deepseasnake Posted August 8, 2002 Share Posted August 8, 2002 I know it sounds bad but I wanted to know from the BARFers out there I have to buy almost $80 every 2 weeks in feeder rabbits for my snakes the largest rabbbits I get regularly are about 10 pounds and maybe as high as 20. before I feed the snakes I have to clear out (fecies) and replace (by feeding) the "gut load" of the feeders. I must get certain supplements into the snake and this is the only way possible. while on a very good BARF site I read you need to blend the veggies to resemble the gut load of prey your dog would hunt in the wild. Makes sense, I'm only 10% serious 90% curious but could it be better to feed my dogs live gut loaded rabbits or other medium to large prey since I have to buy the feeders and gut load them anyway? by the way I could never get my goldens to eat a rabbit, they love to chase ducks when they catch up to them (almost never) they dont know what to do and usually come back with a duck bill print on their nose :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 8, 2002 Share Posted August 8, 2002 He he, that's funny, had a lab who did the same thing... he he On the flip side, our last dog, Koko, was a hunter. And she ate everything she caught (we dewormed alot...) including rabbits, but not limited to them. She never caught anything other then rodents though... As for snakes... I can't tell you how many "pinkies" I saved from my brother's snake, before I saved the snake. I would rear them up to larger mice, which then became breeders for fuzzy babies the snake did eat... It was fasinating to watch the snake stalk and eat, but also a little gross. Ah reptiles... 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepseasnake Posted August 8, 2002 Author Share Posted August 8, 2002 I think snakes might be the most interesting animal on the planet, I love my snakes, they do everything by instict wich is amazing to watch because once you get to know the breed you can almost predict what it will do next. I have 4 snakes right now but I always take rescues so I might have more tomorrow. My biggest is a "red tail boa" named snuggles (my first reptile) when I got him he was 6' 2'' long, my exact height now he is almost 10 feet long and is absolutly the nicest snake you'll ever meet. I trust that snake around anybody or anything he is so tame its almost freaky. I bought him from a pet store owner, named kevin and the snake "belonged" to kevin's 8 year old daughter, according to kevin she played with that snake every day all day. I remeber once before I bought him the little girl had the snake around her waist like a belt with the snake's head up on her shoulder, both girl and animal were wearing matching pink bonnetes she must have takin it off a doll. It was the funniest thing you ever saw Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepseasnake Posted August 8, 2002 Author Share Posted August 8, 2002 hey I know exactly what that burm was like, I got stuck with one last december when this guy told me he was just gonna "let it go" in washington that snake would have froze 5 minutes into his freedom. So I took him in with no cage and no idea what he was like, we aptly named him satan because he would strike at anything that moved. He soon took over my bedroom and I got to sleep on the couch for awhile. Oh yeah he was 14' 10'' a big boy, but he mellowed out after I fed him a few times. He actually got quite nice to be around but since I had no cage, the clean up was a real chore then he broke the girfriends favorite vase, pooped INTO my computer monitor and snuck into bed at night acouple times so I had to give him to friend of mine :( but he's got a bunch of girlfriends now so satan is happy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepseasnake Posted August 9, 2002 Author Share Posted August 9, 2002 yeah I think its getting about time to hand the tourch to someone with a bigger house I'll keep snuggles (he was first) and I'll keep my little shoestring "jadon" (baby boa) he's not even 12'' yet, but the others are getting to be a handfull Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepseasnake Posted August 9, 2002 Author Share Posted August 9, 2002 so do you guys think it would not be a good idea to let the dog catch and kill his own food I dunno if you guys still own big snakes but if you try feeding large rabbits instead of chicken you may see that your snake will be more energetic and playfull also clean up will be easier rabbits have really good meat, chicken is okay too (a whole lot cheaper) but I try not to let them eat it very much, yes a wild south american constrictor would eat alot of bird but if there was rabbit down there they would go out for bunny :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Louis Posted August 9, 2002 Share Posted August 9, 2002 :o Erm- from an animal welfare point of view please lets not all do this!!? My uncle told me from the start that his reptiles and snakes are all only fed freshly killed dead animals because live it is not at all unknown for them to harm the snake- rats particularly have been known to turn the tables. He had 3 beautiful boa constrictors, and I can still remember the first time I got to touch them.. such a revelation, all dry and so smooth(I was about 5). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deepseasnake Posted August 9, 2002 Author Share Posted August 9, 2002 I hate the snake skin clothing my snake snuggles really doesn't like to eat pre killed meat, the others dont really mind but I never leave the room till the food in question is gone anyway. a few times snuggs did suffer a bite but hydrogen peroxide and neosporin does quite well to help kill off infection. The other thing, is that the pet stores around here dont sell pre killed so I have kill the animals myself which when talking about a rat isn't that bad...but a cute little bunny looking up at you isn't easy anyway I wouldnt really feed my dogs live just wondered what you guys thought about the topic I wonder what newfie has to say, she's a BARFer :-? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted August 9, 2002 Share Posted August 9, 2002 [quote name='deepseasnake']snipbut could it be better to feed my dogs live gut loaded rabbits or other medium to large prey since I have to buy the feeders and gut load them anyway? snip:)[/quote] NO you do not want to be loading your dogs with parasites which is quite possible from eating the intestinal tracts of rabbits. Wild animals that eat raw prey are usually full of parasites - there is a reason we cook food and its not really for taste! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Aroura Posted August 30, 2002 Share Posted August 30, 2002 A whole DEAD rabbit would be a perfect meal!!! So long as you kept up to date with worming etc. I'd feed my dogs on them if I could get them, I almost got a job on a rabbit farm... but no luck. That would have been great! If you feed live prey, next time your dogs see someones pet bunny they're gonna want to eat it! But dead and whole, that way they get the meat, bone, guts, liver, kidneys, brains etc all in the right proportions without the killing instinct! My new cat fishes for my goldfish, now as far as I know NOBODY taught him that!!! Them Siamese, I always thought they were evil! :lol: As well as whole rabbits, you could feed whole chooks as well for a bit of variety if you can get your hands on them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.