yogurt drops

[Bravo-4]

What are these treats and where does ond find them, I tried yogurt covered rasins but my rats buried them then dug them up and ate all the yogurt off of the rasins.

[Goosemoose]

They are a solid yogurt product sold at petsmart, petco, etc. ratties love em I enjoy feeding them real yogurt off my finger the best though

[Dimi]

They also come in many flavors...mine like the cheese but there are also vegetable flavors. I can't think of them all right now. You can find them at Petco, Petsmart, or mostly any other pet store that sells rat, hamster, gerbil, ferret or rabbit things. Make sure you get the kind for rats. I don't know what would happen if you gave them a ferret yogi but to be on the safe side just make sure it says FOR RATS on it.

[Tara]

Just like it sounds,  Yogurt drops are little drops of yougurt that kind of look and feel like chocolate chips.  There are a couple of brands I have seen in pet stores, but the most popular seems to be Yogies from 8-in-1.  

If you can't find them in a pet store, try www.eightinone.com or www.theferretstore.com.  

Hope that helps!

[Tara]

Make sure you get the kind for rats. I don't know what would happen if you gave them a ferret yogi but to be on the safe side just make sure it says FOR RATS on it.

I give my boys the ferret ones, because  the store I get them at only has them for ferrets and rabbits.  The rabbit ones are a little too large for my liking.  So I got the ferret Yogies and they haven't keeled over yet!  I take that as a good sign.  

[Christy]

Mine get the ferret ones as well, I'm sure they are pretty much the same but just different size, shape or flavors.

[1happybooker]

I get the small ones so I can give the Dwarf Hamsters & the rats the same ones. So far we've had the cheese and strawberry ones.  The rodents like them both equally but my son likes the cheese ones best. Go figure!

[Suebee]

I use the ferret ones, too.  

The only ones I avoid are the Guinea Pig ones, because they are HUGE and have added vitamin C, which is not necessary for rats (doesn't hurt, but it's not necessary).

Wierd thing is, the newbies DON'T LIKE THEM!?!? Oh well, more for Rimmer.  

[knuckles]

are my rats the only ones that really don't care for yogies and/or yogurt drops.    Oh they will take them, but they don't go crazy over them like they do other treats.

[Suebee]

We must have posted simultaneously -- my newbies aren't interested AT ALL.

[kmw]

are my rats the only ones that really don't care for yogies and/or yogurt drops.    Oh they will take them, but they don't go crazy over them like they do other treats.

Weird rats!  My boys turn into little land sharks when the yogie container shakes    It took Reilly about a day to learn what the shake means, but another week to learn that my fingers aren't part of the deal!  

[Jodi]

Maybe it just takes time to figure them out. My newest baby, Cookie, didn't understand at all what the fuss was about when I first handed out the nightly Yoggies. In fact, for the first 4 or 5 days, he'd line up at the cage door with the rest of my hoodlums, but when I went to hand him his Yoggie, he just looked at it and then back at me blankly and finally turned around and walked away. Then one night, he finally figured out that Mommy was handing out a yummy treat, and he took it, ran all the way to the bottom of the cage, and sat in the corner and chomped it down eagerly.   Now he bounces up and down and attacks my hand for his Yoggie every night along with the rest of the boys!  

[threehorses]

I don't know why (probably because I'm new at this) but for some reason I thought that those yogurt drops might actually be BAD for the rats.

Everytime I go to the petstore I've looked at them and wished that I could "buy into" their advertising and buy them.  Now I can!

Oh the boys are going to be estatic.  This might even be better than MonkeyBiscuitMania.

Does anyone know if these yogurt drops have any probiotic activity still left in them off hand? (I'll be sure to read the labels when I go on the weekly rat-treat-trip this weekend).

Thanks ahead of time, and this board seems like a great place to be.

[Ensie]

Maybe I'm the only one who does this, but I don't give my rat any food treats which are derived from animal products. (I'm a vegan myself.) My rat eats the same vegetables, fruits, and grains that I do. The only exception to this are the liver treats which are designed exclusively for the dietary needs of rats. Since I know about the kinds of things that can be in animal-derived food sources, I just can't bring myself to offer these things to my rat. Besides, isn't it unhealthy to give adult rats dairy-based foods, due to the lactic acid and/or high fat content?

[kmw]

Does anyone know if these yogurt drops have any probiotic activity still left in them off hand? (I'll be sure to read the labels when I go on the weekly rat-treat-trip this weekend).

No probiotic activity.  The VitaKraft brand are billed as "yogurt drops" - the 8-in-1 brand are "yogies", and I'm not sure if they have any yogurt in them, or not!    If you want probiotics, go for real yogurt with live cultures

[kmw]

Besides, isn't it unhealthy to give adult rats dairy-based foods, due to the lactic acid and/or high fat content?

I've never heard that.  In fact, my vet recommends feeding yogurt to the boys when they're on antibiotics, to help replenish the "good" bacteria in the digestive tract.  

I think we all feed our rats what we generally eat.  Well, except for those ganky smoked oysters    I feel since rats are a naturally omnivorous creature, their diet should reflect that.  I'm not saying that you should feed your rats animal based products if it isn't something you support, but then you need to be careful that they are getting the diet they need, which it sounds like you are

[Suebee]

I also follow the thinking that rats are omniverous by nature, and we should feed them accordingly. But as long as they are getting the nutrients they need, animal products are not necessarily required.

I think they also make soy yogurt with active cultures in it... something to look into.

[Goosemoose]

My girls do like yogurt drops, but there is nothing that they go more crazy over than Mac & Cheese or Pasta Noodles!!!  

[Christy]

My resident rats devour them, but my 2 newbies didn't care for them a bit.  However, once they moved in with the resident ratties they decided they  must steal every one they can out of the others mouths and eat them.  Wierd wee rodents.  

[threehorses]

On giving yogurt to animals, this is my understanding about lactose and an intolerance to it.  I thought it was pretty interesting when I heard it so I hope you all find it helpful too!  

In some animals like rats (or chickens, where I first learned this) where the critters don't usually do well with milk, it's often do to the fact that they can't digest the lactose in the product.  To digest the lactose, they have to produce the enzyme lastAse.

The thing that makes yogurt a bit different is that the live bacteria in it (only if it's labeled Live Culture yogurt) produce the enzyme Lactase themselves which enables the rats, chickens, whatever to take in small doses of it.  Of course, all things in moderation.  If you just let the ratties chunk it down (VERY had for me to resist because my rattieboys sure do like it) they might have runnier droppings because of the excess lactose which can indeed be irritating.

There.  All you never wanted to know about yogurt. heheh

Nathalie "Tedious" Ross