How do i keep my rats protein level down?

how do i keep my rats protein level down? what kind of foods should i feed her %26amp; what should i not? we feed her a rat mix from the pet shop which is left in her cage in a bowl so whenever shes hungry she can eat. I always give her fresh vegetables %26amp; bits of fruit every couple days, some bread %26amp; cheese occasionally and some yogurt treats every so often.How do i keep my rats protein level down?
Find out what has a lot of protein, and don't feed that.





Read labels on prepared mixes.





Hint:


Nuts and dairy products have lots of protein.





How do i keep my rats protein level down?
I just answered a similar question and here was my answer. Here's a little advice. Stay away from any foods that contain ethoxyquin as an ingredient. This is a preservative for vitamins, but also used for rubber. It's known to cause tumors in rodents by experienced owners and breeders. Also watch the protein% in your foods. Rats are particularly susceptible to this and can itch, get hot spots and even worse things. Another problem with some store bought mixes is, that your animal will only eat certain things making it hard to control the protein %. You should also know what foods are dangerous for your animals. Here's a couple links to help you. The first is a great proven homemade diet(always the best) that is very affordable. The second link is a list of bad foods to stay away from. Good luck!








http://mouseranch.com/FYI/diet.html





http://www.petratscanada.com/forbidden_f鈥?/a>





dave%26lt;:3}~...OWNER/ SHAGGYMOUSE YAHOO GROUP









Hmmm.. just answered something similar :) here:





The rat food commonly found in pet stores can actually be rather unhealthy and unbalanced for rats (hamsters, rats, and mice all eat different things, so a food that says it is good for all of them is wrong). 'Seed mixes' usually end up being a waste of money, as a lot of rats will only eat some, and not all of it, resulting in a nutrient deficiency and money wasted on uneaten food.





Rat's diets should actually be very similar to our own, assuming however that you are eating a well balanced and healthy diet :) (low protein, rats don't need dairy, but they do love yogurt, high in healhty grains, vegetables, and fruits).





Check out suebee's mix here: http://www.ratsrule.com/diet.html


This is something you make yourself from items at the grocery store, not something you order (although some sites will do that for you).





You can also add high quality lab blocks such as Harlan-Teklad, and if this is not an option, a low calorie/fat, low protein (low protein is important!), dog food. I'd recommend the low-calorie (light blue) Natural Balance dog food, or if that is unavailable, Nutro Natural Choice Lite dog food.





Cat food should never be an option except for nursing mothers, as the protein content is way too high, and can cause health problems (for reference, protein % should be below 15 % in a dog food, or lab block).





I hope this helped! Feel free to email me if you have any more questions. Also check out the forum I posted in the links below, where there are members willing to help you with any questions you may have in the future :)

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