# Vegan rats



## Edie16

I'm thinking of feeding my rats a vegan diet. Has anyone ever tried this? Is this a good idea?


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## Gribouilli

As long as they get ALL their essential amino acids from their vegan diet, your rats will be fine. You will need to add B12 and vitamin D enriched foods or supplement those because those two vitamins are only present in animal foods such as meat or eggs. So unless you know what you are doing, I'd suggest sticking with Oxbow. That being said nany rat blocks such as Mazuri are vegan I believe.


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## moonkissed

I personally do not feel it is fair to impose moral diets on pets. Rats eat meat, perhaps a bunny is a better choice as a pet?

That being said it isn't impossible for rats but it would take some real effort to create your own diet for them and make sure they have all the right amount of micro nutrients they need. That is why lab blocks are so great because it gives them everything they need. It is very easy to give them too much of X and not enough of Y.

Oxbow does contain fish meal, mazuri has animal fat. I believe harlan may be vegan though the company that makes it is heavily involved in animal testing so morally...

Maybe a vegetarian dog food that is very high quality and low protein?


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## Gribouilli

Oops I thought Mazuri was vegan. My rats didn't like the Mazuri though, that's why I switch to Oxbow. I used Natural Balance Vegan for a few months when I first got my girls. They absolutly LOVED it. It is 18% protein, a bit high in fats (8%). I still have some but I need to throw it away as it has been opened for almost two years and haven't used it in 15 months, lol. I think I will get some again just maybe for 10% of their diet or treats as that is how much they love it. Also I have new rats that could use a little more protein- so far I added some extra chicken breast, egg, shrimp, and liver to their diet a few times/week.


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## Mene

There is also the vegetarian teklad, which my babies love. Supplement with lots of green veggies and some vegan chicken, they are good to go.


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## Slimke

@Moonkissed: not everyone gives main vegan food because of the owner's moral. 
On Dutch forums, a lot of experienced people suggest (scientifically proof is not fully given, but they see a difference) that a vegan main diet prevents tumors and kidney problems. 
That is the reason why I feed mainly vegetarian. 

Rats do need animal proteins for growth (most stop growing when they are 8 months), so I feed them by this schedule:
The first 12 weeks, you give the rats animal proteins daily. 
Then until 6 months: 2-3 times per week. 
Until 1 year: 1 time per week. If you see they are still really growing after the six months, you could give a little bit more. 
After that: only once in a while, but less than once a week. 
*Every portion is about a tablespoon big. 

N.B.: If a rat has had tumors or kidney diseases, you feed them no animal protein at all. 

And I give them good animal proteins, so with the least amount of processing: fish, eggs, cooked chicken, living/frozen insects and high premium cat foods (here almo nature and applaws, which I would actually eat myself no problem if I was starving, because the chicken looks like actual chicken!).
Sometimes I will also give a little bit more processed foods like dried insects.
You could also use a high quality dry dog food, but only the high (so expensive) quality ones. Since I only have 2 (in a week 4) rats, I will not buy the doog food, since you can't really get it in small bags. 

So yes, you can feed your rats a mainly vegetarian diet, but only from a specific age. 
I myself use Science Selective, but I am not sure you can purchase it in your country.


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## anilec

Yes, as rats are Omnivorous they can be perfectly happy and healthy eating completely vegan! Most rat blocks are vegan anyway, despite what was said above Mazuri is vegan, as well as Native Earth and Harlan Teklad. So if rats can't eat vegan then why are 90% of the good quality blocks animal product free?
Lab blocks contain everything a rat needs so you wouldn't have to feed anything else although I do recommend giving them fruits and/or veggies everyday which you should give a rat anyways regardless of what it's main diet is. 

As mentioned above the Natural Balance Vegan dog food can also be given as it has 18% protein and all the amino acids needed for a healthy rat.
I myself feed my rats vegan although I panned to keep them vegetarian, there just really hasn't been any need for dairy in their diet, lol.
This is a fantastic video to watch for more information, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xvq5Qk47S1E


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## anilec

I forgot to add that rats do not need animal protein at all. Think of it like humans, humans and rats are opportunistic omnivorous which means animal protein is not necessary for their health and can actually be bad for their health. Vegan and vegetarian rats are just as (or more) healthy than rats who eat meat.
Good luck with your healthy happy ratties!


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## Slimke

I don't agree with you anilec. Rats have a really fast metabolism and theredore do need animal amino acids during the first weeks of their growth, because they grow really fast.
That a lot of foods offered are vegetarian, does not mean they are good. When I first started with rats as a child, they only almost had reggie rat as a food, which turns out to be of a really bad quality. 
But you fed it, because it was the only food specific for rats and their needs. After that a lot of research improved the food and now we have multiple mixes and lab blocks. 

If you want to have a really good food, then you should not buy a commercial one, but mix one yourself. And then still, if you don't know what you are doing, you can do a lot wrong. 

So I recommend to feed like the list I give in my previous post with a good vegetarian block as the main food source. Veggies and fruit should always be added to their main diet. I didn't mention that, but it is the case.


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## Ratlettes

Any animal with pointy teeth absolutely needs meat in their diet but rats........


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## anilec

That's fine if you don't agree everyone is entitles to their own opinion, but something you may be forgetting is that out of the 22 amino acids 9 are essential and 11 are non-essential, and ALL the essential ones are found in plenty of different fruits and veggies. 
http://www.onegreenplanet.org/natural-health/need-protein-amino-acids-found-abundantly-in-plants/ (list of amino acids)

There is no reason why rats should need animal protein over plant protein, and as I'm sure you know rats actually need very little protein of any kind! There's a reason why most rat blocks and mixes don't contain meat. Haha it's so funny how no one cares about protein until you mention the v-word!;D


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## Andromeda

It's true that they can, but why should they? They've naturally evolved to be omnivores, I just don't see the point in forcing them to be 'vegan'. There is no proof that it's better for them, so what's the point?


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## Edie16

it's better for them since they don't eat the saturated fat and things like that. Also you don't have to mirser animals. :blush:


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## JAnimal

Edie16 said:


> it's better for them since they don't eat the saturated fat and things like that. Also you don't have to mirser animals. :blush:


I think that if they got good animal protein it would be good for them without all the processing. If rats naturally eat animal protein then I believe that they should get what they would naturally eat. Corn snakes eat mice in the wild so people give them mice. Guinea pigs graze in the wild so people give them hay. You can't force people to go vegan so I wouldn't force an animal. I have nothing wrong with vegan but if it isn't the person's/animal's choice than I do not believe in it whatsoever.


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## Edie16

people also force there pets to eat meat.


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## anilec

There's also no proof that eating meat is better for them, so whats the point of that? Yikes that sounds a little rude, sorry bout that just trying to put my point across! I mean rats can basically eat anything so as long as they are getting all their nutrients why does it matter what diet they are on?
Skipping over meat as that's just the vegetarian portion, I really don't think rats should have dairy products. I personally eat dairy but I wouldn't feed it to my rats as casein, the protein that is found in milk and milk products has been proven to cause tumors.

Side note: I notice you live in Kamloops, that's where my brother lives and I live nearby. Nice to meet another person from BC!


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## Gribouilli

As long as they get ALL the essential amino acids and you would have to do some research to make sure of that; and they get extra vitamin B12 and vitamin D. NOTHING vegan has natural vitamin B12 and vitamin D, except processed enriched vegan products.


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## Andromeda

Edie16 said:


> it's better for them since they don't eat the saturated fat and things like that. Also you don't have to mirser animals. :blush:


Saturated fats are mainly found in red meats and dairy, which most people recommend you don't feed your rat anyway.

And let's be real. You're probably inadvertently 'murdering' far more animals by encouraging deforestation for growing crops than by eating a chicken. :/ Not to mention the pesticides that are killing literally millions of bees....


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## Andromeda

anilec said:


> There's also no proof that eating meat is better for them, so whats the point of that?
> 
> Side note: I notice you live in Kamloops, that's where my brother lives and I live nearby. Nice to meet another person from BC!


Except that wild rats have been omnivores for a very long time, so it's pretty obvious they're doing something right.

The thing that concerns me about feeding an animal a diet it doesn't naturally live on, is that it is incredibly difficult to make sure they're getting the right nutrients in the right amounts. I mean, people go to school for years to understand animal nutrition. It's not as easy as throwing some seeds and veggies together and calling it a complete diet.

Side Note: It's always nice to find rattie people in BC! There aren't many of us.


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## JAnimal

Edie16 said:


> people also force there pets to eat meat.


Because they would naturally eat it.


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## Edie16

i think that's with rats is that vegan is there most healthiest diet (like with humans) but they have been evolved to eat animal products. If I were you I would just skip all animal products.


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## Nieve5552

@anilec- The reason many of the lab blocks are animal protein-free is probably because its cheaper and easier to produce that way. These are companies that want to make money, not GENUINELY care about the lives of the animals and would sacrifice more money/time/energy to do so. Humans can live on vegan diet too, but its their choice. It can definitely be argued that rats can live on vegan diet, but it cannot be argued that the rats lives will not be more enriched without never experiencing the taste of animal products. Rats and a lot of other animals are evolved to love meat because it provides more energy than non-meatOur foods. I like to believe that our job is to provide maximum enrichment for our ratties, while maintaining them as healthy as possible, and in my opinion, this involves giving them bones and small amounts of meat once in a blue moon. 

@edie16- nobody forces their pets to eat meat. Its not 'forcing' if the animals actually want to eat meat. If you grabbed a rabbit and shoved meat in its mouth and held it closed until it swallowed, thats forcing an animal to eat meat. If you give meat to a rat and s/he happily eats it, thats not forcing; however, if you do not provide any opportunities for the rat to eat animal products which it has been evolved to consume and like to consume, then thats 'forcing' the rat to be vegetarian. 

@Ratlettes- Rats do have pointy teeth. Just because they dont have obvious canine teeth doesnt mean that they cant eat meat, because their incisors are developed well enough to tear off flesh, while canine teeth are used for this purpose in many other carnivores. So yes they are different because they are omnivores, but omnivorous diet involves consuming animal products, because otherwise it would be called herbivorous. Humans also have pointy canine teeth, but we dont absolutely need meat to survive. 

If you had childen and if you forced them to be vegan or vegetarian without giving them a choice, then it would be considered unethical by most people. Just because rats are animals who are not granted rights just like humans, doesnt mean that their lives or the amount of enrichment they should receive matter less.


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## Edie16

thats kind of my point... They are saying that I'm forcing my rats to be vegan but I'm not. I'm just giving them food without animal products. It's not like there 1/4 lbs and only eat lettuce. To see what I feed them I posted a recipe on my page. So basically what I'm saying is, if you say I'm "forcing my rats to be vegan" then I should be able to say, you forcing your rats to eat meat.


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## Nieve5552

Edie16 said:


> thats kind of my point... They are saying that I'm forcing my rats to be vegan but I'm not. I'm just giving them food without animal products. It's not like there 1/4 lbs and only eat lettuce. To see what I feed them I posted a recipe on my page. So basically what I'm saying is, if you say I'm "forcing my rats to be vegan" then I should be able to say, you forcing your rats to eat meat.


I think you may have read my post wrong.. Rats like to eat meat, therefore, you giving them meat isnt forcing them to eat meat, because they want to eat it. However, if you do not allow your rats to eat meat or any animal products ever, that is forcing them to be vegetarian/vegan, because they 'like' to eat meat, and they are not 'not eating meat' by their own choices. So because of rats' preference to eat meat, it is impossible for you to say that people who give them meat are forcing them to eat meat.


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## Sal

Nieve5552 said:


> I think you may have read my post wrong.. Rats like to eat meat, therefore, you giving them meat isnt forcing them to eat meat, because they want to eat it. However, if you do not allow your rats to eat meat or any animal products ever, that is forcing them to be vegetarian/vegan, because they 'like' to eat meat, and they are not 'not eating meat' by their own choices. So because of rats' preference to eat meat, it is impossible for you to say that people who give them meat are forcing them to eat meat.


How they can say giving rats meat products is forcing them to eat meat, but giving them vegan food isn't forcing them to eat vegan is beyond me. Where's the logic in that? I'm sure there'll be some irrational response since there's an answer for everything with this poster.


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## Slimke

Andromeda said:


> Saturated fats are mainly found in red meats and dairy, which most people recommend you don't feed your rat anyway.
> 
> And let's be real. You're probably inadvertently 'murdering' far more animals by encouraging deforestation for growing crops than by eating a chicken. :/ Not to mention the pesticides that are killing literally millions of bees....


Want to respond to this. What do you think a chicken eats? Meat? Love?
A chicken needs grains/herbs and those are grown on deforest areas. So eating one kilo of chicken actually needs 2-3 kilos of grain. If you would eat the grain yourself, you will need far less.
Therefore: being a vegetarian or (especially vegan) helps against deforestation, it does not increase it.


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## Slimke

I give up trying to explain the Dutchies here see an improvement in health when they went to feeding vegan, but still offering animal proteins in the early stage of their life. 

I don't think this post should be a matter of ethics on whether it is okay to eat vegan and to "forze" your rats to eat like this, but if it is healthy. 
On the ethics point: you are forcing your rats to eat whatever you are feeding them. Meat or no meat, that doesn't matter. 
The ethics part: If you feed them sugared cereals in their mix, they are likely to be eating that. But is it a good food? No. Is it ethical? Maybe, if you suggest that the rat has a choice to grab the sugered cereals out of its mix. 
The forcing part: you don't take your rat to the supermarket/pet shop to let them decide what they want to eat. They would end up eating unhealthy stuff, because here the most energy can be found in (that is also why we like sugery and fatty things so much). So you are forcing your rat to stay healthy, for its own best will. You give them a good basic food, with veggies and fruit and maybe even meat. You are already forcing your rat what (not) to eat. 

So. I hope you now agree you shouldn't watch this discussion from an ethical point of view, but health wise.


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## Modernstar

Personally, I'm vegan, but I feed my rats Oxbow. Maybe that makes me a bad vegan, but as long as it's not overtly non-vegan, like a slab of meat or dairy yogurt, I can handle it. That's just my personal choice, because it's easy and I trust it. I guess I just know that Oxbow has nutrients I couldn't feed them otherwise, and I don't want to be responsible if they get sick. 

As for what I feed my mostly-vegan rats, I alternate on and off days feeding them just Oxbow or just human food. 

For example: 
Monday: Oxbow 
Tuesday: Cereal and soy yogurt for breakfast, fruit for a snack, Rice and mixed veggies for dinner.
Wednesday: Oxbow 
Thursday: Rolled oats and bananas for breakfast, crackers for a snack, pasta and vegan chicken for dinner. 
etc. 

I find this keeps their poop regular (if you feed them too many veggies it will be too soft and only Oxbow will make their poops too hard and small.), and they love the days where they get yummy human food, so they always look forward to it.  

Also, screw anyone who tells you you can't feed your pets how you want. If you're not starving them, they're happy, they're healthy, and they're getting nutrients, the philosophy behind their diet shouldn't matter.


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## anilec

I'm glad you said this! I was waiting for someone to point that out! and yes that was very nicely put, I think I already said this but if your rat is getting everything they need and are healthy who cares what diet they are on?


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## Modernstar

Additionally, if you want to feed them all-vegan human food, that would work too, in my opinion. It'd be a lot of work and maybe stressful to make sure they're eating enough and getting enough nutrients. As rats are omnivorous, like humans, they can eat just plant-foods and be just fine, as long as they're getting a breadth of vitamins and minerals. The key to any survivable diet, vegan or otherwise, for omnivores, is variety. 

The kinds of human food I feed my rats:
Pasta
Rice
Mixed veggies (Peas, carrots, brocolli, edamame, cauliflower, green beans, COOKED corn)
Sunflower and pumpkin seeds 
Small amounts of unsalted nuts 
Bits of vegan meat substitutes
Cooked potatoes 
Cooked chickpeas 
Rolled oats
Soy yogurt
Cut up veggie burgers
and more.


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## artgecko

IMO, the main point is that you should be feeding a balanced diet that meets all the rats' needs... Whether you add animal products or not is irrelevant (IMO) as long as their nutritional needs are well met. In animals that are obligate carnivores, I believe it is unethical and could be considered animal abuse to feed them a "vegan" diet because it is not in their best interests to feed them something their digestive system was not designed to handle. With animals like rats, I don't think it is wrong to feed vegan, as long as you meet those nutritional needs and give them a good variety of foods to try. 

I feed mine obxow, teklad (18%), a grain mix (oats, brown rice, barley, millet, buckwheat, etc.), and fresh veggies a couple times a week. I do ocassionally feed extra protein (soy / almond milk, yogurt, or boiled eggs) especially to nursing females and just weaned pups. I have not yet given mine any meats to try...I just don't have unseasoned meat from cooking to use... But I would see nothing wrong with that. I do give them freeze-dried insects as a treat occasionally also. 

Realistically, if you looked at a rat's main diet in the wild, I am sure you would see a lot of herbs, grains, some nuts / small fruits (i.e. berries), and probably mostly insect proteins (maybe some eggs, some smaller animals like lizards, etc.). Based on that, feeding them lean animal proteins would be closer to their natural diet... chicken, fish, insects, etc... Fatty foods and red meat, wouldn't be as close to their diets.


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## Modernstar

(This is not directed at anyone specifically in this thread, I just had a few more thoughts on the matter)

I think I've already decided in my life that I won't argue about veganism anymore, because it's a pointless fight that is impossible to explain to people with pre-disposed notions against it. There's a lot of misinformation out there, including stereotypes, thinking veganism means only eating salads and tofu, protein myths, environmental propaganda and misrepresentation of facts and statistics. 

The bottom line is, veganism can be healthy. Personally, based on hard facts and also on personal experience, I believe vegan diets are by far healthier than non-vegan diets. All you have to do is read or watch anything about the million-dollar meat and dairy industries and the misinformation they sell you about just about every part of the process. I bet you had no idea that dairy milk actually leeches calcium from the bones, and that the biggest consumers of dairy milk worldwide also have the highest rate of bone disease, coordinating with dairy intake across the board.

For some it's ethical, for some it's environmental, for some they don't like meat, dairy, eggs, etc. and can't stand to be around them because they think they're gross. Vegan diets do not necessarily equal insufficient nutrients, nor do non-vegan diets. Any diet needs research and knowledge of nutrition to work; the same goes with animals' diets. Some animals could NEVER be vegan without specific supplements, such as cats.

Dogs and rats, however, can. Omnivorous animals are biologically able to thrive on either plant or meat products, or a combination of both. Now, only eating one thing such as just meat or one type of vegetable isn't healthy either, for any omnivore, rat or otherwise. Variety will always be the most important factor is a well-rounded diet. 

Overall it's a personal choice what you feed your animals if they're happy and healthy and hydrated. In the case of rats, neither way is necessarily proven better or worse; there's not enough research on that to form a solid conclusion. If you'd like to talk to me more about this, OP, or anyone else on this thread, feel free to PM me! I'm always open to share information or have constructive arguments.


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## Slimke

A dog is carnivorous, not omnivorous...


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## Edie16

they are still allowed to eat meat. My dad sometimes gives them chicken. I just won't prepare it for them.


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## Edie16

no there not. PLEASE DONT ARGUE WITH ME BEFORE YOU DO THE REASEARCH AND SEND ME THE LINKS! I know that sounds bad.


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## Fraido

I may be popping in unnecessarily, but do you really need to use caps?


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## Modernstar

Slimke said:


> A dog is carnivorous, not omnivorous...


From petmd, a simple google search away: 

"It is true that dogs belong to the order _Carnivora_, but they are actually omnivores. The canine body has the ability to transform certain amino acids, the building blocks or protein, into others, meaning that dogs can get all the amino acids they need while avoiding meat."


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## Modernstar

Slimke said:


> A dog is carnivorous, not omnivorous...


Another quote, from a vet website (I'll provide the link below)

"The simple answer is that dogs can do just fine on a carefully balanced vegetarian or vegan diet, while cats cannot. Sure, you can try to work around the whole cats-are-obligate-carnivores thing by supplementing certain synthetic amino acids, but it gets tricky — not to mention dangerous to the cat’s health.
So the answer is yes for dogs, but no for cats.
The comment that I most often hear after I state that dogs can be fed a vegetarian or vegan diet is that canines do better on a meat-based diet. Again, I’m not going to argue. There aren’t any studies that I’m aware of that have compared longevity and disease occurrence in dogs who've been fed meat versus canines on vegetarian diets.
Interestingly, one of the world’s oldest dogs, Bramble, who lived to a reported 27 years old in the U.K., was never fed an ounce of meat by her strictly vegan owner."

http://www.vetstreet.com/our-pet-ex...ed-meat-one-vets-take-on-vegetarian-dog-diets


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## artgecko

I know many people online that have switched to whole prey model for their dogs (and cats) and seen vast improvements in health... anything from arthritis to coat / skin condition, weight, etc. and many of those owners were feeding a very high quality processed food before they switched. 

My biggest qualm with any diet (made for dogs) that would be vegan, would be that it is more-than-likely even more processed than normal processed foods and nothing good ever comes from that (the processing part). 

I don't like feeding my rats a formulated / processed block, but I do so because I don't want to risk not balancing their diet and nutrients "just right".. But, IMO, all creatures, including humans, do much better on a less processed diet... the fewer chemicals and preservatives, the better. I have often wondered if the improvements people note when they switch to vegan / vegetarian diets might be partially attributed to eating a more whole-food based diet..more fresh fruits / veggies, less boxed foods (I am not knocking their claims, I just think there's more to it than cut out meat and you'll have great health). 

I know that many people are advocates for less processed human foods...everything from organic produce to grass-fed and non confined meats. I recently saw a documentary on raw milk and they said that raw milk has far fewer bad effects than processed / pasteurized (something to do with the pasteurization process causing the fat molecules to break down and form different compounds). 

To the OP: As long as your diet is working well for your rats, then I think you should be fine.. If you see them loosing weight or acting hungry all the time, then you might want to make changes, otherwise, do what you've been doing.


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## Jaguar

Stay on topic.

This thread is about rats, not humans, dogs, cats, and so on. If you do not have anything meaningful or informative (preferably grounded in science) to contribute, don't post.

Thanks.


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## Edie16

Thank you!


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## Modernstar

Apologies. You may delete my posts if they do not adhere to the rules. I wanted to make sure that my examples had validity in my overall argument concerning rat's health on a vegan diet; I believe it's important to point out they are omnivores and give other examples in nature of how omnivorous animals can still thrive without meat. But you still may delete them if necessary.


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## Nieve5552

Sal said:


> How they can say giving rats meat products is forcing them to eat meat, but giving them vegan food isn't forcing them to eat vegan is beyond me. Where's the logic in that? I'm sure there'll be some irrational response since there's an answer for everything with this poster.


? Im saying that giving meat products is NOT forcing them to eat meat, while giving them vegan diet IS forcing them to be vegan. I really didnt think my wording was that confusing


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## Andromeda

Look, if you're a human and you want to be vegan, that's fine. It's a lot easier to be vegan as a human because there have been a lot more studies and research done into human nutrition.

There is very limited research into rat nutrition comparatively. The people who design Oxbow and Harlan Teklad foods are scientists. It's their job to make nutritious food for rats. The average person just doesn't have enough information to make sure their rat is getting the appropriate amount of nutrition from a vegan diet.


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## Edie16

Andromeda said:


> Look, if you're a human and you want to be vegan, that's fine. It's a lot easier to be vegan as a human because there have been a lot more studies and research done into human nutrition.
> 
> There is very limited research into rat nutrition comparatively. The people who design Oxbow and Harlan Teklad foods are scientists. It's their job to make nutritious food for rats. The average person just doesn't have enough information to make sure their rat is getting the appropriate amount of nutrition from a vegan diet.[/QUOTE
> The only reason oxbow has fish in it is for omega 3's


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## lilspaz68

with all the talk about Dog Food it should be remembered that they are different types of carbohydrates and rats need different ones than dogs, plus you HAVE to make sure a rat's diet has vitamin K (encourages blood clotting) which dog food does not.


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## Gribouilli

I've said, but will say it again. If you want to go with a vegan diet, no one can stop you, but make sure to add extra vitamin B12 and vitamin D to your rats' diet. My rats are on Oxbow and fresh raw salad (6 to 12 different veggies, greens...every other day on average) yet I add both vitamins B12 and D to their salad once every 7 days because those vitamins are not present in vegan foods except enriched and processed vegan foods. By giving them those salads, they eat less Oxbow and so would be deficient in those vitamins if I didn't add them to their salad. I don't have to add those vitamins each time they get a salad because the body can store them for later if needed. Obviously you will have to measure on much of those vitamins to give, NOT just open a capsule on their salad.


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## Modernstar

Gribouilli said:


> I've said, but will say it again. If you want to go with a vegan diet, no one can stop you, but make sure to add extra vitamin B12 and vitamin D to your rats' diet. My rats are on Oxbow and fresh raw salad (6 to 12 different veggies, greens...every other day on average) yet I add both vitamins B12 and D to their salad once every 7 days because those vitamins are not present in vegan foods except enriched and processed vegan foods. By giving them those salads, they eat less Oxbow and so would be deficient in those vitamins if I didn't add them to their salad. I don't have to add those vitamins each time they get a salad because the body can store them for later if needed. Obviously you will have to measure on much of those vitamins to give, NOT just open a capsule on their salad.


It may be helpful to add that many soy yogurts are already fortified with vitamin D, as is Almond Milk. I feed my rats soy yogurt that indicates Vitamin D on the label.

B12 fortified nutritional yeast is a common source of B12 for vegans and an alternative to supplements. Sprinkling it on your rats dry food mix or even their vegetables would do just fine in that regard. It tastes cheesy and quite good in my opinion.


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## Gribouilli

Modernstar said:


> It may be helpful to add that many soy yogurts are already fortified with vitamin D, as is Almond Milk. I feed my rats soy yogurt that indicates Vitamin D on the label.B12 fortified nutritional yeast is a common source of B12 for vegans and an alternative to supplements. Sprinkling it on your rats dry food mix or even their vegetables would do just fine in that regard. It tastes cheesy and quite good in my opinion.


My rats LOVE wheat germ, but not so much nutritional yeast. Also I know that nutritional yeast is inactive but can cause gas in some people anyway so I'm assuming in rats too. So a tiny pinch of the best nutritional yeast you can find, and look for bad reactions. Soy yogurt and almond milk are a good source of vitamin B12 and D. I was a vegetarian for 3+ years and a vegan for 2 years.


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## ratlover334

I think it's a good idea cuz


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