Rat Dietary Needs (The Do's & Don'ts of Food)

Rat Dietary Needs

        A proper diet is essential for your rat’s good health. Rats are omnivorous, which means they eat both plant and animal material. Please do not try to convert your rats into vegetarians. They need animal protein, and cannot live on plant protein alone. Rats love food in general and will eat almost anything you put in front of them, savouring every morsel. They seem to eat when bored, even when sick or just for something to do. Rats love junk food just like us. Try to keep their diet as healthy as possible. Stay away from sugar. There are many healthy treats that you can offer your rats. Eating the same thing every day can also become boring just as it does for people. Hopefully I can give you some ideas on how to add some variety in their diet, while keeping them healthy at the same time.
Most commercial rat foods are unhealthy and should not be fed to rats. Most contain harmful additives, waste foods and chemical preservatives. Some contain (whole kernels of)* corn that could even contain fungus and mold, tiny seeds and also alfalfa pellets which are hard for rats to digest and they usually don’t care for it any way. Some rabbits have been known to develop a condition called “Sludge” if fed too much alfalfa.

           Rats should be fed a good “lab-block” not dog or cat food. Lab-blocks are a complete nutritional diet that meets the nutritional requirements of rats. Assorted vegetables and fruit should be provided at a minimum 3 times a week. Lab-blocs are hard food made especially for rats. You can usually find them in most pet stores or feed stores. Lab-blocks, such as Harlan Teklad, Hagen Nutri-blocks, Oxbow or Mazuri, should be the main staple of your rat’s diet. They also keep their teeth from becoming overgrown.
Now you must try to keep protein levels within healthy limits. Protein range should be around 16 to 18 percent. Pregnant or nursing females as well as babies up to 13 weeks old can be fed a higher protein ratio. If rats are fed too much protein this can lead to protein scabs as well as excess orange looking grease on the skin of males.

       If you notice that your male has too much grease, and it’s taking away from his natural beauty, you need to cut down on the level of protein in the diet. Try adding more grains and pasta to his diet and bathing them in Palmolive or Sunlight antibacterial dish detergent and it will also help cut this grease.

 

Approved Rat Foods

Grains:

dry vegetable pasta twists (beet, spinach, tomato, carrot and squash)
3/4 green split peas mixed with 1/4 yellow split peas
 large natural oats
 “Cheerios”, “Rice Krispies” and Corn Bran cereals
 pumpkin seeds – raw, unsalted
 dried cranberries or dried blueberries

Fresh FRUITS may include but are not limited to:

strawberries

grapes (seedless)
bananas
pears
apples
oranges (only for does, which helps protect against cancer, NOT FOR MALE RATS)
watermelon
cantaloupe
kiwi fruit
papaya
raisins
avocado
tomatoes
nectarines
peaches
plums
honeydew melon
mango
blueberries
Please make sure to remove the pits from any fruit. Do not feed the skin on avocados.

Fresh VEGETABLES include but are not limited to:

squash
mustard greens
collard greens
romaine lettuce
spinach
cucumber
alfalfa sprouts
zucchini
pumpkin
asparagus
broccoli
cauliflower
brussels sprouts
carrots
celery
fennel
Sweet potato, yams (cooked. DO NOT feed raw!)

and sometimes cooked corn on the cob

Too much fruit or roughage can lead to diarrhea. Some vegetables such as asparagus, broccoli and cauliflower can cause gas so feed in moderation.
 

What NOT To Feed Your Rat(s)

·        Too much cheese            (use a tiny bit as a treat)
·        Too much peanut butter   

 (can cause a rat to choke and they cannot vomit. They lack the necessary muscles that would allow them to do so.)
·        dried corn     (can cause liver cancer)
·        Iceberg lettuce      (full of water and has no nutritional value)
·        Orange juice or orange peel,    (this causes cancer in male rats, although it protects against mammary tumors in does.)
·        Blue cheese dressing   (toxic!)
·        licorice
·        rhubarb
·        red cabbage    (causes gas)
·        artichokes    (causes gas)
·        raw banana, potato skins, green or starchy potatoes   (not ripe all the way)
·        poppy seeds can cause neurological damage and sometimes death
·        “junk foods”    (chips, fast food products, beware of buffet foods with preservatives in them)
·        Excessive candy and/or chocolate. 

One chocolate chip, for instance, is fine and often acts as a bronchio-dilator which helps rats with respiratory problems.
 

Occasional Treats:

·        rice cakes
·        cheese
·        baby food
·        mixed baby cereal
·        chicken bones
·        dog biscuits
·        soya milk
·        fish sticks
·        cooked rice and pasta
·        active yeast cultured yogurt contains good bacteria that aids digestion·        
·        cooked pasta and rice

Whole Protein Sources:

·        chicken
·        beef
·        tuna
·        salmon
·        oysters
·        shrimp
·        liver

♥ A Healthy Rat Is A Happy Rat ♥

 

Updated:   08.11.2016    Brit  Piluke    BritPiluke@hotmail.com

Full permissions granted to print and distribute this list as long as not altered unless speaking with myself first so I may confirm the benefits or concerns.