Food
Diet is a very important factor in the care of all animals.
The Nutritional Requirements of Rats
Commercial Diets:
Regal Rat - Recommended for adult rats. Regal Rat is put out by the Oxbow company. This company is well known their excellent guinea pig and rabbit diets. The food is in the form of heart shaped kibble.
Guaranteed Analysis:
• Crude Protein min 14.00%
• Crude Fat min 4.00%
• Crude Fiber max 7.50%
• Calcium max 1.20%
• Corn free
• Low in fat
• Optimum fiber level
• Preserved with natural antioxidants
• Complete nutrition in every bite
• Eliminates selective feeding
Ingredients:
Whole Brown Rice, Oat Groats, Wheat Bran, Wheat, Soybean Meal, Menhaden Fish Meal,Soybean
Hulls,Monocalcium Phosphate, Flaxseed Meal, Linseed,
Brewer's Yeast, Calcium Carbonate, Wheat Germ Meal,
Salt, Yeast Culture (Saccharomyces cerevisiae), Vitamin A
Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement
(Tocopherol), Vitamin C Supplement (Ascorbic Acid),
Colloidal Silica, Riboflavin, Niacin Supplement, Vitamin
B12 Supplement, Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex
(Vitamin K), Pantothenic Acid, Biotin, Thiamine, Choline
Chloride, DL-Methionine, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Folic
Acid, Sodium Selenite, Magnesium Sulfate, Ferrous Sulfate,
Cobalt Carbonate, Manganese Oxide, Zinc Oxide, Zinc
Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Mineral Oil, Calcium Iodate,
Potassium Chloride, and Natural Flavorings.
** Note: A concern is the use of Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Synthetic Vitamin K). This ingredient is a form of synthetic Vitamin K that has been linked to several health issues.
Reggie Rat - Reggie Rat is put out by the company Supreme Petfoods. This diet is a mix/seed diet.
Guaranteed Analysis:
• Crude Protein min 12.5%
• Crude Fat min 3%
• Crude Fiber min 6%
• Crude Fiber max 8%
• Moisture max 10%
• Calcium min 0.3%
• Calcium max 1%
• Phosphorus min 0.3%
• Salt min 0.4%
• Salt max 0.9%
• Vitamin A 10,000 iu/kg
• Includes natural prebiotics to promote healthy gut function
• Low fiber levels more appropriate to rodents' nutritional needs
• No nuts & low seed content to avoid skin & coat problems
• Contains chicken as a low fat source of protein
Ingredients:
Ground wheat, toasted wheat, corn, flaked corn, whole oats, dehydrated alfalfa pellets, flaked field peas, flaked beans, dehulled soybean meal, straw pellets, oat middlings, soybean oil, wheat middlings, limestone, linseed oil, dicalcium phosphate, ferrous sulfate, choline chloride, vitamin E supplement, manganous sulfate, zinc sulfate, copper sulfate, vitamin A supplement, dicalcium pantothenate, FD&C red 40, nicotinic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite (source of vitamin K), biotin, FD&C yellow 6, FD&C yellow 5, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, thiamin hydrochloride, selenium selenite, pyridoxine hydrochloride (source of vitamin B6), folic acid, FD&C blue 1, cobalt sulfate, cholecalciferol (source of vitamin D3), calcium iodate.
** Note: This diet can normally be found at PetSmart and Petco. While it's commonly considered the "best" of the mix or seed type diets for rats, it's still not something most knowledgeable rat owners would not feed (mix/seed type diets are not recommended in general). It is full of ingredients that are inappropriate for rats (rats have difficulty properly digesting alfalfa), as well as dyes (some of which have been linked to health problems), dried corn (not recommended for its tendency to harbor dangerous molds and fungal toxins as well as being difficult to digest, while a little bit of fresh corn is fine to feed occasionally), and also contains Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Synthetic Vitamin K).
Mazuri Rat and Mouse Diet - This food is put out, obviously, by Mazuri.
Mazuri seems to put out some pretty good/decent diets for some animals
and some really crappy ones for others (I know that their chinchilla diet is
said to be a very good diet). This diet consists of lab blocks.
Guaranteed Analysis:
• Crude Protein not less than 23.0%
• Crude Fat not less than 6.5%
• Crude Fiber not more than 4.0%
• Ash not more than 8.0%
Ingredients:
Dehulled soybean meal, ground corn, ground wheat, wheat middlings, soybean oil, cane molasses, fish meal, ground oats, porcine meat meal, dehydrated alfalfa meal, dried beet pulp, wheat germ, brewers dried yeast, calcium carbonate, salt, dried whey, dicalcium phosphate, monocalcium phosphate, calcium propionate (a preservative), ground soybean hulls, menadione dimethylpyrimidinol bisulfite (vitamin K), animal fat preserved with BHA, choline chloride, corn gluten meal, dried yucca shidigera extract, DL-methionine, cholecalciferol (vitamin D3), vitamin A acetate, pyridoxine hydrochloride, d-alpha tocopheryl acetate (natural source vitamin E), thiamin mononitrate, folic acid, nicotinic acid, calcium pantothenate, riboflavin, cyanocobalamin (vitamin B12), manganous oxide, zinc oxide, ferrous carbonate, copper sulfate, zinc sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate.
** Note: Mazuri lab blocks are considered the best of the lab block type commercial diets. That said Mazuri contains a lot of dried corn (not recommended for its tendency to harbor dangerous molds and fungal toxins as well as being difficult to digest, while a little bit of fresh corn is fine to feed occasionally), fish meal (fish type not specified, some fish contain more mercury than others, alfalfa (not easily digested by rats), Menadione Sodium Bisulfite Complex (Synthetic Vitamin K), and animal fat preserved with BHA (animal fat type not specified and it is preserved with BHA which is suspected of being a carcinogenic). The protein percentage is also extremely high at 23%. Studies have shown that rats do best and stay healthiest at lower protein percentages. Even 18% percent protein is usually only used for pregnant and nursing moms or babies.
Specialized Diets
Harlan Teklad lab blocks are a specialized lab block used by research laboratories. These blocks are not easily accessible to the public, for instance you cannot just walk into a store and buy them. You won't find them. What some people do is buy in bulk (and I do mean bulk) and then split them between a large group of people. Some people sell their share online. And THIS is how you get Harlan Teklad lab blocks. You order online! These lab blocks are very well known as being the best rat lab block out there. There are a few formulas which you may choose from. The 2014 formula (meaning it's protein content is 14%), the 2016 formula (meaning it's protein content is 16%), and the 2018 formula (meaning it's protein content is 18%).
Harlan Teklad 2014 - Complete nutritionally balanced lab block. The #2014 formula contains 14% protein and 3.5% fat. This is the best of Harlan Teklad's diets to feed as an overall maintenance diet to adult rats. Contains no animal protein, fish meal, or alfalfa (difficult for rats to digest).
Ingredients:
Wheat middlings, ground wheat, ground corn, corn gluten meal, calcium carbonate, soybean oil, dicalcium phosphate, iodized salt, L-lysine, DL-methionine, choline chloride, niacin, vitamin A acetate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, ferrous sulfate, magnesium oxide, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, chromium potassium sulfate.
Harlan Teklad 2016 - Complete nutritionally balanced lab block. The #2016 formula is a nice in between for those wary of feeding low protein and contains 16% protein and 3.5% fat. This formula can be used as a higher protein overall maintenance diet for adult rats or it can be used for younger rats. Contains no animal protein, fish meal, or alfalfa (difficult for rats to digest).
Ingredients:
Ground wheat, ground corn, wheat middlings, corn gluten meal, calcium carbonate, soybean oil, dried brewers yeast, dicalcium phosphate, iodized salt, L-lysine, DL-methionine, choline chloride, niacin, vitamin A acetate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, ferrous sulfate, magnesium oxide, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, chromium potassium sulfate.
Harlan Teklad 2018 - Complete nutritionally balanced lab block. The #2018 formula contains 18% protein and 5% fat. This lab block is high in protein and fat and best for very young rats and pregnant or nursing mothers. Contains no animal protein, fish meal, or alfalfa (difficult for rats to digest).
Ingredients:
Ground wheat, ground corn, wheat middlings, soybean meal, corn gluten meal, soybean oil, calcium carbonate, dried brewers yeast, dicalcium phosphate, iodized salt, L-lysine, DL-methionine, choline chloride, niacin, vitamin A acetate, biotin, pyridoxine hydrochloride, thiamine mononitrate, vitamin D3 supplement, folic acid, menadione sodium bisulfite complex (source of vitamin K activity), vitamin E supplement, vitamin B12 supplement, riboflavin, calcium pantothenate, ferrous sulfate, magnesium oxide, manganous oxide, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, calcium iodate, cobalt carbonate, chromium potassium sulfate.
** Note: Harlan Teklad now puts out a commercial diet called Native Earth. It is the same as their typical 2018 formula, containing 18% protein and 5% fat. It can be bought from PetFoodDirect.com which is on our links page.
Homemade Diets
Suebee's Mix - "Many people choose to use a high quality lab block, such as Harlan Teklad, instead of the dog food, and I highly endorse this. A high quality lab block, if you have access, is always recommended." -- Suebee
Suebee's Mix is a homemade diet formulated by a girl who goes by the name of Suebee. This diet consists of a high quality, low protein and fat dog food or a high quality lab block as the staple in conjunction with a grain mix. To learn more about her diet visit her webpage. At the bottom of her webpage is a link to another person's homemade diet for those in the UK.
