Should I be giving my rats salt licks or vitamin drops?

[~Lilly's mama~]

I just realized today that I don't have any.  What kinds should I get?

[Nellybird]

nope, no salt licks. and the vitamins they need are already in their lab blocks/mixed diet that you're feeding them

[michiganratter]

I give my girls one drop of Ferretvite each once per day. They love it -- better than any other treats I've tried. I just put a small dab on my finger and they lick it off like there's no tomorrow.

It's $5-$8 per tube depending where you get it. I have used about 1/2 tube in four months time.

[scout]

Oasis makes a vitamin for small critters. You can add a couple of drops to their water (change every 3rd day) or I add a drop per rat weekly to their "oatmeal". The best way to get vitamins into rats is to feed a wholesome, varied diet that includes fresh vegetables and fruits. Rats don't need salt licks.

[Evergreen Rattery]

  I give them the Oasis vitamins too, I don't know how much they help but it's nice to know they're getting what they need.  But don't just rely on vitamins, they need other supplements to their diet like fruits and veggies to help them stay healthy.

[Anna]

Mine get super shiny fur when I put vitamins in the water. I think I have the oasis ones too.
I don't use them all the time, just when I think they  need a good conditioning, or when someone is sick.
Anna

[WS]

As long as your ratty is eating a healthy well-rounded diet, vitamin supplements shouldn't be needed.  Formulated diets (like blocks) contain all the vitamin nutrients that a rat needs and if you're feeding your ratties veggies and fruits and treats every now and then you should be just fine.   There ARE vitamin supplements for small animals but some of them contain vitamins that a rat does not need (for instance, vitamin C is produced by the rat's own body! I'm jealous!)  - you can talk to your vet about vitamin supplements if you want to use them or if you have a rat who is not eating well.

As for salt licks, there is no reason to supplement a rat's sodium intake and no need to give them salt licks. (Besides... they just ignore them anyway!    hee hee!)

[Ross]

I got my Ratties a salt lick and the disliked it so much that when they had their playtime they dragged it out their cage and dropped it on the floor. I thought that was a bit strange so I put it back in but the next night it was the same story so I just binned it.