Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey Everyone,
I just wanted to get some feedback on how likely it was for a red-tail boa to be killed by eating a contaminated rat. A customer at the pet shop where I work called today to accuse us of killing his red-tail by selling him a sick rat.
He said that he fed his 8-ft red-tail 3 rats and the last one he regurgitated, and then the snake died the next day. He's claiming his snake's death is completely attributed to our rat. It sounds like to me he just fed a rat that was too big so the snake regurgitated it and that is why it died. I just wanted to know other people's opinions.

Thanks.

While it is always a possibility, I would say that the chances are slim that the rat killed the snake. A sick snake, or one that is otherwise stressed out, will regurge. It is more likely that the snake regurged BECAUSE it was sick. No real way to prove anything, though, unless the snake and/or the feeder rats are tested somehow. Look at it this way...We feed our snakes about every week. If we blamed the food item every time one died the day or day after feeding, we would blame 29% of all snake deaths on bad food. There are so many possible factors.

>>sounds like to me he just fed a rat that was too big so the snake regurgitated it and that is why it died.

While I agree that it's unlikely that the rat is the problems. I'd like to see a rat that's TOO BIG for an 8 foot boa. Actually, I'd like to see one too big for a healthy 5 foot boa. I assume this was not an adult male African Giant Pouched Rat...although that should still be managable for an 8 footer.

Do you know if they fed it live?

Most illnesses that rat's carry don't effect snakes. If it had eaten some kind of poison, or maybe been sprayed by an exterminator are the only things I can think of where the rat could cause a problem internally.

I second the motion/notion that there was probably already something wrong with the snake. There's probably no way to convince the customer of that though...
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What goes up must come down...unless it exceeds escape velocity.

a sick rat probably wouldnt kill, but an infected rat bite possibly could if left untreated. (in that case its his fault)

if you treated the rats (or cages) for flea or mite than that could do the trick
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jake

my addiction:
0.2 normal ball pythons (lazlo and izzy)
0.1 amelenistic corn snake (maizy)
0.1 blizzard corn (blizz)
1.0 albino cal king (zeus)
0.0.1 wc garter (zim)
hybrid breeders association
hybrid haven

>>Hey Everyone,
>> I just wanted to get some feedback on how likely it was for a red-tail boa to be killed by eating a contaminated rat. A customer at the pet shop where I work called today to accuse us of killing his red-tail by selling him a sick rat.
>> He said that he fed his 8-ft red-tail 3 rats and the last one he regurgitated, and then the snake died the next day. He's claiming his snake's death is completely attributed to our rat. It sounds like to me he just fed a rat that was too big so the snake regurgitated it and that is why it died. I just wanted to know other people's opinions.
>>
>>Thanks.

Unless he has a necropsy done that proves a toxin or something I am thinking he is all words. I would bet the snake has something wrong physically and the meal just set it off. Not much rodent disease carries to snakes. Love to know if he feeds live.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny

I'm of the same opinion that the snake already had something wrong with it. Either that or like someone said, the rats could've gotten poisoned in the snake owner's possession.

The bad thing about this is it's a no win situation for the petshop. If they reimburse the snake owner for the snake it's not going to change his/her opinion of them. They'll still say, "So & so petshop sold me rats that killed my snake." If there's any mentioning of reimbursement it will be in passing and lost in their overall complaining.

Reimbursing won't affect the snake owner's view or anyone that they tell about it.

Like Sonya said, I'd say bring me the necropsy report and we'll take it from there.

Still can't help but feel sorry for the snake owner, too, though. That is, assuming they're not trying to pull a fast one, which I doubt.

This is a prime example of why we should know our captives like the back of our hands.

Take care!
HH
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Due to political correctness run amuck,
this ol' hillbilly is now referred to as an:
Appalachian American

This basic thing has happened to the pet store where I work on a number (3 or 4)of occasions.
On those times I flat out told the people that in no way did the rats condition when it left us kill their snake. We don't sell anything we wouldn't feed off ourselves. If they fed live that was their fault and if they wanted money they needed a necropsy done. Never has someone called me on the necropsy and all but one of the times they were feeding the rats live. Talking to keepers and vets most suspect damage from swallowing a not dead animal or previously sick snake that couldn't deal with the stress of eating on top of it.
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Sonya

I'm not mean. You're just a sissy.
Happy Bunny