i was just wondering if anyone has any time shortening methods on defrosting mice? its quite tedius waiting up to 5hours for a mouse to defrost, i use to put them in a sealed plastic bag then in a bowl of hot water,but it seemed to make them bleed(!?)so what do you all do?just sit and wait?
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how do you defrost?
cactuskent
Oct 12, 2003 12:05 PM
Replies (4)
fatbob
Oct 12, 2003 12:33 PM
I just put the mouse in hot water, never had any problems.
SlipKorn
Oct 12, 2003 03:49 PM
n/p
Hotshot
Oct 12, 2003 03:58 PM
..
Naamah
Oct 12, 2003 05:01 PM
The blood always happens -- cell walls rupture when the mouse is frozen, and blood escapes when it is thawed. It's normal.
I don't thaw in hot water, because it can accelerate the decay of undigested matter in the mouse's entrails and cause problems with regurgitation later, because the food is already on its way to rotten when the snake gets it. I thaw in lukewarm water that I change out when it gets cold. Or I leave the rodents out to thaw to room temp when I go to bed, and feed when I get up (or throw them into the fridge halfway through the night, if I'm going to feed in the afternoon). Planning ahead is key.
If you haven't had problems with the hot-water method, you can probably keep using it, though. That would've been the short answer.
--Naamah
