Top 10 Foods Your Rat Should Avoid by Bobby Secrest

10 Foods Your Rat Should Avoid

We all love are ratties and want to make sure their diets are on track to living a long and fulfilling life. That is why the team over at iGotRats gathered information on the top 10 foods all rat owners should avoid feeding their little friends.

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#10 - Carbonated Drinks

When us humans drink soda, are stomachs get filled with gas which causes us to burp in order to release carbon monoxide. Unfortunately, rats are unable to burp which means ingesting any carbonated drink could cause stomach issues and even death.

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#9 - Blue Cheese

All rats love cheese, and most people assume that all cheeses are fine for their ratties, but that is not the case. The mold that is created to make blue cheese is extremely toxic to rats. We strongly suggest to avoid blue cheese at all costs.

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#8 - Green Bananas

While regular bananas are perfectly fine, green bananas inhibit starch digestion enzymes, which can upset a rats stomach. Always check the ripeness of your ratties banana before snack time!

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#7 - Oranges

The outer and the white parts of orange peels can be very harmful for male rats. Reports show that is fine for females, but to stay safe we suggest to avoid oranges all together.

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#6 - Licorice

Licorice is extremely toxic to rats and has been known to cause neurological problems. We advise to always avoid both black and red licorice.

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#5 - Peanut Butter

Everyone loves peanut butter but unfortunately sticky foods such as peanut butter or Nutella can cause rats to choke. For safety always cut peanut butter with a liquid and supervise snack time.

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#4 - Sugary Foods

Sugary foods are bad for all species and especially our little ratties. Although you may love feeding your rat his or her favorite treat, it's actually doing more bad than good. Sugar is known to quickly fatten up a rat and cause serious heart and respiratory problems.

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#3 - Chocolate

Chocolate can be poisonous to all animals in large enough amounts. Although the cocoa in dark chocolate can be beneficial for respiratory issues in rats, I would advise very small doses as the caffeine mixed with the sugar can be a dangerous combination.

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#2 - Raw Sweet Potato

Raw sweet potato contains compounds that can form cyanide in the stomach of a rat. Always be sure to cook fully through if feeding this to your rat. To be safe I would avoid sweet potatoes all together.

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#1 - Apple Seeds

While apples can be a safe treat, the seeds are not. They contain a deadly chemical that is a derivative of Cyanide. This compound is extremely dangerous in large quantities. Always make sure to core your apples before snack time.

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