion, with proper Belly Heat, takes 2-4 days... which is why the rule is
"No Handling for 48 hrs (2 Days) after feeding".

Quote:

Mike is an active and healthy snake


How Active?

BPs (most snakes) are not "Active", unless some thing is Wrong...

They spend 80% of their time Hiding.
05/06/08  09:25am

 #1727355


Skezzy1911
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   Message To: Marg   In reference to Message Id: 1726855


 Bite!!!

Ok man, i used a bad choice of words when i said "active" i just wanted to say that he is ok. Again bad choice of words i dont mean that hes freakin always moving around in his cage. Bad choice of words, sorry



05/06/08  07:16pm

 #1727848


Marg
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1727355


 Bite!!!

OK - was also just pointing this out, for future reference :o)

Got any pics?

(snake and enclosure)
05/07/08  07:28am

 #1728433


Skezzy1911
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   Message To: Marg   In reference to Message Id: 1727848


 Bite!!!

Okay, ya sorry if i came off all defensive it just cause i got fired from a job that was animal care taking because i was too "young" and "inexperienced" so they replaced me with some lady who was "more qualified". later i come to find out that since shes been working there she put rabbit pellets in the bearded dragon cage which is bad for many reasons, one of those beardies died ,and she took a tortoise and the other beradie for "special needs". So ya i kinda get defensive lol. On a brighter note, i do have pics but it doesnt let me add them.

p.s. sorry for all the "quotes" lol
05/07/08  06:04pm

 #1728458


Skezzy1911
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1728433


 Bite!!!

here we go!
05/07/08  06:27pm

 #1729017


Marg
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1728433


 Bite!!!

Sorry about your job...

Quote:

i do have pics but it doesnt let me add them.



As I told a few others...

"Read       * * HOW TO POST PICTURES!!! * *

You can re-size and add videos too, in the site link provided "



05/08/08  07:34am

 #1729019


Marg
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   Message To: Skezzy1911   In reference to Message Id: 1728433


 Bite!!!

Nice BP :o)
05/08/08  07:35am


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