Feeder parasite control?

[Cat_72]

Another thread here on Fauna has gotten me to thinking....is there a safe and effective method of treating our feeder rodents to prevent parasites? I have been getting my feeder rodents from the same source for quite some time, and knew that the rodents were always kept clean and well cared for, but in thinking, that obviously may just not be enough.

Now that I have acquired that rodent colony, and am raising all of my own feeders, what besides the obvious things such as cleanliness and outside pest control can be done to keep my rodents, and in turn my snakes, safer from parasites?

 

[Clay Davenport]

I burn incense in the rat building and sacrifice a fatted calf on the first full moon of every year.
So far that's working pretty well.

 

[shrap]

I personally dont think there is anything that can be done other than simply keeping your feeders living environment as clean as possible. I change the bedding and spray my rat tubs down with nolvasan every 5-7 days. Once every two weeks I thoroughly scrub them with hot water and dish soap.

Also, I never let any other rodents near my rodent colony. When I introduce new males to mix up my blood line I buy them in pairs as weanlings and they literally live together for the next 90 days. Getting fecals done when they first arrive and another at the end of 90 days before they are introduced to my colony.

I really dont know what else can be done. Within reason anyway.

 

[shrap]

I really dont know what else can be done. Within reason anyway.

Except of course,

I burn incense in the rat building and sacrifice a fatted calf on the first full moon of every year.
So far that's working pretty well.

My goodness, I have not laughed that hard in days.

 

[Cat_72]

I burn incense in the rat building and sacrifice a fatted calf on the first full moon of every year.
So far that's working pretty well.

Well, now you're just being silly.....everyone KNOWS that's included together with the "obvious" answers.

But seriously, I didn't know whether there was a possibility of using something in the water (or a medicated feed), like one does to treat and prevent coccidia in poultry, that would leave the rodents safe to then feed to your snakes.

Somehow, I just can't see myself going around with a little syringe and dosing up a couple hundred rats and ASF with 1/10 CC of wormer or Albon every other month though either.

 

[bullfrog100000]

What about that product a lot of people rave about called PARAZAP.
How about feeding the rats some medicated chick feed in their food. It helps prevent coccidia. The gall we got our beardie from says she mixes this in the substrate her bearies are on actually. We got a 50lb. bag for $8.00.

 

[monkeywrench133]

When I was raising my own feeders, I took all the steps regarding cleaning that Sammy mentioned. I had fecals done on my original 6 breeders, and then did random spot checks every couple months. I only raised them for about 6 months though, so I never got to the point where I was introducing new stock. But I'd say that if you're going to be in it for the long haul, random checks would be a must.

 

[Cat_72]

What about that product a lot of people rave about called PARAZAP.
How about feeding the rats some medicated chick feed in their food. It helps prevent coccidia. The gall we got our beardie from says she mixes this in the substrate her bearies are on actually. We got a 50lb. bag for $8.00.

I don't know that I would feel safe feeding the medicated chick food....it's fine for chickens (and I know rodents will eat it with no ill effects, I've had them chew holes in the bags I had for my broiler chicks), but there are also other kinds of poultry that it is NOT safe to feed it to, as well as not being able to feed it to chickens for so long before slaughter to prevent the human consumption of the meds.....so I don't know how safe it would really be for the reptiles then ingesting the rodents.

I just thought maybe someone would have a tried-and-true treatment, but maybe I'm going to have to do some more thinking, and have a visit with my vet. I guess I have some fecal checks to do anyway.....

 

[bullfrog100000]

Hmmm.

Probably theres no big guarantee or we'd all be doing it for sure.. Heres another thought though.. Many people use natural or Herbal medicinals for animal care. I try to use them whenever possible. Generally they are easier on you or your creatures systems. Wormwood is something you might research. Its been used successfully for centuries to rid humans and other creatures of parasites. You can google it, ask.com , Get links and other good info. from theherbalhealer.com Marijah McCain is an herbalist of note, She does a live internet thing one night a week to answer questions etc.. I have used this w/ My green Iguana's, Mountain horned dragons, bearded dragons, and chuckawallas. YOU MUST be very sure of the amounts you use. The dosing has to be safe.. I would just make sure that rats in particular don't just happen to have some weird allergy to it or something. You know some people are allergic to strawberries and stringbeans ,,go figure...G.