Good Rat Diet?!?

Question

I bought this expensive cereal/grain and nut mix from the shops called "Metabolic, Super Smart Breakfast Blend". Do you think that it is good if i mix it in with my staple rat`s diet (lab blocks, rat mix and suebee`s rat diet)?

Ingredients: Rice bran flakes, seeds (sunflower, pumpkin), nuts (almond, hazelnut), organic barley flakes, puffed kamut brand wheat, rolled triticale, roasted buckwheat, amaranth, puffed millet, spices.

Thankyou, all answers appreciated!

Answer 1

Studies have shown that a diet in low fat and low protein content can prolong the lifespan of your rat.  That being said, it's important to primarily feed rats a balanced, quality lab block, which will have most of the important nutrients they need.  Make sure its low in fat and protein.  Kim's Ark (online) sells Harlan lab blocks for $1/lbs plus shipping. For my two rats I get 10lbs and that usually lasts about 4-6 months.  You can balance it out by feeding them fruits, veggies, cereal, and the occasional treat.

While your blend sounds pretty interesting, you should really avoid giving your rats lots of nuts, as they are high in fat.  You should also avoid feeding them dried corn, as studies have found that a fungus lives in the corn that reacts badly to their stomach and can cause cancer.

As a side note, I have found it's usually better to feed your rats one time during the day vs keeping their food bowl filled at all times.  Rats can overeat and get fat.  It's also easier to monitor their food intake and notice if their are getting sick, and how much to cut back if they start getting chunky.  I usually feed mine blocks in the morning and then give them veggies, etc in the afternoon.

Hope that helps.

Answer 2

http://ratguide.com/care/nutrition/diet....