It's ALIIIVVVEEE!!!!

[ae88weaver]

Sorry I haven't been on in forever but I had a nine page paper on successful aging and a mid term to tend to (in case you were wondering :))... But now that I am back, I have a question... I went to the reptile store and asked for the smallest pinkie possible and when he came back, it was alive and moving! I was under the impression from reading other threads that pinkies were frozen and dead! I made sure I wasn't seeing things and he said nope, it definitely was a living creature... I still took it home and scented it and fed it to my angel boy but I felt terrible but I knew my baby needed to eat and that mice were healthier but I also know that it's the flash freezing that kills the parasites... Did I go to a bad store or is it normal to get live pinkies? And if its normal to be served live one's, what are the chances of them having parasites? Thanks for the advice!!

[infernalis]

The pinkie was most likely safe to feed. it's frowned upon more for the "ethical" issue, garters swallow whole without killing first.

Most pet stores carry frozen, if you specify.

as much as I hate to say it, the large chain retailers always have a freezer with frozen rodents, they are expensive compared to bulk, but if you are feeding one snake it's not too bad.

Edit... I just read your other post, is this the one you cut in half?

[kibakiba]

My pet store does the same thing at times, but it's only when they have no stock of the boxed frozen pinkies. Sometimes they will freeze them and give you some in a bag but it's definitely not what I'm used to buying!

[Selkielass]

If you ask for 'frozen pinkies' you will usually get frozen, or they will offer you live if thats all they have. If you wish to euthanize them I was told to freeze them or gas them with baking soda and vinegar- Small Animal Euthanasia at Home (http://www.alysion.org/euthanasia/index.html)

I pinched mine behind the head to break their necks before I froze them. I knew how, could stomach it, and thought that would be quicker and less painful than freezing. I have seen people rec a quick knife point to the brain. (Just draw an imaginary x between ears and opposite eyes to find the right spot to hit.) Pinky skulls are very thin so even a pin will do the job.

Captive born pinkies should be parasite free if they are kept in clean conditions. If the store was clean and the animals well maintained you should be fine.