Colleen
Aussie Rat Owner 
Andy
Posts: 405
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Post by Colleen on Aug 5, 2008 21:02:39 GMT 10
Food dies??
didn't know they dyed cat and dog food.
Natural brands of cat/doog food would be much better, something live Ennova i think its called. it would be fairly expensive but it would be better for rats im guessing.
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Post by kaligneyrats on Aug 23, 2008 21:53:32 GMT 10
My ratties get a mix of dried dog food, fresh fruit, fresh vegies, cereal and leftovers daily, with fresh meat, canned cat food, bread and the leftovers from the restaurant where my partner works twice weekly. I also mix a rodent multivitamin in their daily water, strengthening the dosage for sick or pregnant ratties.
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Post by jaderattie on Sept 2, 2008 14:09:50 GMT 10
My rats get a home made grain mix which contains, wild bird mix, rolled oats, museli, sunflower seeds, and cat or dog kibble usually a brand with no added colours, in with this i mix dried fruits and different low sugar cereals. They always get this. For breakfast i'll give them fruit, like bananna, apple, watermelon, strawberries etc and in the evening they get brown rice and pasta, mashed potato, peas, corn and avacado, or whatever i'm eating. I give them chicken twice a week in their evening meal.
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Post by brendan on Sept 4, 2008 1:43:15 GMT 10
i feed mine cubes, dog food, fruit and vegies
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Post by lillian on Sept 4, 2008 15:47:43 GMT 10
Where can you buy yoghurt drops?? I have heard so many people say that their rats love to eat them but I have never seen them!!
I would really appreciate it if someone can fill me in on this.
Thanks
Lil.xx
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Post by christie on Sept 6, 2008 10:28:36 GMT 10
I get yogurt drops from the Pets at Home store in Fountain Gate. They are sold for dogs, but are just as good for the rattys.
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Post by wulfyskingdom on Sept 6, 2008 12:10:42 GMT 10
I've heard you can buy yoghurt drops from health food stores but i must be looking in the wrong ones cause i cant find any. I get mine from pet stores too
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Post by lillian on Sept 6, 2008 16:15:21 GMT 10
Thank you!! I knew I asked this question somewhere but do you think I could find it again???!!!!! LOL. I will ask the pet store I like near me. I have never seen them anywhere to be honest. My girls love fresh yoghurt so it stands to reason they would love yoghurt drops too  Thanks again for the help. I cant wait to see the rest of the forum. I am sure there will be heaps of things to find out there. Lil.xx |
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Post by lillian on Sept 6, 2008 16:26:11 GMT 10
Yay!!!!! ;D Found some at a pet store near me I bet I have happy ratties tomorrow. Going to get some as soon as they open at 10.30am! Lil.xx |
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Post by barrya on Sept 9, 2008 22:02:40 GMT 10
For a long time i fed Barastoc rat and mouse cubes but have found recently that the quality is not as good as it was . I am now mixing my own food again . That way i know just what my babies are receiving in their diet . I use a good workhorse mix as a base and add other grains to it . They also are fed vegies every day , a little wholemeal bread each night . In the morning i feed a pet food mince that is very high in protein . As rats need 20% protein i am trying to acheive this by my mix . It seems to be working as my last 2 litters were of 14 and 15 and although both are young girls they are rearing the babies without losing weight and the bubs are thriving also .
Another little treat my rats receive is wheatbix in warm water and rolled oats each day . Ok i spend a lot of time with my rats but i am retired and the rats are a part of my family and give myself and my wife countless hours of enjoyment .
Barry
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Post by barrya on Sept 9, 2008 22:05:07 GMT 10
Oh forgot my rats love fresh yogurt also . my wife feeds this to them each morning . Another treat is low fat ice cream .
Barry
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Post by kaligneyrats on Sept 10, 2008 13:11:58 GMT 10
We just changed part of what we feed them - a mixture of dry porridge mix, yoghurt, pesto/diced tomatoes in juice, dry cat and/or dog food, a fresh chicken carcass, carrot, diced apples and pears, cheese, diced cucumber and frozen vegies. It's a work in progress, but they all seem to love it when it's all mixed together. Just tried it out this morning and the boys and babies went crazy for it lol
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Post by dimruthien on Sept 10, 2008 15:45:30 GMT 10
. As rats need 20% protein i am trying to acheive this by my mix . No no no! Rats do not need 20% protein, in fact that is far too high for adult rats! Rats require 15% protein. This is different for pregnant and nursing does, but generally don't give rats more than 16-17% protein. An excess of protein causes skin problems, including itching and sores. www.rmca.org/Articles/homemadediet.htm |
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Post by barrya on Sept 10, 2008 17:22:14 GMT 10
I agree with the statement that rats only require 15% protien. Yes in the past we were led to believe that too high protien was bad for rats . Now if speaking to a rodent vet they will tell you that rats require 20% . This is not what i was told 15 years ago , in fct then we were advised that you should not feed cat food as the protien content was too high .
Check barastoc and many similar rodent cubes and you will find they are 20% protien. I discussed this with my vet as it was contary to what i believed and was advised that rats require 20%. I would be interested in what other breeders think of this as i found that i i was getting better results with my mix . With rodent cubes i found that i was gtting many still bornsand even does not able to bear litters . now with my mix i am not having those problems.
Barry
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Post by kaligneyrats on Sept 10, 2008 19:31:35 GMT 10
I was told by my vet to give them between 17% and 20% protein and a small amount of milk once a week.
Although, I have found that the higher the protein they consume the healthier they are and the more babies they have in a litter.
My first girl was fed on a 20% to 25% protein diet and ended up having 19 babies in her second litter, including a dwarf... her first litter had 15, and all have been larger and more well adjusted than my other girls and boys who I feed 17% protein to... although, the chicken carcass's have been improving them and the occasional fresh egg has helped.
It would also have to depend on the rat as well, as genetics would have to play a big part in how they handle certain levels of protein, calcium and other vitamins and minerals.
I was told when I first got rats not to feed them to much protein as it affects their livers... the only problems I've had with any of my rats over the past year is an outbreak of myco, one girl getting a kidney infection and two girls getting the rat flu from being exposed to wild mice while in quarantine.
The vet always says they are healthy and that their livers are fine, so I must be doing something right lol
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