>>Linda - that's the first I have heard of injecting rats with water to avoid constipation. I have been injecting the food rodents with vegetable babyfood to provide some additional vegetable matter and carotenoids for my boas and gilas, thinking that it may enhance color and can't hurt. At least they'd be getting some additonal nutrition. As a side, it would also give more liquid. Have you thought of using something other than water, that gives some additonal nutrition, like milk, Ensure, Carnation instant breakfast, or something else? Mark

Hi Mark,

I have only injected them with water or Pedialyte. I have fed my gravid females smaller rodents (compared to what they would normally eat) and have injected the rats with water to help hydrate a little bit.

I don't think boas and milk products mix well You might end up with some nasty diarrhea and Lord knows what else!

I have tubed Panacur into the rat's esophagus when worming. I understand snakes don't like the taste of the wormer at all, so you have to make sure you get it all rinsed off the mouth area before offering it to the snake. You could inject things like Nutribac or flagyl into the rat as well, depending on the need at the moment and it would save tubing the snake itself.

There are probably some great ideas floating around out there. I have only done what I mentioned above. I have never even had a boa go extra days before pooping. Mine are very regular and the texture looks good - for poop
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Linda Hedgpeth
lindafh@frontiernet.net
Sierra Serpents

"...and God took a handful of southerly wind, blew his breath over it and created the horse..."

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