Live feeder with infection?

[Gezus]

New to the forum, not sure if there's a thread on this. I had to work late today and my snake is due a meal, so I had someone stop and pick up a live feeder (the only thing he will eat) when I got home I did a spot check in the tank as always and topped up the water dish.

Then I popped open the feeder box and noticed the rat had one eye it could barely open and the other eye was bulging out of its head and has puss around it, the rat is also displaying weird movement and making noises.

Ive chosen not to feed it to the snake for the time being and have contacted the shop it was purchased from. But they are closed till tomorrow, I've found mixed answers on weather it's safe to feed a reptile a sick or infected prey item.

So is it safe to feed a snake a rodent that has an eye infection?

Any advice is appreciated, for the time being I have a hungry ball python and his meal has turned house guest and is getting food and water while being quarantined away from my other pets......

[toddnbecka]

Perfectly fine to feed to the snake, whatever is wrong with the rat won't be contagious to a reptile. In the wild it's the sick animals that are preyed upon first.