Reptile & Amphibian Forums

O.K. so, I was feeding some of the bigger boas the other day and came across this rat with what looks to be a HUGE tumor or goiter or something... I get 90% of my rodents locally, but have a tough time finding the big bruisers like these, so I have to order from the large online suppliers.
What do you guys think about this thing? Obviously I chose not to feed it off, but with all of the recent attn. that the "toxicity" issue has stirred up, you would think that they would have caught something the size of a golf ball and tossed it out...
I am looking for opinions on this esp. from some of the bigger breeders... I know she kind of looks like one of those "fat rats", but she is fairly well proportioned (minus the growth) when veiwed in person.
Should I contact the company that I purchased this order from?





And to stay on topic... One of my favorite girls...

It is not uncommon for older rats to form tumors.

I raise my own rats and don't have any issues about feeding my snakes rats with tumors. Infact I figure the bigger the tumor the bigger the rat.

I would have saved that rat for my 8 foot boas.

Brian
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Brian Gundy

www.for-goodness-snakes.com

Looks like a pregnant female with a goiter or tumor.
In the wild snakes do prey upon the weak and the ill. Don't think they have a problem in the wild doing that. Don't know about captivity.
One thing to consider is to freeze it for a week or two, thaw it and then feed it.
I would contact the rat breeder and ask them what's up? You should be able to exchange it on your next order. I'd freeze it for return, as well.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

She was frozen when I bought the order... I agree with the "In the wild..." statement, but I also feel that if given a choice... play it safe, you know.
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Jeff Carr
West Coast Constrictors
www.westcoastconstrictors.com

That's one beautiful boa why take the chance. To error on the side of caution seems reasonable, considering what's at risk.
As far as the toxic/fat rat thing...I'm shocked, with all the talk about those diabetic fat rats lately, they're actually using one of those on their advertisement to tout their product. Have you seen that? Go figure.
jsc
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"As hard as I've tried, just can't NOT do this"
John Crickmer

for the comment on the boa! She is one of my favorites! I can't wait to get some babies from her...

I chose not to feed the off the rat, but I will take a peek at the ad on their site.
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Jeff Carr
West Coast Constrictors
www.westcoastconstrictors.com

I am glad Jeff, I wouldn't have used it either. And btw I think it's a goiter.
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Caden Chapman
slithering.serpents@gmail.com
http://slitheringserpents.com

Like Brian said, tumors are common in rats, older ones are even more likely to have them. Survival of the fittest can literally be translated to the lesser fit being dinner for something else. The tumor will add meat mass and eating it should not affect the snake as long as the prey is not too large. They will eat worse as documented in a recent post of a breeding female regurging her dinner only to eat it again. I strongly suspect snakes in the wild would eat any prey they came across, live, ill, injured and/or even dead!

If you're really concerned, throw it away. Contacting the supplier is an option and you might get a credit on a future order but is it really worth the effort? If you picked it up, you could return/exchange on a future transaction, but if you ordered and shipped, IMO not worth the expense and/or effort to return it.
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Thanks,

Dave Colling

www.rainbows-r-us-reptiles.com

0.1 Wife (WC and still very fiesty)
0.2 kids (CBB, a big part of our selective breeding program)

LOL, to many snakes to list, last count:
26.49 BRB
20.21 BCI
And those are only the breeders

lots.lots.lots feeder mice and rats

I agree with what you said, on online it would be more of a hassle. Just thought they would want a heads up... with all the "talk" about problem rats, I was just surprised that it was even used to fill an order...

Thanks,
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Jeff Carr
West Coast Constrictors
www.westcoastconstrictors.com

Once it hits the stomach, the acids aren't really going to discriminate whether it has a tumor or not.........

To put it simply... you can't "eat" cancer.

But yes, if it bothers you, its 1 rat, toss it and use another.

Some cancers are spread by viruses, like the human papilloma virus. You don't even know what that thing is. If it's a goiter you could be feeding your snake a lot of thyroid antibodies, and lots and lots of TSH (thyroid stimulating hormone) if is it's like Graves' in humans. There might be dozens of other reasons why, maybe the precipitating carcinogen is still in the rat (perhaps in it's appendix?, Do rats even have an appendix?), why chance it?
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Caden Chapman
slithering.serpents@gmail.com
http://slitheringserpents.com

I wouldn't consider myself a big breeder by any means nor would I say I have much experience with rats. The only real involvement I have medically to rats is assiting with surgical removal of such lumps on occasion.

That rat's abdomen looks distended not full of babies to me unless she has been bred over and over as much as possible. She looks in overall bad health. The lumps looks fatty in origin . Although I'd freeze it first, I wouldn't think any harm would come from feeding it.

I agree with the others who said not to feed it. Yes they would eat the ill in the wild and even dead carcasses, but w/o knowing what it is (we can guess all we want, but until you feel that lump or look at cells under the microscope, none of us know what it is). It probably would digest fine, but its one rat, it's not worth the risk. Contact who you bought it from and just say you're not happy with that rat. Whether or not they do anything, it's your right and responsibility to give feedback on their product to them so that they know consumers don't want to buy rats like that one.