Please check if this food is ok

[Cassy]

So I emailed a company about their holistic foods and I received an email telling me that the ferret food would be ok for a rat... this is the name of the food: Eagle Pack holistic select ferret food. (eagle packs the brand name) I figured they just wanted to sell me the food even if it wasn't good for my rat... So thought i'd check!

[Cassy]

It has some similar ingredients and if people feed their rats dog kibble it'd probably be similar any thoughts??

[mandycoot]

I didn't check the specs on it but my guess is that a food specifically marketed for ferrets would be much too high in protein for rats. Your rats' staple diet should probably have no more than 18-20% protein. Ferrets are carnivorous, and like cats, they require much more protein than rats should have.

[Mischief Mistress]

I wouldn't think so. Ferrets are quite the opposite of rats. They need quite a bit more protein in the diet which would have adverse affects with a rat as they tend to need a lower protein amount. High protein can make a rat itchy and very hot.

[Suebee]

I'd need to see the stats on the food (ingredients, protein, etc.), but in general, Ferrets need a lot more protein than rats, so ferret (and cat) foods are pretty much universally inappropriate for rats.

While many of us choose to feed our rats dog food as part of their regular diet, you can't go out and get any old brand, either. Many, many dog foods are also too high in protein. Under 20% is best.

[Scubbs]

Google'd for everyone's pleasure 

Ingredients:  Chicken Meal, Ground Brown Rice, Chicken Fat (Preserved With Natural Mixed Tocopherols), Oatmeal, Dried Egg Product, Flaxseed, Anchovy & Sardine Meals, Tomato Pomace, Natural Chicken Flavor, Menhaden Fish Oil, Carrots, Peas, Sun-Cured Alfalfa, Beet Pulp, Salt, Potassium Chloride, Quinoa (Organic), Apples, Blueberries, Inulin, Choline Chloride, Taurine, Glucosamine Hydrochloride, Beta-Carotene, Cranberries, Dandelion (Organic), Vitamin A Acetate, Vitamin D3 Supplement, Vitamin E Supplement, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Riboflavin Supplement, Niacin Supplement, Calcium Pantothenate, Folic Acid, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Thiamine Mononitrate, Biotin, Lecithin, Rosemary Extract, Ascorbic Acid, dl-Methionine, Inositol, Kelp, Polysaccharide Complexes of Zinc, Iron, Manganese and Copper, Cobalt Sulfate, Calcium Iodate, Sodium Selenite, Yucca Schidigera Extract, Calcium Carbonate, Lactobacillus acidophilus, Lactobacillus casei,  Enterococcus faecium, B. Subtillus, Bacillus lichenformis, Bacillus coagulins, Aspergillus oryzae and Aspergillus niger.

Guaranteed Analysis:    

Crude Protein min. 34%  (yikes)
Crude Fat min. 21% (double yikes)
Fiber max. 3.0%
Moisture max. 10%

[Suebee]

Crude Protein min. 34%  (yikes)
Crude Fat min. 21% (double yikes)

Yikes indeed!!!!! 

Yeah, um... that food is completely inappropriate for rats. Please contact the company again, and inform them of their error. Be sure they know that they should never recommend ferret foods for rats.

[hairless_love]

Crude Protein min. 34%  (yikes)
Crude Fat min. 21% (double yikes)

Yikes indeed!!!!! 

Yeah, um... that food is completely inappropriate for rats. Please contact the company again, and inform them of their error. Be sure they know that they should never recommend ferret foods for rats.

Oh wow...ya...I ditto this. Do not use this food, and please contact the company and politely inform them of their error.

I figures the outcome would be something like this...I think ferret diets are more like cat diets, like dogs are more like rats. Cats are more carnivourous, and therefore need more protein. Good thing you asked before you wasted your money on this food!!

[Poppyseed]

Ferrets are VERY carnivorous and need tons of protein and fat in their diet. Rats are more omnivorous and need very little protein and fat in their diet. Rats really need more grains and veggies and need very little meat and can even survive without it. Grains and veggies cause problems with ferrets digestive systems and can lead to insulnomia as well as other problems later in a ferrets life... Rats can have problems with too much protein. It can cause horrible buck grease and kidney failure as well as other problems as they don't process it as well.

A ferret fed veggies will starve to death. Trust me I saved on just before it hit the death stage (The owner didn't do their homework). Poor thing was skin and bones. He fattened up quickly though with a correct diet.

So yeah complete opposites! I would inform them about this if I were you.

[Cassy]

  That's what I was thinking! People always just want to sell you something even if it isn't healthy for your animal  Thanks for all the help I emailed her back and told her never to recommend it to someone with a rat. (and told why) That's way off of the recommended amount of protein and fat! -sigh- can't wait till I'm not a rat nOOb anymore!

[Mischief Mistress]

Well now you learned today how to base good food/bad food based one protein and fat percentages! Soon you will learn about what food has what preservatives and main ingredients. It's very exciting!

[ratroadhouse]

Well it may have been that rather than push their product they were just totally ignorant on the needs of rats.

There are plenty of pet stores who tell people to feed their rats hamster seed diets and use cedar bedding.

Good thing you checked!

[chiropteragirl]

Yup, that food isn't definitely not good for rats.

In fact, considering that there is a lot of rice in it, it probably isn't even all that great for ferrets... Can't they not digest grains? I think Innova Evo produces a grain-free ferret diet, though.