# Is this dog food safe for rats?



## ratty988 (Jun 29, 2013)

So I am babysitting rats tell sunday and they are on a whole made mix and the people who own the rats didn't have any dog food to put in so now I feel like the mix is pretty empty. They said I could add some dog food but just want to make sure its safe. I was thinking maybe I could give the rats a few kibbles of some Kirkland dog chow. Heres the ingredients:Lamb,lamb meal, whole grain brown rice, rice flour, white rice, egg product, cracked pearl barley, chicken fat (preserved with mixed tocopherols and Vitamin E), beet pulp, potatoes, fish meal, flaxseed, natural flavor, brewers dried yeast, carrots, peas, kelp, apples, dried skim milk, cranberry powder,potassium chloride, salt, choline chloride, rosemary extract, parsley flake, dried chicory root, glucosamine hydrochloride, taurine, vitamin E supplement, iron proteinate, zinc proteinate, copper proteinate, ferrous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, potassium iodide, thiamine mononitrate, manganese proteinate, manganous oxide, chondroitin sulphate, ascorbic acid, vitamin A supplement, biotin, calcium pantothenate, manganese sulfate, sodium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (vitamin B6), vitamin B12 supplement, menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin k activity), riboflavin, vitamin D supplement, folic acid.

What worry's me for the rats is the dried skim milk just in case the rats can't process milk... if this one isn't ok I will look into my other dogs prescription diet and see if that is safe.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

No dog food is really good for rats. Dogs have a completely different nutritional requirement than rats. Dogs thrive on high animal protein, high fat, and low carbohydrate diets that are rich in vitamin A. Rats need quite the opposite - higher carbohydrates, low animal protein, and too much vitamin A can be toxic to them. A few kibbles every now and then will not hurt them, but their diet should NEVER be based around dog food of any kind. Please try to convince their owners to look into a more suitable diet for rats - they can stick to a mix type diet if they do their research (or use something like cagedbirdsinging's mix), and there are also commercial block type foods for rats, ie. Oxbow Regal Rat, Harlan Teklad, etc. for now that food will keep them alive - but they will not thrive on it.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

There is only one dog food that I'd give rats. Jaguar is absolutely right, and this dog food is crap for dogs, which makes it pretty darn good for rats when compared with blocks. You can go and buy some of that, but I wouldn't use any dog foods that are high in animal proteins like good dog foods are.

http://www.solidgoldhealth.com/products/?product=6&code=160

Otherwise, I'd recommend exactly what Jaguar said.


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## ratty988 (Jun 29, 2013)

I guess I didn't explain this correctly, I meant more just to give a few pieces. The rats do have lab blocks in their food mix, although I would rather the rats be eating the oxbow rat food then the lab blocks they are on, again I don't have much control over the rats diet, they were feeding reggie rat but their breeder told them to switch over to a whole made diet. So I will try to convince them to switch to. I won't give the rats any dog food then. I just get sorta confused with rat diets sense I own guinea pigs and there all about lots of fiber hay, no mixes and no processed food.


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## Famous Amos (May 23, 2013)

Yes very much so just watch the protein. Preg moms and babies need puppy till 3 months old. And adults need senior. But only use a natural food do they don't get tumors from the byproducts and preservatives.


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## Famous Amos (May 23, 2013)

Solid gold is one good natural brand but there are many others like call of the wild, chicken soup. Etc...


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Famous Amos said:


> Solid gold is one good natural brand but there are many others like call of the wild, chicken soup. Etc...
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


I think you mean Taste of the Wild, which my dogs and cats use currently. I would not recommend it for rats as it is a grain-free product and is great for carnivorous pets, which makes it not great for rats. Bad dog food (in ingredients, not quality!) can mean good things for rats!

This is a tough subject though if they are not your rats. Feel free to refer them here to the forum if they are open to the idea of trying new things. Otherwise, go out and purchase a bag of Oxbow for them and cross your fingers that they will switch over. As much as I dislike blocks, blocks are better than an incomplete and heavily-processed homemade mix.


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## Famous Amos (May 23, 2013)

I would because its grain free. You don't need to do grain in every meal. The supplements should be grain free. The main diet is grain. You need meat, veggies, fruits in the supplements. Otherwise your not getting a balanced diet. That's why grain free is perfect!


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## ratty988 (Jun 29, 2013)

I will try to convince them to buy some, are local pet store sells it. I would buy it but its expensive and I don't have much money right now...... I think they will buy it hopefully as they are almost out of their food, I just hope the rats like it. Before they switched to a whole made diet they were feeding reggie rat not sure if that's better or worse.


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