Dog Food For Rats?

[munding]

rats arent popular pets here and there are no available rodent foods like mazuri,harlan and zeigler here, so the only thing available that's big enough not to go through my 1/2 inch mesh is dog food. i was wondering if this might affect their breeding, litter size etc..

i would like to hear from your experiences. thank you very much.

raymond

[MarkS]

I've been feeding dog food for a couple of years, seems to work OK though I have been supplementing a bit with table scraps lately.

[Ginevive]

Isn't it too high on protein alone? I am hoping that someone with a more scientific background than I will chime in. I know that many use the higher-quality dog food in their mixes.
I would see about mail-ordering lab blocks offline. I use the SunSeed brand name.

[MarkS]

Depends on the Dog food. I use a brand that has 18% protein, which is the same as most rodent chows. You have to shop around a bit to find the right one.

[munding]

this is what i am hoping to feed them:
Crude Protein min 21%
Crude Fat min 10%
Fibre max 3.5%
Moisture approx 8%

the name of the brand is vitality classic.

what are the negative effects on feeding them a high protein diet?

thank you

raymond

[ShawnT]

Make sure there are no dye's in the dog food.

[munding]

yes, i already made sure that there are no red dyes and vitality is not part of the food recall by the fda.

thank you.

Raymond

[littleindiangirl]

There are rats out there with allergies to certain food products, and having too high of protein can cause skin problems, and internal organ problems, and I think urinary tract problems.
I don't know the specifics, but it's best to get dog food that has no more than 18% protein for nursing mothers. I think 21% is too high, and your better off mimicking Mazuri or Harlan for percentages of protein, fiber, and ingredients.

I could be massively wrong about this, perhaps Becky will chime in on the specifics.

[Rapture]

Raymond, have you tried contacting feed stores in your area? They may be able to order the rodent block for you if they don't stock it already.

[littleindiangirl]

Yea, where are you located, I'm sure there are some members close by or have been around that can help you locate some rat feed.