Reptile & Amphibian Forums

My question is after you unthaw a mouse or rat and your snake does not eat it. Is it ok to refreeze it? To me i would say no but i just read below that someone said if your snake doesnt eat it then refreeze it and don't waste it (or something liek that) But i didnt know if this was a fresh killed or a F/T. Any advice will be helpfull and i will not do this unless i know for sure that it is ok.
Thanks so much
Paul

I've heard it is bad.

>>My question is after you unthaw a mouse or rat and your snake does not eat it. Is it ok to refreeze it? To me i would say no but i just read below that someone said if your snake doesnt eat it then refreeze it and don't waste it (or something liek that) But i didnt know if this was a fresh killed or a F/T. Any advice will be helpfull and i will not do this unless i know for sure that it is ok.
>>Thanks so much
>>Paul

Unlike the other reply you got above, I have heard that it may actually be not bad. In fact, there is some advantage to it: ie freezing and re-freezing and re-thawing makes the cell walls of the rodent break and makes the food smell even better.

I do re-freeze and have not found it to be bad. I do this with both frozen food that I buy at reptile shows and with rodents that I fresh kill my own self.

I keep the time that they are thawed to a minimum. If a snake won't eat, I re-freeze right away. I also thaw very fast (this also cuts down the time that they spend at above freezing temp). I use hot water to thaw quickly.

I have not had to waste any mice or rats yet. And my snakes do very well and grow very well on this regimen. Never a single regurg ever!

In the wild, snakes come across slightly decayed food from time to time and they eat it as carrion.

cheers.
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Longtang. I like snakes and rats.

Do you mean cell membranes?

>>Do you mean cell membranes?

Doh!. you are right. And I was a bio major, Too!

heheh.
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Longtang. I like snakes and rats.