Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If i feed my snake frozen pinkies, can I refreeze them if he does not eat them or no?

It's a good question & it's a question that has been asked here several times before.

When it comes to refrezing some will say yes & some will say no. I always have an animal that is willing to take an extra food item, so it's not an issue for me at this time.
But, in the past i have refroze uneaten rodents.. But, i would not refreeze more than one time.

This is just my opinion, ohers may/will disagree with me and they would NOT be wrong.

~ Mike Russo

I agree with Mike. If I leave the pinky for an hour or two I will refreeze it. If I leave it over night and its not eaten I toss it. Just remember its uncooked meat. It it's out too long it can and will spoil. Being defrosted a couple hours shouldn't hurt, over night can.

It also depends on the pinkies. I have gotten some that when you defrost them they look like they are going to bust open, or have been thawed and refrozen before. Use your own judgement.

That's what I use to do - but soon I found that leaving the frozen pinky in overnight very often results in consumption by morning. So that's what I do - leave it in until morning, and toss it if it has not been consumed.
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3.3.2 L. getula californiae
1.1 L. getula nigrita
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
2.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

I agree with that as well.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com

I have done this with large rats in the past and found it's OK as long as the item doesn't smell yet. Then I draw the line. That probably doesn't matter much to the snakes though as I have seen one snake regurgitate and another cagemate eat it! I have never refreezed anything more than once. Pinkies don't hold up well after being thawed. Just my experience.

A frozen pinky costs about .13 cents. Why take any risk? When you thaw and refreeze you decrease the nutrient quality and risk bacterial growth. Freezing does not kill most bacteria it just puts them in suspended animation.

So many frozen pinkies are already gross, looking like they are about to burst. This is because at some point during shipping ect they have been dethawed and bacteria have gone to town in the digestive tract, rotting the pinky from the inside out.

Overall its probobly not the end of the world, after all snakes in the wild might scavenge some funky dead animals, but like I said why take the chance for a few pennies?

A frozen pinky costs about .13 cents. Why take any risk?

A lot more than that at local pet shops, and a lot more than that if you don't fill your box with frozen orders.
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3.3.2 L. getula californiae
1.1 L. getula nigrita
1.0 Boa constrictor constrictor (suriname, fostering/rescue)
2.3 Elgaria multicarinata multicarinata

I remember F.R. saying he had young snakes fed "left over" mice grow faster than specimens that ate fresh.

Just a thought.

I don't remember why.
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Mike
KingPin Reptiles Inc.
www.kingpinreptiles.com