Food

Question
Hello Sandra, I have a question about the food blocks. I haven't been able to find the lab blocks and picked up some FORTI-DIET for mouse,rat and hamsters I should have read the ingredients at pets mart, but didn't. I dont like some of the ingredients I found in it.
This is what it contains: ground yellow corn,dehulled soybean meal,ground wheat,ground oats ground peanuts,,deydrated alfalfa meal,corn gluten meal,dried cane molasses,lignin sulfate,corn sugar,calcium carbonate,salt,dicalcium phosphate,vegetable oil,brewers dried yeast,dried beet pulp,DL-methionine,choline chloride,riboflavin supplement,ferrous carbonate.Then diiferent vitamins, but I wont type them all down. To me it seems like to much sugar. Is this ok or should I take it back ? I truly want the best for my girl.
Thank you so much
In Christ
Yvonne

Answer
Hi Yvonne

Its best to avoid food that lists yellow corn first. Also, how much protein does it list?  I have seen some foods contain up to 23 percent protein which is too high.

Harlan Teklad offers a great rodent block. It has
Lower protein and is  free of alfalfa. It is also corn free.

Regal Rat by Oxbow is another fabulous rat chow for rats over 4 months old.  Listed as its first ingredient: Whole Brown Rice.

You can buy both of these products onliine. I believe my website offers the URL to the source where you can purchase it. Some area vets may be a seller as well.
There are also various diet recipes going around the world of rats that rat keepers make that consist of all healthy foods such as breakfast cereals like dry oatmeal flakes, Total cereal, puffed rice and puffed wheat, cheerios (for a snack) riche chex in moderation, crazy macaroni; the green ones are for spinach and the red ones, unsalted seeds in moderation etc...along with veggies like peas, carrots etc..and even corn (canned, on the cob or frozen) is fine. As a matter of fact, corn is digested contrary to popular belief. The insides of the corn contains complex carbs and vitamin K...its the outer part of the corn we see and assume that corn just goes right through us, which again, is a myth.

You can check my site about proper diet and find more info on  homemade diets too.

Here is the URL:
http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/index.htm

Feel free to do a follow up if you have more questions!

Sandra