Safe to Feed?

I found a rat last night in her cage and she was struggling to breath. She was laying on her side, gasping. I quickly ended her suffering but I was wondering if she'd be safe to feed.

The group is housed in a glass tank with a glass water bottle and I feed a home-made mix. All ingredients in the mix are safe for use in mice and rats. The bedding is aspen shavings. They were just placed in the tank about a week ago and the others in the group are acting and eating normally.

Most likely whatever killed the rat won't harm a snake, but for a few bucks why take the risk.

I always throw them out. Not worth the risk of any of the possible anomolies. Say a metal shaving flew off a mixing machine at the food processing plant. It would now be in your snake.

good point. I use a homemade mix, not pellets. this would be human grade ingredients. ill throw the rat out just to be on the safe side.

THROW HIM OUT?!?!?!? HAVE A FUNERAL!!!

omg make sure you have bagpipes! have them play amazing grace AND the theme form braveheart

freeze it for 2 weeks, will kill any parasites that might be in it.. i would feel fine using it...but i have cottonmouths....i feel fine feeding them road kill. =)