Unexpected sad news

[kibakiba]

That's good, hopefully they'll all be fine

[Selkielass]

I hope everything turns ot well for her and the rest.
Sorry mice are so expensive in your area- hearing what you have to go through makes me feel especially blessed that I have at least three reptile vendors/ pet stores in my area that sell pinkies for a dollar or less.

I'm still considering making a trip down to the Taylor MI reptile show to pick up a bag of 100 for $40. As for you, shipping makes ordering them through the mail cost prohibitive.

Have you considered taking up fishing to feed your snakes? It's a viable option here in Michigan where you can hardly toss a stick without hitting a river, pond or lake, but I know its a lot harder in many areas.

[ConcinusMan]

The problem is, there are no pet stores here anymore that aren't national chains. They don't raise mice. And now, the only privately owned single-store pet store I had, that did raise mice, is no longer a pet store and no longer raising mice.

If I want to travel about 45 minutes north of my house I can still get them for a dollar or less but they rarely have enough on hand so that I could just make the trip once a month.

I don't have time or resources to take care of my own yard like I used to. I don't really have time to even watch a movie but once or twice a month and you want me to go fishing? The license, gas, tackle, time, etc. alone is worth more than the fish I could possibly catch. Not going to happen.

So, for now it's $5 and something for 3 fuzzies, or $2 a pinky at petco. That's all I can do. For about $7 I can buy enough WC local or farmed salmon or even farmed trout at the local grocery store, to feed my snakes for a month.

I really don't think it's the fish. This snake has something wrong with it but I have no reason to suspect the fish.

[Selkielass]

Yeah, like a said, a lot harder in many areas, and not for everybody, but I thought I'd toss it out there- I certainly never meant to imply it was somehow something you should be doing- just that for some it might be a (possibly enjoyable) option. My apologies.

[ConcinusMan]

No need to apologize. Like you said, just offering ideas. I've pretty much exhausted the ideas myself and am already doing what is feasable and affordable and feeding them what I believe to be a healthy and varied diet.

The all-rodent diet is out. It's too expensive and even if it wasn't, I wouldn't want to do that. Supermarket fish is going have to remain a staple. Like I said, I have no reason to believe it's causing any problems. I buy it very fresh and freeze it immediately, thawing only as needed.

For now I pay the high prices for the rodents, for the sake of nutrition and varied diet, when money isn't so tight. I'm usually able to feed them rodents at least twice a month in addition to their fish and night crawlers. On the rare occasion when I have time to go out herping, and I happen to catch a frog or two, or a salamander, I freeze that and feed them those too.

I constantly keep my eyes open both outside and in the markets, for something else I can feed them and take opportunity when I can.

[ConcinusMan]

Well guys I quit feeding the coho salmon to my snakes. Apparently it's not safe for an adult male human to eat more than 12oz in a month. PCB's and mercury. The tilapia is still safe and I'll continue to feed them that occasionally.

As to the snake with the convulsions I have been feeding her mostly fuzzies and a few f/t silversides and her symptoms have completely subsided. She seems fine.