Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I just got through feeding my JCP 2 small rats. I feed her in her enclosure. After she ate the 2nd one I noticed some substrate in her mouth and she was having a hard time with closing her mouth. I managed to grab her, without getting bite, right behind her head and pulled what I could out of her mouth, with a pair of tweezers. If she ate any will it cause her any harm? I use reptile bark. I feed her in her tank because one time I put her in another tank to feed her then went to move her back to her tank and she bite me. So I got the advice of someone here to just feed her in her own tank. As far as I know she hasn't ingested any substrate before. What are the long term effects? Will she just digest the bark or will she need a vet?

Depends on how large of a piece she ingested. The worst case scenario would be a bowel obstruction. Keep an eye on it, and if you suspect this, an immediate vet visit is in order. Hope all goes well.

Todd

It was just a small piece of that reptile bark unless I did get it all. She is about 4 foot long. She was out drinking water so I hope she will be OK. Thanks for your reply.

so that you don't have to worry in the future about this happening again, you may want to go back to feeding in another box, but here's what I do with my king who will go for anything when in feeding mode--since I too want to avoid being bitten, I simply put him back in his cage while he is still swallowing the hind feet of his last food item. that way I don't have to worry about him attacking my hand when I reach into his cage to hold him because he thinks it's feeding time, but I also don't have to worry about getting bitten after he's been eating because he doesn't stop long enough to recognize the difference between my hand and what he hopes is another mouse. He's never regurgitated or anything doing this.
Sounds like your snake should be ok....good luck
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Sue Barnett
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1.0 half Arab (Zarr)
1.0 Betta (Flash)

Thanks so much! That sound like a good idea. Usually I wait until they have finished their meal to move my snakes back into their cage when I feed them in another cage. (I have 2 corns and a milk besides the jungle python)I am going to try that next time. I think if she did get any substrate it was a small piece. I pulled 2 pieces out of her mouth before letting her go.

Might try putting a piece of carpet or something on the substrate during feedins.
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Thats a good idea too. She knows when she's going to be fed. Last night she came up to the top of the cage and took the food the second I put it in her tank. So I would have to put the carpet in sometime when I had her out. The 2nd meal she took she fell in the water bowl with the rat so I'm thinking the bark stuck to the rat seeings how it was wet.

This works very well if the cage is big enough place the snake into a small box that you feed in put the food in and then put back into cage. works really well you can put a top on if you want or no top or just leave the top loose. I leave the top loose they eat then start looking for more and crawl out look around and go in to the hide then i take the box out

Why not just get an old flat style tupperware dish that you can leave in the cage, abut large enough for the snake to fit half its body into, with part of one of the sides cut out if you so desire. Place it in one of the quieter corners in it's cage. When its feeding time, just put the food in the dish and close the cage lid. The only time you'd have to remove it is during cleaning. This way too you wont be training your pet to automatically associate your presence with food.

Not sure that would work for her. Sometimes after eating the first rat she will constrict the 2nd then wonder away. So I have to move it about to get her interested in it again. After I use up my small rats (they are F/T) I think I'll get her medium rats. That way she'll only have to eat one. I feed my corns on little trays and they eat with no problems. They don't even constrict, they just start to eat. All the ideas that have posted are good. I'm going to try one of them. Thanks everyone!!

By the way, "Safari" seem ok. She is having bowel movements so that is good.