Rat and things they can eat

Question
QUESTION: Can Rats have honey? What foods shouldn't be given to Rats? My husband and I keep fighting about this, my vet said Rats can have just about anything people eat...I know peanuts aren't good for them....

ANSWER: Hi Jackie

Check out my website below and I have a list of everything that they can and cannot have.

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/ratsandahealthydiet.htm

Honey is one thing they do NOT need. Its too thick for starters, and like peanut butter, it is a very real choking hazard and can block the airway. I have seen this happen to clinic rats and watch the vet try to save them but it was always too late.

Your vet is incorrect to suggest rats can have just about anything people eat.  Rats have different nutritional needs than humans do for starters. Also, rats should have a low protein and low fat diet. A diet high in protein will destroy a rats kidneys by the time they are 2 years old. Seed mixes sold for rats at pet stores are the worst things that a rat can eat daily. Your vet must not be a certified exotic companion mammal vet or he would know this.

Anyhow check it out (my site)for recipes for home made food and other ideas plus as stated before, a list of foods they can and cannot have.


Hope this helps :)


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

QUESTION: oops, I guess I should have said, a honey wheat pretzel, not just honey...my vet is a certified exotic companion mammal vet and a vet teacher for 25 years...She opened her own practice about a year ago...She's got great employees...they all have some kind of exotic pets...I went to her for my moluccan cockatoo..I knew he was sick but couldn't find a vet that treated M2 that knew what they were doing...One of her first questions was do you have any other pets and when I said Rats wow did that get everyone going...They love Rats in that office and birds......The vet said Rats could eat almost everything we eat not that it was good for them...Just as a treat she said it would be ok...We feed the rats regal rat food, heart shaped...The vets favorite food for Rats so at least I'm doing that right...She also said Lafeber's nutei-berries was good for them...They do like them..It's kind of nice being able to give the Rats the same things I give my bird..We took the rats in due to mites that we just can't get rid of...(only one Rat has them)She said Bleach their cage (1 part bleach to 5 parts water) and she didn't think much of the freezing their litter etc...She did say keep doing it because it would kill the eggs but not the adults...She also said that there is a new kind(type) of mite that comes from China so we should make sure to not use bedding from china...I check the bedding we use its made in  the USA..Wow was that a surprise....Anyhow I check everything now because I won't buy anymore stuff made in china as far as bedding and food...or toys..thanks for the help and site..

Answer
You can put the litter in the freezer for 24 hours to kill any possible mites that may exist regardless where the bedding comes from.

I should apologize for jumping on you about your vet. I see or should I say "read" so much stuff and so many bad diagnosis that half the time these people that write in are not taking their rats to qualified vets. I am still upset over someone that wrote in after having her beloved rat put down because of head tilt and the vet told her it was a brain tumor.  SHe had a necropsy done after I suggested it and it was simply an inner ear infection. Because of the vets lack of experience this rat died for nothing. I also know there are just a few hundred avian exotic vets in the world and when everyone says they see an exotic vet (someone that lives in a state that doesnt even have one to brag about) half the time they are NOT even certified to see the dogs and cats they see. I am serious.
So when I read where a vet said to feed the rat anything ( I misunderstood) I was like.....whoa boy, here we go.  
SO I apologize. I am usually not so brash or harsh but lately I have been upset. This has taught me not to judge so quickly again.
And regal rat is the BEST adult rat food you can use, perfect protein levels and all.  I love the smell too. My rats have a love-hate relationship with it. Sometimes they love it and other times it sits and sits and sits.  

Any how thanks for the tip about the new mites from China. I will have to start looking to see where I get my aspen from. I never even thought of that before. I just freeze the bag for a day or two before using it.