Sad story

[duke62]

My son wanted to feed his snakes live mice and rats and I refused because of the disease live rodents carry
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlin...-after-calif-boy-10-dies-from-rat-bite-fever/

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

so what do they eat if you dont feed them rats or mice?

 

[edd]

so what do they eat if you dont feed them rats or mice?

frozen, i would think they can carry decease also.
my son had snakes since he was 4yrs old, all kinds. all ways fed live. watching a snake eat live is one of the fascinations of the hobby imo.
he also had a pet rat.
i think the risks are minimal, and you shouldn't handle live feeders.

 

[Cu455]

With fish I only feed frozen. Someone I know used to breed snakes. I took one of his snakes and he told me not to feed live because the mouse can hurt the snake.

 

[Waleedwale1]

With fish I only feed frozen. Someone I know used to breed snakes. I took one of his snakes and he told me not to feed live because the mouse can hurt the snake.

Yes this is true. Besides the risk of disease being carried on the rodent, they often scratch/bit when caught and the wound can get infected. My schools animal lab only feeds frozen.

 

[e.muehlbauer]

There was an article in the NY Times a few years ago, about how frozen rodents were heavily contaminated with Salmonella. I have 4 snakes...the corn snakes get fresh killed mice, but the gray banded king snake will only eat them live. I gave up breeding my snakes because the babies were so difficult to feed...most would simply not accept frozen pinkies, yet that was all that was easily available.

 

[JARRETT SHARK]

frozen? My snake back in day only eat something that moved... it has been 15yrs so maybe things change but I know I had fish also that only eat moving fish and never frozen... just like the wild

 

[duke62]

Frozen rats,chicken, all contain salmonella you need to wash your hands after you feed. A rat or mice can easily tag you. Jarrett with frozen all you have to do is defrost the rat and put a little heat on it and the snake will go after it

 

[lnevo]

Rats belong in the sewer not in your home. Just saying

 

[oh207]

Sad story indeed. Very disheartening.
And I hate snakes and rats, in that order! Every time I go to Florida I find garden stakes in my garage. Two weeks ago I found 2 of them. I was able to kill one but the other got away. My neighbor said to leave them alone because they eat rats and that it is better to have snakes rather than rats.
Kids should not be allowed to keep Snakes or rats as pets. Not even adult supervision is sufficient. The entire notion of watching a snake capture and eat a rat is sadistic. Why would a parent want a kid to grow up witnessing this?
Doesn't the parent have any responsibility here to ensure pets are safe?

 

[Cu455]

I didn't actually read the story when I first responded. I just assumed it was about feeding live food to snakes. I have a feeling I am not the only that didn't read the story.


The only pet my mom would let me have were fish. Everything else spread diseases rodents, turtle and snakes. I did have a bunch of them as a kid because I got them with my dad. My mom hated them. She was convinced it was unhealthy.


My cousin had a cat and was pregnant. My mom convinced her to get rid of the cat. I thought she was just paranoid. But I found out there is a legitimate issue with cats and pregnant women. Enough where I wouldn't have a cat if my girlfriend/wife/ woman from the bar was pregnant.

 

[e.muehlbauer]

There is an issue with pregnant women and cats...its toxoplasmosis (an even bigger issue for people who are immunocompromised, as with chemo therapy or AIDS). However, the problem is with the poop. It's OK for pregnant women to have a cat, just that someone else has to clean the litterbox.

 

[TimberTDI]

I feel terrible after reading this story. I have to ask though; how is Petco liable?

 

[lnevo]

Selling diseased rats

 

[edd]

I feel terrible after reading this story. I have to ask though; how is Petco liable?

i don't feel they are liable, its part of the risks that come with the hobby. rodents carry decease, its up to you to handle them properly. theirs no need to handle the rodent just dump it in the tank from the box or use tongs.
people want to put the blame else ware for their negligence, then profit off it with a law suite.
we all know poultry carries salmonella. if we don't cook it properly and get sick, i don't think the super market where you bought it is responsible. you are for not taking precautions.
the same with play toxins in our tanks, is the lfs who sold it to you at blame for not warning you. i never got warned when buying pal lies.
its a terrible tragedy what happened to that boy, but i feel the parents are at blame for not educating the kid about the risks and precautions about handling rodents dead or alive.