Oxbow vs Other Store Bought Brands
When it comes to store bought food, I will only use or recommend Oxbow Essentials Adult Rat Food. I do not have any affiliation with them. However, I recommend this brand because it contains the nutrients rats require while being free from unnecessary/harmful ingredients for rats (such as FD&C red/yellow/blue) and does not have too high of a protein or fat content. Just because a food has "rat" stamped on it, doesn't mean it is *good* for rats. Also, rat nutrient requirements differ from mouse/other rodent nutrient requirements, so any one product advertised for multiple different species is an immediate red flag.
My recommendation for Oxbow is based on the book "Nutrient Requirements of Laboratory Animals: Fourth Revised Edition (1995)" which is available in its' entirety here:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK231925/#!po=0.0800000
Screenshots of the recommended nutrition for rats:
Oxbow Essentials Adult Rat Food:
Kaytee Supreme Fortified Daily Diet Rat & Mouse
Why not this product? It is nutrient deficient and is only guaranteed to contain protein, fat, and fiber. It contains the unnecessary ingredients of corn, alfalfa, and soy. It has extra seeds and nuts: too many seeds and nuts yield too high of a protein content which is unhealthy for rats. Rats will pick and choose, and usually will choose the most protein rich/fatty foods i.e. seeds and nuts.
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Kaytee Fiesta
Why not this product? It includes unnecessary/harmful ingredients such as corn, alfalfa, soy, and FD&C yellow, red, and blue. It has extra seeds and nuts: too many seeds and nuts yield too high of a protein content which is unhealthy for rats. Rats will pick and choose, and usually will choose the most protein rich/fatty foods i.e. seeds and nuts.
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Kaytee Forti Diet Pro Health for mice and rats
Vitakraft Complete Nutrition, Rat, Mouse, & Gerbil
Why not this product? It includes unnecessary/harmful ingredients such as alfalfa, corn, peanuts, FD&C yellow, red, and blue. It is only guaranteed to contain protein, fat, and fiber, and is a "high protein formula." Too much protein is bad for rats, and this even has extra seeds and nuts: too many seeds and nuts yield too high of a protein content which is unhealthy for rats. Rats will pick and choose, and usually will choose the most protein rich/fatty foods i.e. seeds and nuts.
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