Dietary needs will vary from rodent to rodent. The needs of most animals may be satisfied by feeding the animals a diet that is designed to be close to their natural diet. Almost all rodents are vegetarians, although some may have animal protein requirements. You should research your rodent's food requirements in order to determine which sort of food is right for your animal. Proper nutrition is very important; many domestic rodents suffer from common ailments or diseases that are caused by nutritional imbalances. If you wish to change your rodent's diet, you should try to do it slowly to avoid digestive upset. Additionally, many rodents may be suspicious of changes in the texture, odor, or placement of their food or water and some may actually stop eating if they feel that their diet is different or strange. Changing the rodent's diet may be most easily accomplished by mixing a small amount of the new food into the old food. You can increase the amount daily until your rodent is eating new food exclusively. Most people advise feeding rodents at meal times during the day. However, once you have determined how much food your animal will eat in a day, some people may find it easier to simply place a bowl of food in the cage at one time during the day. It may be better to feed diurnal rodents in the morning and nocturnal rodents in the evening if you choose to feed your animal only once. Seed mixes may take a long time to consume, and your animal can work on such a meal over the course of several hours. You should know the proper amount to feed your animal, since overfeeding can lead to a number of problems. Many rodents can eat out of boredom, and this can lead to the animal's weight reaching an unhealthy level. Also, giving your rodent a set amount of food each day may help you determine the state of its health; if it is not eating, this could be a sign that something is wrong.

Rodents may be fed a specially formulated seed mix or pellet diet for their species type. Many rodents will simply pick out the seeds they prefer from seed mixes and may not receive full nutritional value from them. For this reason, it is advisable to wait for all the food to be consumed before adding new food. Some animals may require seed mixes that contain only items from which the shells have been removed. Rodents can die if they choke on seed shells, although in many types of rodents this is not a problem.

Pellet diets are nutritionally balanced for rodent types. Although pellet foods claim to be nutritionally complete, it is better to feed your animal fresh food closer to its natural diet. Also, some rodents may need hay, which obviously is not provided in a pellet diet. Pellet diets may be offered as treats, or they may be offered regularly if supplemented with fresh fruits and vegetables. If you do feed a pellet diet, you should be sure that it is specially formulated for your animal.

Many rodents will need to be supplemented with fresh fruits or vegetables daily. However too many fresh fruits and vegetables can cause digestive upset in smaller rodents like mice or hamsters, and should only be offered in small amounts. Many rodents will enjoy fruits high in vitamin C or A, or fruits that involve some amount of chewing or husking activity. Others enjoy softer fruits like kiwi or tomatoes. Often rodents will enjoy some lettuces other than iceberg lettuce. Other good foods include carrots, corn, spinach, peppers, water chestnut, berries, or even herbs like cilantro or parsley. Dark leafy green vegetables are a good source of calcium in addition to vitamins A and C. Some cruciferous vegetables, like cabbage and kale, may cause excessive intestinal gas in animals like guinea pigs and should be fed sparingly. It is best to strive for variety in your rodent's diet to ensure proper nutrition and also to prevent your animal from becoming bored. Remember to switch from one food to another in a gradual manner, however.

Some rodents enjoy a little carbohydrate food in their diets. Bread or oats may be preferred. Be careful, however, as some animals like mice can actually be born with or develop allergic reactions to wheat or other grains. If you choose to feed potatoes to your animals, it is best to be sure that the potato is not sprouting.

Rodents who eat hay, like rabbits, are generally best kept on grass hays like timothy hay. Alfalfa hay tends to have higher levels of calcium, which may cause bladder stones or digestive upset in some types of rodent. Hay may be sold in packages at your local pet supply or you may buy it fresh in bales. If you do buy a hay bale, you will need to find a dry place in which to store it. Hay may easily become moldy, and then it will be unsuitable for animals to eat. Generally hay is an item that your rodent may have free access to at all times, unlike many foods which should be fed in portioned amounts. Although hay is usually a large part of the diets of larger rodents, it can be a very good idea to add timothy hay in small amounts to the diets of small animals such as hamsters and gerbils as well.

Protein needs can often be met by feeding mealworms as a treat. Often, hamsters and gerbils can benefit from such high protein treats. Some people also choose to offer bits of cooked lean meat, like chicken. Processed meats, like lunchmeats, can have a number of preservatives or artificial ingredients which may not be suitable to feed your pet. If you read the label and find a number of chemicals are included, it may not be a good choice.

Some people will mount a salt or mineral block in their rodent's enclosure. While this may not be necessary, it can in fact be harmful in animals who do not need it. Some rodents, particularly guinea pigs, can develop bladder stones or sludgy urine when they are allowed such licks. Appropriate amounts vitamins and minerals are normally obtained from a proper diet without such supplementation.

Some rodents, like guinea pigs, have special Vitamin C requirements, and these should be provided through supplementation with fresh greens. Vitamin C requirements are also accounted for in pellet diets, which means that guinea pigs fed rabbit pellets will not be getting sufficient nutrition; guinea pig pellets have more Vitamin C than rabbit formulas do. Some people place Vitamin C drops in their animal's water, although this may be an wasteful method of delivering the nutrient since it breaks down in water after a certain period of time. Also, if you are unsure how much water the animal will drink, you cannot know how much of the vitamin dosage it will receive. Vitamin C is available in chewable form to supplement your rodent. Because many pellet diets are balanced to include such special nutritional requirements, if you feed a pellet diet you may not need to be concerned with supplementation. In fact, over-supplementation can lead to a variety of health problems. For example, Vitamin D excesses may cause rodents to lose the ability to metabolize calcium, just as Vitamin D deficiencies can.

There are a variety of treats available for your rodent, and they may also have nutritional value in addition to breaking the monotony of your rodent's diet. Yogurt based treats may be particularly good for your animal, and treat sticks that have seeds stuck over them may be a nice supplement to a pellet diet. If your rodent cannot tolerate seed shells, some of these sticks that include seeds in the shell may not be advisable. Some rodents may like low-fat or "light" premium types of dog food, chopped hard-boiled eggs, or plain dog biscuits on occasion. Squirrels are an exception, since many cannot tolerate egg yolk. Specially formulated crunchy treats are also available for rodents. Foods like cooked pasta, bread with a thin spread of peanut butter, dry plain cereals, or bread may also be enjoyed in small amounts from time to time. Brazil nuts, shelled sunflower seeds, and peanuts may all make nice treats occasionally. Of course, the fruits and protein items that should make up a small part of the diets of hamsters and gerbils are only offered from time to time, and may largely take the place of other treats.

There is great controversy over pellet diets versus seed diets, since seed diets are more natural but may cause obesity in rodents since they are so fatty. Some people prefer to feed pellet diets alone; others prefer seed diets alone; some people will mix them. No matter which you choose to use, it will still be important to offer your animal fresh food in the form of fruits and vegetables. However, some items should be avoided in some rodent diets. For example, some rodents cannot tolerate raw beans; others cannot eat citrus fruits, and many find celery difficult to digest (you cut it up into small pieces if you choose to feed it to them). Rhubarb is poisonous to many rodents. Other toxic foods include chocolate, garlic, and onions. Rodents should not be offered iceberg lettuce, which does not have much nutritional value anyway. Some rodents seem to be able to moderate their own food intake, while others may become obese. Obesity is a health concern and can lead to a variety of problems; therefore, it is important to watch what your rodent eats and feed it enough to keep it healthy but not enough to make it fat. The prairie dog is one example of a rodent that will eat apparently without stopping if allowed enough food. Some animals, like chipmunks, may store their food. This is a natural behavior and does not necessarily mean that you are feeding the animal too much.

Part Two - Housing	Part Four - Pro-Active Care
Printer Friendly Version

Please Note: This care sheet is copyright © The Central Pets Educational Foundation (CentralPets.com). It may be freely distributed provided that this notice and Copyright remains included and unchanged. We encourage veterinarians, clubs, pet stores, breeders, humane societies, and others to use this to educate people and promote better pet care. Additions, suggestions, corrections, and questions regarding this care sheet are welcome and should be directed to content@CentralPets.com