Uncooked rice?

[Evie]

Sort of a spin-off from the ice pack thread, I was thinking of making a rice sock[1] for the girls, though with several layers of fabric. I would fill it with uncooked basmati rice. If the girls got it open and started chewing on it, will uncooked rice do any harm? I'm leaning towards no since they enjoy uncooked pasta very much and that is ok to eat.


[1]http://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Rice-Sock

[nevadamoon]

I guess what pops into my head is how if birds eat uncooked rice (like at a wedding) it enlarges in their stomach and can kill them.  (Though, that IS a myth...  http://www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com/guide/birdrice.htm) I would assume it to be fine, but not really something I would want to encourage. 

[hairless_love]

I guess what pops into my head is how if birds eat uncooked rice (like at a wedding) it enlarges in their stomach and can kill them.  (Though, that IS a myth...  http://www.hudsonvalleyweddings.com/guide/birdrice.htm) I would assume it to be fine, but not really something I would want to encourage. 

I've heard that it is actually bad for animals to eat uncooked rice because it will expand in their stomachs. They may not "explode" like in the myth... but I don't think it's healthy for them. Someone correct me if I'm wrong though...

[JR1030]

I've used warm rice socks for my guys before, and nobody has been interested in chewing it.  I don't think it would hurt them, though.

*edited to add that if you're giving it to your rats, you might want to use cheaper rice. 

[Evie]

It wasn't cheap rice but it was whatever I had lying around the house. I wasn't going to be eating it (I prefer short grained sushi style rice) so it was just sitting in the cabinet. I'm not running out to the grocery to buy rice for rat rice socks (;

[MiniMuffin]

I've heard of an "ancient chinese torture" where they made the person eat tons of uncooked rice and then drink lots of water until their stomach ruptured...

I wasn't even so sure about giving them uncooked pasta, but they really only are getting a piece every few days. I would lean towards it not being safe.

[Evie]

Well, I'll put it in their cage tomorrow afternoon since I'll be around and can keep an eye on them. If they start chewing, that's the end of that.

[chiropteragirl]

http://www.snopes.com/critters/crusader/birdrice.asp

The bird things is a myth.

It wouldn't hurt them at all. Especially since rats wouldn't swallow the grains whole, they would chew them up first. My rats like uncooked rice, I have fed it to them lots before with no ill effects.

[gracegrecia]

No, uncooked rice won't kill mice.

[The Mad Ratter]

My rats always get wholegrain uncooked rice in their mix and 5 years on they are all still doing fine (and no they are not 5 years old! lol)

[GStar]

If you wanted to make a rice sock without rice you could use lentils.

[JR1030]

If you wanted to make a rice sock without rice you could use lentils.

I believe rats are not supposed to have dried beans of any kind.

[chiropteragirl]

Bad idea!

Using lentils would be MUCH worse than using rice. Rice is harmless, and if you use brown rice, actually pretty good for rats. Dried legumes of any kind, however, can cause red blood cells to clot. Not a good thing.

[GStar]

I found this on the internet, they used rats as their test subjects.

A survey of the nutritional and haemagglutination properties of legume seeds generally available in the UK
George Granta1, Linda J. Morea1, Norma H. McKenziea1, James C. Stewarta1 and Arpad Pusztaia1

a1 The Rowett Research Institute, Bucksburn, Aberdeen AB2 9SB

4. Group c consisted of seeds from lentils (Lens culinaris), peas (Pisum sativum), chick-peas (Cicer arietinum), blackeyed peas (Vigna sinensis), pigeon peas (Cajanus cajan), mung beans (Phaseolus aureus), field orbroad beans (Vicia faba) and aduki beans (Phaseolus angularis). These generally had low reactivity with all cells and were non-toxic.