My favourite subject, as I studied nutrition extensively in university!
Mixes
...especially seed-based ones, are not suitable as they are often too high in protein, and rats tend to pick out only what tastes best, resulting in malnutrition. They often contain ingredients rats don't eat, such as alfalfa and other pellets.
Lab Blocks
I don’t recommend lab blocks, as they are usually of the poorest quality ingredients fortified with nutrients.
Kibble
A good quality light dog kibble is acceptable, provided it’s supplemented with plenty of fresh foods and vegetables. Cat kibble is way too high in protein. Rats fed low protein diets, unless at the time of pregnancy or lactation, live significantly longer than rats that fed high protein.diets. Their digestive systems are equipped more to handle plant matter, and protein wreaks havoc on their kidneys. If your staple diet is kibble, the protein content should be a maximum of 17%. Over 20%, you will notice your rat starts itching, and develops tiny scabs. Here are some brands of dog kibble that come recommended by a fellow rat owner who is a vet student:
Innova senior
California Natural's Lite
Wysong senior
Wellness senior
Canidae platinum performance
Solid gold hund-n-flocken (gold bag)
Nutro Natural Choices Lite
Sue Bee's Mix
Has been tried by many rat owners I know. I’ve heard consistently negative things about the development of alarming symptoms that ceased when the diet was stopped. I don’t know why this is. I’m guessing the rats might have eaten too much of the uncooked pasta shells….? Or something else the owner added to the mix? Either way, I totally disagree with feeding rats (or humans for that matter) much in the way of refined white products, but starchy uncooked stuff too??? Methinks not!
OK, so what do I have against white refined products? Check back soon to find out.
The Rat Lady's (Debbie Ducommun's) Diet
A diet utilizing whole, healthy ingredients instead of extruded, processed foods.
I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. Check it out at http://www.ratfanclub.org/diet.html
The Zen Rats' Diet
Another diet using fresh, healthy, whole ingredients, which I use in conjunction with a high quality kibble. The problem I have with extruded foods is that although they provide the required nutrients on paper, they lack the enzymes (catalysts in chemical reactions) required to make these nutrients work. Therefore they cannot in fact be nutritionally complete. If vitamin and mineral tablets were made into blocks, humans could not subsist healthily on it either, correct? Believe it or not, I make up half of my rats’ diet by hand. This was on the recommendation of my vet, after I was unable to control respiratory disease in a pair of young rescue rats of mine. It took over 6 months, but one of them is over two now, and is much healthier than she ever was as a youngster.
Another ingredient I have a problem with is the use of corn in pet foods as a cheap filler.
Is the great health and lifespan of Zen Rats due more to their genetics or their diet, hmmm? Why don’t you try the Zen Diet and find out?
** I solve the problem of quantity by freezing what I will not use in a couple of days into icecube trays, and insulating properly to prevent freezer burn.
