# Rat Diet and Lab Blocks HELP



## RattieLove* (May 1, 2013)

Okay so when I first purchased my 2 girls 3 weeks ago the pet store worker recommended I buy the Fiesta Mix *rolls eyes*. Obviously not the best choice but I was unaware at the time. Anyway, the bag is almost up and so is their bedding so I decided to go to a local pet shop (not a chain/big commercial one like petsmart) and see if they had any better choices/better prices for lab blocks (I also bought them Aspen for bedding as Carefresh is super expensive and doesn't last me very long). So I got my girls some Royal Cuisine Rodent Diet blocks, and have yet to feed them any as I'm waiting for the Fiesta mix to finish. So my question is, how many blocks should I feed them a day? My main concern is that my girls are pretty picky eaters. The Fiesta mix already comes with some little blocks mixed in, which my girls always leave for last and only eat it when they have to if ever -.- So I have a feeling they won't be thrilled about the blocks I got them. Should I just have them suck it up and take it? Should I be feeding them something else as well? (aside from treats like yogurt drops, timothy bits, and other treats) I know some people give their rats a bowl of fresh veggies every day as well? I'm not really sure how to go about it all so help would be really appreciated!

Basically the questions I need answered:

How many lab blocks should I give my 2 girls a day?
Should I feed them anything else along with the blocks? If so, how much of whatever else should be fed?
What do I do if they don't eat or like the blocks?
Are the blocks I have good quality? (I'm tight on budget and this is all I can really afford but I want them to have quality)


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## Patientzero (Jan 12, 2012)

I would first suggest to mix the new food in with the old so that they arent shocked by the new food and get a upset stomach(I do this for my rats). Also I like to feed a good mix of food for my rats, the lab blocks are the staple but I go to BulkBarn and buy pasta noodles, lentils, organic puffed rice, shelled nuts(occasional). I also feed them fresh fruit along with human baby food. The more variety to their diet the happier and healthier they will be. As for the type of food it is ok but Harlan or Oxbow would be better, seeing as you are in Toronto you might be able to use this site http://www.chinchilla.ca/list.php?Category=F&source=feed I buy 33lb bags of Harlan off of this site and good prices, they are located in Brampton, so very close to Toronto so you could probably pick it up, if not the shipping is very cheap and very quick. They have 5lb,10lb, and 33lb bags available.


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## Jackie (Jan 31, 2013)

How many lab blocks should I give my 2 girls a day? *I do not limit the amount of blocks my rats eat because I figure they should eat as much as they need and none of them have weight problems. *
Should I feed them anything else along with the blocks? If so, how much of whatever else should be fed? *Simple answer is that the block is the staple of a rat's diet but veggies and fruit are really important and are recommended to be fed every day. Start small, too many veggies/fruits and their stool will be runny. I don't have a certain percentage I just give them whatever (ex. I'll give my three girls 4 baby carrots at a time). Some people say 20% should be fresh food and some people say 50%. We have a sticky that covers some foods they can and can't eat. I always just consult the internet before feeding my rats any new food just in case. They also have have other foods in moderation like proteins (especially if they're growing). Egg is recommended as a rat protein. *
What do I do if they don't eat or like the blocks?* Be patient, but if they really don't like them you'll have to buy something else but some people entice them to start eating blocks by putting a little olive oil (got for fur heath) on them or something else.* *When they get hungry they'll probably eat it. haha*
Also start mixing the blocks with the fiesta mix (because then they'll get used it rather than changing in one swoop) and eventually you'll run out of fiesta. Don't be surprised if they don't start eating the blocks right away, as you said they pick out the tasty bits from the fiesta which is why it's a bad choice for rats in the first place. Like I said they'll adapt to let picky ways when the seeds have all been eaten from the mix.
 I don't know anything about the new brand you mentioned, sorry!


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## Tufty+Flo (May 5, 2013)

I found that my rats liked lab blocks and ate them all up. I mixed them with oats rice lentils and low fat shredded wheat bite size. The lab blocks should be the main ingredient though. I can't tell you how much to feed your rat as all rats are different you can "free feed" give them all at the same time and wait for it to go but my rats got a bit podgy from this so I had to cut down  I would just give them the same amount as the the fiesta mix and also integrate it like the previous post said. 
If you find your rats dont eat them and are picky I would suggest ratrations.com because they have really great and relatively cheap food. It really is one of the best mixes you can get for your rats but postage can sometimes be expensive! 
Best of luck 


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## RattieLove* (May 1, 2013)

Thank you all so much for the insight so far! It's been really helpful. Also, after doing some research, I found out the the lab blocks I have are actually only available in Ontario, specifically in PetValu which is where I got it, and no where else, which is why probably most of you havent heard of them  I will take the advice and start mixing it in with the fiesta, alongside some other foods and veggies. The bag is a good size, will probably last me a while, and was only 10 dollars I believe. I read the few reviews I could find and they had positive feedback. If anything I might just switch to Oxbow or Harlan after I at least get them introduced to the blocks, its just that it tends to be a little pricier, and Im tight on money. Either way, my girls deserve the best and I want to make sure they get it! If anyone has anymore diet tips or wants to answer the questions for me or wants to share their rats diet please do!


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## nicodemus (Feb 21, 2011)

My rats love lab block! Harlan Teklad seems to be one of the best brands. You can get it in bulk for fairly cheap at www.thecraftyrat.com. This website sells a lot of neat rattie stuff.

One thing you want to be careful of is how much protein your rats are taking in, which is why Harlan Teklad is so great. You can choose different percentages of crude protein depending on your rats' life stages. Adult rats should get about 14%. It's important to monitor this because repercussions, such as kidney disease, can form after a while if the rat gets too much protein.

With Harlan Teklad, I believe the "serving size" is about 4-6 pieces/day per rat. Someone please correct me if I am wrong, but I did some research and that's what I came up with, at least for this brand. My rats have stayed healthy on this serving size and their protein levels are fine. Of course, I supplement with daily fresh water, flaxseed, and myriad other veggies and fruits! And pasta, oatmeal, etc.


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## Tufty+Flo (May 5, 2013)

RattieLove* said:


> (I also bought them Aspen for bedding as Carefresh is super expensive and doesn't last me very long).
> [/LIST]


 Sorry I know this thread is old but you did say any other tips would be welcomed so I just thought I'd mention that, although aspen is cheaper than carefresh, it is a wood bedding. It is highly likely that it will cause your rats RI (respitory infection) and probally end up being more expensive of the cost of antibiotics than carefresh itself. Wood shaving and bedding is not suitible for rats but, if you find carefresh expensive (so do I, it's a total rip-off!) then there are lots of cheaper options. If you have a shredder, shredded newspaper is fine although some people say the inks are toxic (I think they are soya based now) but if you don't think that's safe normal paper is fine too, although may be a bit more dusty than newspaper but you can use old bank documents and stuff which is great to get rid of them! It is also 100% recyclable. If you don't have a shredder, you can use fleece bedding which is nice and 100% dust free and if you buy 2 or 3 cuts to fit your cage you can change them and bung one in the wash after 4-5 days! I have just bought Ecobed bedding (£3.20 for 5kg) which is reletivley inexpensive and I am on about my 4th or 5th clean out with it and still not even half way though. Ecobed is like cardboard squares. I am sorry to ramble on, wasn't trying to be petty, only to help but I figure this thread is quite old...



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## RattieLove* (May 1, 2013)

Tufty+Flo said:


> Sorry I know this thread is old but you did say any other tips would be welcomed so I just thought I'd mention that, although aspen is cheaper than carefresh, it is a wood bedding. It is highly likely that it will cause your rats RI (respitory infection) and probally end up being more expensive of the cost of antibiotics than carefresh itself. Wood shaving and bedding is not suitible for rats but, if you find carefresh expensive (so do I, it's a total rip-off!) then there are lots of cheaper options. If you have a shredder, shredded newspaper is fine although some people say the inks are toxic (I think they are soya based now) but if you don't think that's safe normal paper is fine too, although may be a bit more dusty than newspaper but you can use old bank documents and stuff which is great to get rid of them! It is also 100% recyclable. If you don't have a shredder, you can use fleece bedding which is nice and 100% dust free and if you buy 2 or 3 cuts to fit your cage you can change them and bung one in the wash after 4-5 days! I have just bought Ecobed bedding (£3.20 for 5kg) which is reletivley inexpensive and I am on about my 4th or 5th clean out with it and still not even half way though. Ecobed is like cardboard squares. I am sorry to ramble on, wasn't trying to be petty, only to help but I figure this thread is quite old...
> 
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Thank you for the advice, I really appreciate it, although I have to disagree. My girls are doing great on Aspen, and haven't sneezed even once unlike when they were on Carefresh which made them sneeze a lot. I find aspen a lot mor sanitary and much less dusty than carefresh, and it controls odor very very well. I understand it seems wood shavongs may lead to RI's and it makes sense but it's not always the case and not very common either. it moreso depends on the rat itself and its own respiratory system. Newspaper doesnt control odor well and its very absorbent and thats a major issue for me. My girls and I love the aspen and its worked for many many other owners as well  thank you so much for the advice though. If i do notice anything out of the ordinary I will be sure to switch bedding 

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## RattieLove* (May 1, 2013)

Sorry *newspaper is not very absorbent

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## Tufty+Flo (May 5, 2013)

Glad advice was appreciated and interested to hear this as I always thought rats didn't to well on these shavings but I am clearly mistaken! My rats and your rats are most probably very different, mine r very sensitive to dust it seems. At around 6 months they both picked up chronic RI which kinda sucks as baytril didn't work and neither did a steroid injection so they have to live with it  luckily it's not got to their lungs but I must check soon, I think they both need a trip to the vet to sort it out!
Although you say newspaper isnt very absorbent, I have found a great use for it! Next time you clean the rats out, put a couple sheets under the usual bedding. The rats may chew it a bit but when you next clean them out you can just roll up the newspaper with all bedding inside. This catches most of the bedding and saves getting your hands (as) dirty! It really was a great time saver for me, hope this tip might come in handy


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## ratclaws (Nov 11, 2012)

Tufty+Flo said:


> Glad advice was appreciated and interested to hear this as I always thought rats didn't to well on these shavings but I am clearly mistaken! My rats and your rats are most probably very different, mine r very sensitive to dust it seems. At around 6 months they both picked up chronic RI which kinda sucks as baytril didn't work and neither did a steroid injection so they have to live with it  luckily it's not got to their lungs but I must check soon, I think they both need a trip to the vet to sort it out!
> Although you say newspaper isnt very absorbent, I have found a great use for it! Next time you clean the rats out, put a couple sheets under the usual bedding. The rats may chew it a bit but when you next clean them out you can just roll up the newspaper with all bedding inside. This catches most of the bedding and saves getting your hands (as) dirty! It really was a great time saver for me, hope this tip might come in handy
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


Aspen is a hard-wood bedding and is actually recommended for rats, it's soft-wood beddings that are bad for them.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Worth adding not all soft wood beddings are equal either, you can get heat treated dust extracted stuff over here which is incredably low in phenols so probably compariable to hard wood bedding. I dknt know what its like in the states though, asside from aspen which is oretty rare here we tend to have a better choice of beddings


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## Tufty+Flo (May 5, 2013)

Roy learn something everyday!
I've never really come across aspen shavings in the uk though...


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## Tufty+Flo (May 5, 2013)

*you
Sorry!


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