Reptile & Amphibian Forums

What do you do when this happens? is it best to put him in the freezer? he is about two months old and has shed two times but has not feed yet. real fiasty and will bite the sh** out of you!

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www.westernhognose.com

Jim that really sucks. I'm sorry that happened. I personally would put it down. Some might disagree but I think freezing is not the best way to put them down. When ever I have to put one down I hold them by the lower third of their body, suddenly swinging them around and hitting their head on a hard object like a cement step or driveway which makes them brain dead immediatly. They might have temporary muscle contractions in their lower body but if you do it hard it instantly scrambles thier brain in a mili second. Sorry again that happened as it's a beautiful snake. Randy W.
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Randy Whittington

it seems to be better for people to just freeze them so you dont see anything and its just like they slow down and go to sleep! do you think they feel more pain by freezing? i do want to do whats better for the snake but how would anyone really know? thanks. for your thoughts.

jim
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www.westernhognose.com

>>it seems to be better for people to just freeze them so you dont see anything and its just like they slow down and go to sleep! do you think they feel more pain by freezing? i do want to do whats better for the snake but how would anyone really know? thanks. for your thoughts.
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>>jim

Hi, Jim.

Freezing is more painful, supposedly, than other methods, because ice crystals forming in cells cause them to burst or something like that. I just put mine in the regular frig for a day, or so. They are then dead or unconscious when I put them in the freezer. This is fairly painless.

I would put the snake down, but I doubt I would waste it. I keep kingsnakes too; or I'd save it for someone studying them.

Best to ya...Terry

I used to freeze deformed babies years ago but I decided the way I mentioned is immediate which seems best for the snake. I know it seems and is violent but they are alive one second without knowing what is coming and a mili second later their brain is mush. It is instant which to me seems best for the snakes sake which is really more important than doing it another way so as not to disturb me as much.
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Randy Whittington

1) Blunt force trauma to the head
or
2) cutting off the head and pithing the brain are the two most accepted methods (for those of us that aren't DVMs).

Rich Funk, a snake veterinarian in AZ, about freezing live snakes, and he said that it is painful for the reason Terry mentioned. I believe blunt force trauma (similar to what Randy mentioned) would be more humane. Blunt force trauma is supposed to be an acceptable (or humane) form of euthanasia for rodents, for example.

DR
Suboc.com

I agree about the points about freezing, but why not try to feed it and see what happens. If it eats, poops, and sheds, why not give it a shot?

Billy
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Phillyherping

That's the trouble. The person who posted said it's not eating, and I imagine it can't and wouldn't...part of it's stomach, backbone, etc is "zippered" together.

DR