2 female rats

Question
QUESTION: i know rats need to chew things because their teeth continue to grow. Is it ok to give them paper towel tubes?  How about nuts in a shell like walnuts or almonds? We also give them chew treats.  I know squirrels will chew on bones to keep their teeth healthy,can rats chew on pork or beef bones? Thanks foe your attention in these matters!

ANSWER: Hi

Actually, there is no truth to it that rats need to chew on things in order to keep their teeth to a normal healthy length. Their teeth naturally grind as they eat and also when they brux (when they grind their teeth real fast during times when happy, but sometimes when angry or ill)  They "like" to chew, since rodent means gnawing small mammal, but they dont have to be given anything special for the purpose many think, but for their natural satisfaction. They may gnaw up the paper towels in 3 seconds flat. They make mammal safe chew toys for chinchillas that I like to use (they are made out of a nice smooth wood that wont splinter like other soft woods or like bones can) To many nuts can contribute to obesity and also add too much protein to their diet so its not good to depend in giving them nuts for gnawing purposes.  Please see my site, sandyscrittercity.com and refer to the info about their teeth (also learn about ailments of their teeth such as malocclusion, which is when their jaw is not aligned right and their teeth may grow crooked) this is why rat owners think that they need to chew, when they have malocclusion and they assume it was because they did not gnaw on stuff like other animals need to such as cavy.   Also there is a page on food and some healthy foods for them such as a high quality dog biscuit made by Wellness or Blue Buffalo.  Be sure that the dog biscuits do not contain corn or animal by products as this is not good for our rats or any animal for that matter.  Hope this helps.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: our rat has an infection the vet said it could gotten it from it's mama or another rat. could it be brought on from the dirty rat litter

Answer
Absolutely.  This is called mycoplasmosis and you need to learn about it on my website.  The cage MUST be cleaned all the time to prevent this. It is a bacteria that invades the rats lungs and can be fatal.  Here is the link to my site. ALso learn on my site how to litter box train your rats to keep the cage cleaner.

http://www.sandyscrittercity.com/mycoplasmosispage.htm