Canned Dog Food?

[-Kelly-]

Was buying wellness for my ratties, (I mix it w/prolab 5000 Lab Blocks) and I thought, I bet my rats would LOVE canned wellness. Is it ok for them to have? Any thoughts, suggestions, comments? I would, of course only give them a little bit at a time. But I want to make sure it's safe. Thanks!

[BoscoNYPD]

one ?, why would u give a rat dog food when its made for dogs not rats, but i think its dumb to give rats other animal foods

[Grace Jr]

Dog food is actually a staple in a lot of homemade rat mixes, including Suebee's mix.  So long as it is high quality (I wouldn't go any lower than Nutro Naturals) and something not *too* high in protien, it is actually quite good for them, so long as it isn't the ONLY source of nutrition.

What my boys are getting right now is a combo.  They get Harlan Teklad lab blocks, as well as Suebee's mix with Wellness dog food, not to mention stealing part of every meal I eat upstairs...    

[Grace Jr]

Oh!  And as for your question Kellz...

I would think it's okay, so long as it isn't an all the time thing.  I'd just check over the ingredients before giving it to them, to make sure it doesn't have anything radically odd in it.  Although, considering the brand, it should be pretty safe.

[-Kelly-]

What? Dog food is ok for rats as long as it is certain kinds, not cheapy brands. Wellness is a very good brand, almost right up there w/Nutro. Alot of pet owners & breeders include dogfood in their rats diet. I'm sorry if you think it is dumb, Take a look though.

http://www.tailspinzrattery.com/RATCARE.html

http://www.animalnews.com/watering/messages/360.html

http://homepages.paradise.net.nz/jthompso/feeding_your_rat.htm

...and although I can't find the link right now, I believe suebee's and Debbie D.'s mixes both contain dog food. I'm curious, BoscoNYPD, what do you feed your rats?

[Grace Jr]

Wellness is a very good brand, almost right up there w/Nutro.

I'd actually consider it HIGHER than Nutro...  I don't remember why, but I switched to Wellness with the cats, and rats, and there's no way I'd go back to Nutro now!  Joey's (cat) coat got much better when I switched him to Nutro from his crap brand, but I was amazed at how incredibly different (in a GOOD way!) his coat was after being on Wellness!

Here's the link to Suebee's and Debbie's diets...  Oh, and to save Suebee the trouble, Suebee's diet is not endorsed by the RFC, mainly due to a conflict of interest.

Debbie D's diet
Suebee's Diet

[-Kelly-]

Thanks Grace! My rats like Wellness alot, and their poop smells ALOT less since I've been feeding them that mixed with lab blocks and I'm still going through the last 1/2 of the bag of 'mardi-gras' sm. animal mix.   I mix it in w/the wellness and lab blox only because I can't get myself to throw away 10 lbs. of seed mix, although I'd love to be rid of the stuff. It creates moths! Anyway, I hope Bosco will read those links and the links to Suebee's and Debbie's mixes and maybe get his rats a little bit of wellness. I guess no-one really thinks to give rats other things besides rat stuff. I tell all my customers to give their rats Nylabone edibles as treats and they are amazed, "really? but it's for dogs". But they get it and come back telling me how much their rats love it.  

[kim]

wellness is definitely up there above nutro

and yes, you can feed them canned! yesterday while waiting for you at the petstore i was FORCED to go inside and actually picked up some duck canned wellness food for the lady rats!!!!!

[Suebee]

...and although I can't find the link right now, I believe suebee's and Debbie D.'s mixes both contain dog food.

Debbie's does not. Mine does.

However, the Nutro in my diet can easily be replaced with a high-quality lab block like Harlan.

As has been said, we're not talking any old brands of dog food. We're talking specially chosen brands, after careful consideration of ingredients. So far, few have made the cut: Nutro Natural Choice Lite, Innova Senior, and Wellness Senior.

[kmw]

one ?, why would u give a rat dog food when its made for dogs not rats, but i think its dumb to give rats other animal foods

I think it's a shame you don't share any of your food with your rats.  Humans, are, after all, just animals as well

Given the choice to feed some inferior lab blocks, versus a high quality dog food as part of a mix, I'd choose the dog food anyday.  

[SAM_PIBB]

technically all the igredients in any kind of animal food can be eaten by humans. Lab blocks have soybeans (or something like that) and wheat and all kinds of other things.
 But would you want to eat cat food mixed in with your regular food? I mean everyday part of your diet.
     It's just two different ways of looking at it.

[Suebee]

I don't see how eating dog food would be any different from eating a lab block from a rat's perspective. They don't know it's dog food. It's food.

I'm just failing to see the logic there...

[HarleyQuinn]

one ?, why would u give a rat dog food when its made for dogs not rats, but i think its dumb to give rats other animal foods

Well, it sure seems better than those awful rodent mixes.

[Suebee]

Also a good point.

The companies that make food for rodents have NO clue what they are doing when formulating a diet for rats... dog food companies couldn't possibly do worse...  

[-Kelly-]

Ok, so I am going to pick up some canned wellness tomorrow.  I can't wait to see their reaction. The way I think of it, it would be like turkey and gravy for them. They could have a whole "fancy" dinner, (although they are quite uncivilized, eating with their hands and all!  ) But just throw some plain mashed potatoes on the side and some carrots or green beans. Voila!  

Oh and waiting at a petstore will do that to ya! We passed the pet zone on the way home and I was "forced" to go in and pick up some goodies (and a water bottle for the ride home) for the new boys. Who are still doing great BTW!  

[Dani]

Also a good point.

The companies that make food for rodents have NO clue what they are doing when formulating a diet for rats

I can just imagine the makers of Kaytee food "Look, it's shiney and green, who cares if it was in the trash, lets throw that in there too!" LOL!

[AngelZOO]

Errr, yes Wellness is a much better food then Nutro is (I'm just saying in general, not when it comes to ratty needs).
It's one of my top favorite brands, and I am more then overly critical with this sort of thing.

[kim]

I don't see how eating dog food would be any different from eating a lab block from a rat's perspective. They don't know it's dog food. It's food.

I'm just failing to see the logic there...

well, in general it ISNT good or healthy to feed one animals food to another -- cats shouldnt eat dog food, birds shouldnt eat rabbit food, etc. rats tend to be an exception because they are one of the few domesticated pets that are true omnivores, AND they happen to have an optimal range that closely mirrors part of that of a dog.

and MOST dog foods ARENT good to feed rats, as they are much too high in protein and fat. so this is more like an exception rather than the rule. i dont think bosco meant that rats would know the difference, i took it as a health statement. rats will eat almost anything, but that doesnt mean its healthy for them and bowie will eat harlan lab blocks, but that doesnt mean that he should!

[Suebee]

That I fully understand... I openly admit I DID interpret Chibber's post as stating the rats would know the difference, and be offended by the mere idea that we would dare feed them food meant for *dogs*.

That's where I failed to see the logic in Chibber's argument, as written.

But I agree, in most cases, it's best to feed a pet food formulated for them. However, since most of the commercial rat foods are seriously inferior... well, I think you know how I feel about that subject.

[-Kelly-]

LOL *imagines rat sticking up nose and saying "the NERVE of my human! Giving me DOG food! Shame on him/her!"*