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Post by horsegirl on Jul 5, 2008 21:07:36 GMT 10
Hey guys I just have a few questions... First of all does anyone know if bamboo is safe for rats? Either to chew on or eat?? I guess it could also depend on the species of bamboo. I have 2 large bamboo trees on my property and though that if it was safe some parts of the tree would make great chew toys or the leaves would be fun to play in.... Another thing ive noticed is some people mix horse feed in with their rat mix and was wondering how I could work out if what we feed our horses would be ok for ratties?? Its called rice bran or use to be rice pollard, its mainly made up of ground down rice and is normally a powdery texture, although the last bag we bought it was little granules...you can feed it dry but its best mixed with water....so it kinda ends up like porridge type stuff. I guess the protein content would be the important thing to watch?  The next question I have is regrading products to clean cages with, ive read a lot of different suggestions but haven't heard of anyone using Tea Tree?? First of all does anyone know if its harmful?? I know Tea Tree has a huge amount of uses and during the Equine Influenza outbreak when my horses got sick we had to wipe their noses constantly cause they had a lot of yucky brown/green/yellow thick yucky snot, anyway myself and a few other people i know where using face cloths soaked in water with a bit of Tea Tree tonic/oil, im not sure if it helped that much but it may have a natural disinfectant property and I think smells quite pleasant. So any opinions on that?? Thanks Guys  |
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Post by rani on Jul 6, 2008 18:21:34 GMT 10
Hi,
No idea about the Bamboo sorry
The Rice stuff sounds fine as long as it is wetted - the dust is no good for them as you probably know.
My rats eat EVERYTHING - they eat anything left over off our plates...I make them warm porridge from oats or egg/biscuit mix each day - they eat everything. I have heard that too much avocado is not good and my vet advises against more than a tiny amount of dark chocolate (only when they are struggling with breathing) as it contains a neuro toxin.
I wash all my cages with warm soapy water.
I also work as a neonatal intensive care RN and we wash all our beds etc with warm soapy water as it has been proven that antibac/anti sept really isnt any better than the warm water. I figure if it is good enough for humans then it is good enough for rats.
I also leave my cages outside in the sun for as long as possible to dry as sunlight is a natural germ killer.
I personally wouldnt use tea tree as I see no benefit and as they have such a sensitive sense of smell it might be qiute irritating.
Just my two bits worth
Rani
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Post by wulfyskingdom on Jul 6, 2008 22:14:14 GMT 10
I was told that back in the day hospital sheets used to be boiled to kill germs and it was very effective compared to the chemicals they use now instead... is that true?
I would assume drying rat towels in as much sun as possible would be good also?
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Post by horsegirl on Jul 6, 2008 22:45:58 GMT 10
Yeah heat kills most bacteria.....and yes the sun is very good also. Going back to the Horse flu again, half an hour of sunlight would remove any trace of the flu from towels, gear, plastic boxes etc....so yes drying your rat towels in the sun would be good. Thanks for your replies to my questions |
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angel
Aussie Rat Owner 
Posts: 72
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Post by angel on Jul 6, 2008 23:29:15 GMT 10
Bacteria found in hospitals are generally resistant to a lot of things and are little %@#$ to kill no matter what, which is why warm soapy water is just as seemingly effective as disinfectants.
(EDIT) Actually, the fact you use warm water probably has a lot to do with the fact you wouldn't want to use strong disinfectants around critical newborns as well eh? *is silly sometimes*
<---Biotechnology student here.
But anything too strong for your rats is probably a bad idea anyway right?
And tea tree oil is actually a poison, I wouldn't use it with your rats.
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Post by nanakki on Jul 7, 2008 0:35:18 GMT 10
I use warm water to clean the rat things, and it seems to be ok. I sometimes use a bit of washing powder but only because its already in the laundry and i'm lazy.
I'd be careful about using tea tree oil or any other essential oil with rats, these are often considered too strong for pregnant humans, so its doubtful it would be great for rats. On the other hand, if its heavily diluted it might be ok. Its pretty strong though.
Garlic can be used as a natural antibiotic, but it won't help the smell, and i think i read somewhere that garlic isn't reccommended for rats.
I suspect that if they have a bug that can't be killed with more gentle germ removal methods (ie soap and warm water) they might be better off with medicine.
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Colleen
Aussie Rat Owner
Andy
Posts: 405
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Post by Colleen on Jul 7, 2008 9:02:12 GMT 10
I think you can buy garlic capsules. they must be filled with liquid garlic that you can open a pour over your rats food. apparently its good.
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Post by nanakki on Jul 7, 2008 19:05:49 GMT 10
Yeah, you can get garlic capsules from health food shops. Garlic is ok is it? thats good. I tried to find where I read about it being not reccommended but couldn't find it.
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Post by horsegirl on Jul 8, 2008 0:03:28 GMT 10
The breeder where i got my ratties from gives them the chewable garlic & herb tablets from time time, she said half a tablet as much as twice a week. I think that wouldn't be every week though....
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Post by Leeann on Jul 8, 2008 18:29:28 GMT 10
I use a dog shampoo with flea control to wash the cages, then wipe dry with paper towel, then wipe over with vanilla essence to give them a fresh smell.
Tea tree oil could be used in a diluted form to wash the cages or to bath your rats, as it helps discourage mites.
Tried a google search but coming up short on information about aromatherapy oils and usage on rats, but will keep searching.
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Post by nanakki on Jul 8, 2008 19:23:58 GMT 10
I've used Bach Flower remedies for rats, they are very gentle (actually, they are diluted to the point where they are trace elements only). I think it helps - I used mimulus as Bea was so fearful at first. It adds a flavour to water and the rats enjoyed this. Its preserved in alcohol, but four drops dispersed in the water bottle should do no harm at all.
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Post by wulfyskingdom on Jul 8, 2008 21:07:56 GMT 10
hmm... i know ive read a fairly detailed article about using euclyptus oil around rats, but as to tea tree im not sure. I did find this guide (not just the herbal section but the rest) helpful especially when dealing with illnesses. ratguide.com/meds/herbals_health_supplements/ |
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Post by travntill on Jul 17, 2008 16:58:42 GMT 10
I'm not really sure, but you could try researching it on the net to make sure its totally safe for your ratties |
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Colleen
Aussie Rat Owner
Andy
Posts: 405
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Post by Colleen on Jul 17, 2008 18:29:45 GMT 10
Yeah, you can get garlic capsules from health food shops. Garlic is ok is it? thats good. I tried to find where I read about it being not reccommended but couldn't find it. hmmm... well i have read that its not recommended to feed your rats onion or garlic, but i have to say that my rats did eat cooked onion before and they were fine. Garlic, i'm not sure, but i have herd of someone using garlic capsules before with no troubles. So really I'm not too sure about that one. |
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Post by Kim on Jul 17, 2008 18:36:53 GMT 10
I give my rats raw and cooked garlic. I've never had a problem. In fact I believe that garlic is good for their immune system and for keeping some bugs and internal parasites away. I also give them raw and cooked onion again without any problems. |
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