What types of dog food can be fed?

I've decided to get a trio of weaned rat pups to raise them as pets and breeders so I don't have to spend too much money each week to purchase rats for my snakes.

I've been told they are very friendly and not as smelly as mice can get. I have a 20 gallon long I can put them in, or a 10 gallon if the 20 gallon is too large for the trio of rat pups.

I was wondering what type of dog food is best to feed the rats, since I've read some dog foods aren't very good for them to chow on. If you breed/have rats, what do you feed them or what brands of dog food do you feed them?

Anyone, no one?

I suggest not using any of it as too much will casue problems in production. Dog foods are designed for dogs, as rats will survive off it but will not look taht healthy, as they end up with oily fur and at times lose fur form the amounts of protein and meat in dog food.

I suggest getting mazuri or kent. Kent is cheaper than most dog foods at 13$ for 50lbs

Thanks, I just know a few people who use dog food so I was just curious. Do I put the food in a dish or something and the rats will go in and eat it? And can I find Mazuri or Kent at Petsmart? I have to go there tomorrow to get a couple bags of aspen bedding and crickets so I'm going to check out the food.

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Originally Posted by RichsBallPythons

I suggest not using any of it as too much will casue problems in production. Dog foods are designed for dogs, as rats will survive off it but will not look taht healthy, as they end up with oily fur and at times lose fur form the amounts of protein and meat in dog food.

I suggest getting mazuri or kent. Kent is cheaper than most dog foods at 13$ for 50lbs

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

Thanks, I just know a few people who use dog food so I was just curious. Do I put the food in a dish or something and the rats will go in and eat it? And can I find Mazuri or Kent at Petsmart? I have to go there tomorrow to get a couple bags of aspen bedding and crickets so I'm going to check out the food.

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You wont find 50lbs bags at pet stores, you need to go to feed strores. And you will want to make a food hopper so they cant just grab the food and hide it. They waste way too much foot when left in a bowl.

Petco does have i think 2 lbs bag of Mazuri but its 9.99 compared to 23$ for 50lbs

I would not recommend dog food alone, but you can mix dog food with lab block, make sure there is not too much protein and no red dyes.

I've used dog food, mostly by itself, for over 5 years now with no problems with production. You have to read the labels. I use one that has an 18% protien level and lower in fat. I've found that the cheapest dog food you can find (something you probably wouldn't want to feed to an actual dog) works best for rats. I use 'sprout' brand dog food that I get at Mills Fleet Farm. I've heard that the doggy bag brand that you can find at Tractor Supply also works well.

Thanks guys that really helps. Though, I'm kind of wondering how I can prevent the rodents from taking the food and hiding it around the enclosure. I'm going to use a 20 gallon long for my trio (the male will be in a 10 gallon when they are 4-5 weeks old) so I'm not sure how I can prevent them from taking food and hiding it.

The most efficient way to feed rodents and avoid waste of food and money is to have a food hopper if you do not have a rack, here is a DIY on how to make one http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=70391

Yeah honestly just find a feed store near you, the food will last you 2-3 months and you can just seal it up airtight and not have to buy food for a while. Plus you can usually get a 8 cubic foot bale of aspen for $25 which is pretty good.

I really would recommend getting something else for the rats to live in thats open air and not that closed off. But the best thing i can recommend if you keep them in that aquarium is that you change the bedding very frequently. If you let it go to long it will start to get real soaked and will be difficult to clean out of that silicone and the corners.

Yeah i would just make a food hopper like pointed out above and hang it over the side of the aquarium. That way no food is wasted and everyone is happy!

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Originally Posted by Deborah

The most efficient way to feed rodents and avoid waste of food and money is to have a food hopper if you do not have a rack, here is a DIY on how to make one http://ball-pythons.net/forums/showthread.php?t=70391

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That's just AWESOME. I might as well make one of those. I'm just confused on where to hang it?

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Originally Posted by steveboos

Yeah i would just make a food hopper like pointed out above and hang it over the side of the aquarium. That way no food is wasted and everyone is happy!

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My lid slides in and locks so it's going to be a bit more difficult to just hang it over the side.:weirdface

Hey Tiffany,
the food hopper is a great idea. I would up the size of it though.
I made a few of those, they are better if you double the size.
The wire will go over the top of the tank and still allow you to get the screen top on.
Oh, and be careful the wire is very sharp. I would wear gloves.

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Originally Posted by Dave763

Hey Tiffany,
the food hopper is a great idea. I would up the size of it though.
I made a few of those, they are better if you double the size.
The wire will go over the top of the tank and still allow you to get the screen top on.
Oh, and be careful the wire is very sharp. I would wear gloves.

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Thanks Dave, from seeing pictures those wires do look pretty sharp so I will for sure wear gloves.

Also, for food, I found this on the Tractor Supply website, so I was wondering if this was okay? They don't have any feed specifically for rats or mice, so I found this http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-car...25-lb--2183375

And I found this for bedding http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-car...cu-in--2455829

This store is about 30-40 minutes away from my house, but I guess I could go there to get it unless Petsmart has large aspen bedding bags.

Petsmart actually carries bales bigger than 2.5 cu ft. They sell 4 cu ft ones for 12.99. Also NEVER use rabbit food for rats as the alfalfa and other ingredients aren't good for them and you might just have issues down the road.

If yours is the critter cage with the lid that slides off from the side, then you have 4 grooves in the plastic to fit wires and other probes through, just cut the metal mesh to size and it will close and snap shut. You can fit a water bottle in the other larger opening too.

You really need rat food for rats. See if you can locate a dealer.
https://www.mazuri.com/Home.asp?Products=2&Opening=4

Aspen is good. Much better than cedar. Pine is ok.

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

Also, for food, I found this on the Tractor Supply website, so I was wondering if this was okay? They don't have any feed specifically for rats or mice, so I found this http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-car...25-lb--2183375

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I wouldn't use rabbit food for rats, as was said the alfalfa isn't real good for them, hard to digest. If you want a dog food, I would use this one.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-car...40-lb--5073121 Like I said before, I wouldn't use this stuff for a dog, but for rats it's not bad.

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Originally Posted by MarkS

I wouldn't use rabbit food for rats, as was said the alfalfa isn't real good for them, hard to digest. If you want a dog food, I would use this one.
http://www.tractorsupply.com/pet-car...40-lb--5073121 Like I said before, I wouldn't use this stuff for a dog, but for rats it's not bad.

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Is it okay to use this as a staple or would I need the mazuri too?

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Originally Posted by CoolioTiffany

Is it okay to use this as a staple or would I need the mazuri too?

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well I've been using something similar for years all by itself, I guess just try it and find out yourself. With just the 4 rats it's not going to cost you that much either way you decide to go.

I buy: Pet Mouse and Rat Food at Walmart.
$2.28 for a 1.5 pound box.
I think you'll decide not to use dog food. Not good for the rodents and makes them stink more.

I actually found a couple places I'll be going to for the bedding and Mazuri rat food. One of them is right next to our family restaurant and the other is by my old elementary school. I checked it out on Mazuri.com and found those dealers. :D

Tiff, I reasearched rat nutrition on the AFRMA, for nutrient requirements, and I found that Natural Balance Vegetarian dog food formula was the best choice, and it worked great for me. The rats really liked it too! There was no meat, no corn, and the rotein is at 18%. You'd be surprised at how un-nutritious "rat foods" can be when you read the label!!

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Originally Posted by 4theSNAKElady

Tiff, I reasearched rat nutrition on the AFRMA, for nutrient requirements, and I found that Natural Balance Vegetarian dog food formula was the best choice, and it worked great for me. The rats really liked it too! There was no meat, no corn, and the rotein is at 18%. You'd be surprised at how un-nutritious "rat foods" can be when you read the label!!

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Nice! Would this be good to use as a staple?

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Originally Posted by Jason Bowden

I buy: Pet Mouse and Rat Food at Walmart.
$2.28 for a 1.5 pound box.
I think you'll decide not to use dog food. Not good for the rodents and makes them stink more.

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My rats were thin and ate a ton of this food.

As far as dog food, watch the protein content as many have stated and watch out for the red dyes. I think it was red dye #40. In my experience dog food has made my rats greasy and stink more.

I was lucky to finally find a local supplier of Mazuri. I get 50lbs of Mazuri for around $30. That is $0.60 per pound. I also supplement with fresh foods like oats, corn flakes, bran flakes, veggies, and fruits. Occasionally they also get baby food (I buy meat baby food as treats for my ferrets and pick up the meal type baby foods for the rats).

And Tiffany,in my opinion the Natural Balance food actually DECREASED my rats odor. I'd tried some others, and I just kept going back to that one because my rats liked it the best. It's because of the high quality of the food (Natural Balance), and because the food has spinach and parsley in it. There is just one thing:availability and price. I bred on a small scale(two pair), and the food was at my work. If you're breeding on a large scale, it may not be cost effective to you. For me, quality was very important, as my breeders were also my pets. Most of the commercial rat feeds out there are not very healthy, and tend to make rats obese. Seeds, corn,high protein and sugar,are all no-nos but are all commonly found in most commercial rat feeds. And look out for ETHOXYQUIN, which is also found in a lot of Kaytee brand products....yuk!

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Originally Posted by 4theSNAKElady

And Tiffany, the food actually DECREASED my rats odor. It's because of the high quality of the food (Natural Balance), and because the food has spinach and parsley in it. There is just one thing:availability and price. I bred on a small scale(two pair), and the food was at my work. If you're breeding on a large scale, it may not be cost effective to you. For me, quality was very important, as my breeders were also my pets. Most of the commercial rat feeds out there are not very healthy, and tend to make obese. Seeds, corn,high protein and sugar,are all no-nos but are all commonly found in most commercial rat feeds. And look out for ETHOXYQUIN, which is also found in a lot of Kaytee brand products....yuk!

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I'll look into this product, it seems effective by how you are describing it:gj:

I have fed the cheapy dog food from Tractor Supply exclusively and I average 12 pups per litter and everyone is healthy and fine.

You can also feed hog feed as well.

Rats will make due with just about anything in a pinch.

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Originally Posted by 4theSNAKElady

Tiff, I reasearched rat nutrition on the AFRMA, for nutrient requirements, and I found that Natural Balance Vegetarian dog food formula was the best choice, and it worked great for me. The rats really liked it too! There was no meat, no corn, and the rotein is at 18%. You'd be surprised at how un-nutritious "rat foods" can be when you read the label!!

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but the protein is vegetable matter based.....

a carnivore's digestive tract is not designed to process and survive off of strictly plant matter. It can not digest the cell wall to gain complete and proper nutrition.

I understand that. Rats are not carnivores. Dogs are. Which is why I reccommend this food for rats.....not dogs. The store just carries it....I don't recommend it.

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Originally Posted by 4theSNAKElady

I understand that. Rats are not carnivores. Dogs are. Which is why I reccommend this food for rats.....not dogs. The store just carries it....I don't recommend it.

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you are correct, they are omnivores

just like dogs are.

People need to get this right.

Dogs are carnivores, but they are not obligate carnivores. That is why even people that feed raw diets, add plant matter to their diets. The plant matter is usually blended to imitate pre-digested food that would be in a prey animal's stomach. Dogs CAN survive on a vegetarian diet if it is done correctly. However, they should not be put on a vegan diet.

Rats are omnivores but the bulk of their diet (like humans) should come from plant matter.