Mary Allen
If you eat the wrong thing, you will at best get a stomach ache. But the wrong rodent diet can have dire consequences. We’ll tell you what guinea pigs, hamsters, rabbits, and etc are allowed to eat and what they should leave their teeth behind.
Rabbits Love Variety
Rabbits need variety on the menu – but in the right quantities, please. The green forage (e.g. clover, dandelion, parsley, grass) makes up the lion’s share with 70%. The rest is divided between 20% vegetables (e.g. lettuce, carrots, broccoli) and 10% fruit (e.g. pears, apples). In addition, fresh hay is always available.
The Smallest Ones are Seed-eaters
However, the rabbit diet is not applicable to all other rodents. Mice, hamsters, and rats, for example, are eager for seed-eaters. They also need additional hay.
Permanent Food Keeps Teeth and Intestines Fit
Crisp and food are actually almost non-stop: Guinea pigs and rabbits in particular, but degus and chinchillas are also permanent eaters. With it, they care for their teeth and they push the intestinal contents so that no gas or blockages develop.
Grain is Difficult to Digest
Rabbits refrain from eating grains that are difficult to digest because too much can cause stomach and intestinal problems. Grains, hard pieces of bread, and pastries are nutritional sins. Incidentally, grain makes you really full and if you are full, you no longer feel like taking care of your teeth with nibble sticks. But nibbling, crunching, and chewing is important because this is the only way to keep the teeth short. If you have pearly whites that are too long, you have to go to the vet to have your teeth shortened.
Sugar in Fruit Can Cause Diabetes and Tooth Decay
Speaking of teeth: there is a reason why fruit is sparingly included in the rodent diet. It contains natural sugars that can cause tooth decay. Too much sugar can also cause obesity and that in turn can cost a life. In addition, there is a risk of diabetes when consuming sugar. So fruit is only healthy in moderation and not in masses.
Alfalfa Pellets Bother the Bladder
Alfalfa pellets are popular, but be careful: they contain a lot of calcium and that’s not good at all, because bladder stones can form.
Pay Attention to Taboos in the Rodent Diet
Watch out: human food is unhealthy because it is spicy and damages intestinal flora. Even sweets or waste from the kitchen have no place in the rodent diet. Rodents also cannot tolerate onion plants (e.g. onions, garlic), avocados, exotic fruits, and legumes (e.g. lentils, peas, beans). Milk and dairy products cause diarrhea. Fattening foods are sugar, nuts, grains (oats, wheat, rye, corn, etc.), and honey.
Save Yourself Lime and Salt
By the way, those who eat their animals healthily can save money, because then limestones or salt licks are not necessary. What should never be forgotten in the rodent diet: The daily drinking water that should be clean and fresh.