- water facts
- rat nutritional needs
- what's really in your rat's food
- rat food myths
- rat food truths
- rat recipes
- rat food ingredients
You will read a lot about different rat diets post on the web. I personally don't agree with a lot of what people list as a "complete" rat diet. First, rats don't need quite as much protein as most people think. In addition, protein raises the testosterone levels in rats. You will see some rats with yellow to orange tinted skin. This means that their testosterone levels are too high....they are being given too much protein. Cut out all the meat based proteins and their skin goes back to a healthy pink. You will also see rats who bruise or get cut easily, especially around their face and necks. This is also a sign that the rat is eating too much protein. And you'll see dog food listed. Dog food is for dogs. Not for rats. Plain and simple. Also, dog foods generally contain very high amounts of meat based proteins (see above).
In addition to dog food, you will see certain cereals listed as a source of grains. One that I hear, and cringe over, is Total Cereal. Please be aware that most cereals are preserved with BHT. BHT is a man-made preservative. It is very controversial. I have taken the time to find studies on it, mainly ones relating to it as a cancer causing agent. I have found them, and most list BHT as a cancer causing agent in rats and mice. Please read the label on any cereals you give your rats...look for BHT. Lastly, concerning store bought rat foods and lab blocks. Most store bought rat food contain BHT. I have found that those that don't, my rats only pick out what they want from the food and leave the rest. I don't feel that they are getting enough variety in the one or two things they do eat for it to be a healthy diet. This is also a waste of money.
Lab blocks...well, if rats are used as testing animals for what we humans can eat, etc., why aren't there human lab blocks for us to sustain ourselves on? Also, most lab blocks are preserved once again with BHT, as well as have high protein levels.
Where does this leave you? Easy.....fruits, vegetables, pastas, rices and grains....preferably organic. Fruits: Any fruits. You can also give them fruit juices as well as things like apple sauces, etc. Do not give male rats oranges, as studies show that D-Limonene, a component of oranges, may produce tumors in male rats. Filtered or Bottled Water Enriched Soy, Rice, Oat, or Almond Milk - rats love this stuff!! And, it is a wonderful supply of non-animal based protein. Organic brands exist. Vanilla, Strawberry and Plain are some great flavors. Multigrained Cereals (3 or 4 different kinds all mixed up) and oatmeal - Just check the healthy section of your grocery store and you will find plenty of organic cereals. If you choose oatmeal, get the whole oatmeal, not the quick cook stuff. Also, if you have trouble finding organic cereals, non-organic are fine...but read the labels for BHT and watch the sugar contents. Cooked Pasta, or Long-grained Brown Rice, or Couscous - There are both organic versions of these and non-organic. If you go with pasta, try to find the whole wheat or whole-grained pasta...much healthier for your rats. Haven't heard of couscous? Ah, what a wonderful grain. It is similar to rice, except it is sweeter, and cooks in half the time. Consider boiling the above with tomato soup, chicken broth or veggie broth for more flavor. Veggies – broccoli, asparagus, cauliflower, carrots, water chestnuts, mushrooms, red bell pepper, yellow bell peppers, eggplant, squash, zucchini, chickpeas, sugar peas, snow peas, etc. You name it...they pretty much love it. Avocados are a hit, but high in fat, so feed sparingly. Also, field mix and baby spinach served fresh are a favorite. Occasionally I give my ratties left over chicken bones to munch on. Since rats' teeth are sharper, there is no worry of splintering as there is with dogs. I may also from time to time give them fresh fish for a treat. Same with seeds, please feed sparingly, as they are very high in protein.
WHAT's REALLY IN YOUR RAT'S FOOD?
Vegetable - Dairy - Meat based proteins....
Nutritionists use the phrases
"complete protein" and "incomplete protein" to describe the proteins
provided by various foods. If a food supplies a sufficient amount of the nine essential
amino acids, it is called a complete protein. Virtually all proteins from animal foods are
complete. Foods that lack or are short on one or more of the essential amino acids - such
as some fruits, grains, and vegetables - are called incomplete proteins. Such
plant-derived foods can nonetheless be excellent sources of protein if eaten in
combinations that supply all of the essential amino acids. For example, the amino acids
missing in a vegetable can be provided by eating a grain product, another vegetable, or an
animal-derived protein at the same meal.
– In long term rat studies, intake of red meat in comparison to whey protein (16%
dietary protein) was associated with a 10% increase in body weight (McIntosh et al, 1995)
Rats made anemic by iron-deficient diets were given equivalent amounts of iron as FeSO4, horse spleen ferritin, baked soybean meal, or soybean meal plus ferritin. Full recovery (89-109%) from anemia and increased tissue iron occurred after 28 d of treatment with any of the iron sources J Nutr. 1996 Jan;126(1):154-60.
Protein Quality Comparisons
The Protein Digestibility-Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) is a relatively new method of protein quality evalution that takes into account the digestibility of a food protein and the amino acide content. The PDCAAS method utilizes the amino acid requirements of humnas. It has replaced the Protein Efficiency Ratio (PER) that considered only the amino acid requirements of rats and measured the growth of rates that were fed test proteins. The PER underestimated the value of vegetable proteins. Today, the Food and Drug Administration uses PDCAAS for food labeling in the U.S. and it is considered the desired method for protein quality evaluation.
| Food
Proteins Currently in Use Isolated
soy protein |
PDCAAS
|
SOURCE: Protein Quality Evaluation, Report of the Joint Food and Agriculture Organization / World Health Organization Expert Consultation, 1989
| Sources of Protein | ||
| The foods below are all good sources of protein. The listed protein amounts are averages. Many foods that are relatively high in protein are also high in fat, so the chart indicates the percentage of fat accompanying each food. Try to limit your intake of protein sources that derive more than 30 percent of their calories from fat. | ||
Protein |
Fat |
|
| Dairy and eggs | ||
| Cheddar cheese, 1 oz. | 7 | 70% |
| Cottage cheese (2%), ½ cup | 16 | 17% |
| Egg, 1 medium | 6 | 68% |
| Ice cream, hard, vanilla, ½ cup | 2 | 48% |
| Milk, skim, 1 cup | 8 | 5% |
| Mozzarella, part skim, 1 oz. | 8 | 56% |
| Ricotta, part skim, ½ cup | 10 | 53% |
| Yogurt, low-fat, plain, 1 cup | 12 | 25% |
| Meat and fish (4 oz.) | ||
| Chicken, light meat, roasted, no skin | 31 | 26% |
| Ground beef, extra lean, broiled | 33 | 56% |
| Sirloin steak, choice cut, trimmed, broiled | 35 | 37% |
| Tuna, canned, in water | 33 | 12% |
| Turkey breast, roasted, no skin | 24 | 6% |
| Grains | ||
| Oatmeal, 1 cup cooked | 6 | 12% |
| Rice, brown, 1 cup cooked | 5 | 4% |
| Spaghetti, 1 cup cooked | 6 | 5% |
| Whole wheat bread, 2 slices | 6 | 13% |
| Legumes and nuts | ||
| Almonds, 1 oz. | 6 | 82% |
| Cashews, dry roasted, 1 oz. | 4 | 71% |
| Lentils, ½ cup cooked | 8 | 4% |
| Lima beans, ½ cup cooked | 8 | 3% |
| Peanut butter, 2 Tbsp. | 10 | 76% |
| Red kidney beans, ½ cup canned | 8 | 4% |
| Soybeans, ½ cup cooked | 10 | 38% |
| Tofu, 4 oz. | 9 | 55% |
VEGGIE FACTS
THE TOP TEN VEGGIESTaking into consideration the following factors - protein, fiber, beta carotene, vitamin C, B-vitamins, folate, calcium, zinc, iron, and phytonutrients - here are our top ten veggies in alphabetical order: Artichokes Honorable mention: kale, sweet peppers, chili peppers, pumpkin |
TOP PROTEIN VEGGIESTofu (1/2 cup) 10 grams Honorable mention: Other vegetables that |
TOP VITAMIN C VEGGIESSweet peppers (1/2, large) 170 mg. Honorable mention: Tomato, cauliflower, |
TOP FIBER-FILLED VEGGIES
Artichoke (1 medium) 16 grams DV (Daily Value) Children: 10 grams; Adults: 25 grams |
TOP BETA CAROTENE VEGGIESSweet potatoes (1) 11.0 mg. |
TOP CALCIUM VEGGIESTofu (1/2 cup, firm) 258 mg. Honorable mention: Kale, beans, |
TOP FOLIC ACID VEGGIESArtichoke (1 medium) 153 mg. |
TOP IRON VEGGIESTofu (1/2 cup, firm) 5-10 mg. Honorable mention: Beet greens, |
TOP ZINC VEGGIESTofu (1/2 cup, firm) 2.0 mg. |
For more information on Rattie-Express or any of our animals, please email me (Tara) at rattie.express@comcast.net.
Rattie Express, located in Reading (Allentown, Harrisburg, Philadelphia) PA, is a rattery dedicated to rat rescue, rehabilitation and adoption of rats as pets, includes information on rat adoption, nutrition and care. Rat Adoption, rat adoption PA, rat adoption Reading PA, rat adoption pa, adoptable rats, rat rescue PA, rat rescue pA, Reading, PA, rescued rats, Allentown, Harrisburg, Philadelphia.