Protein in the rats diet

Protein is needed in a rats’ diet for growth, repair and general health.

There are however confusion about how much protein to give and what sources of protein are regarded as safe due to some rats being susceptible to renal failure.

SOURCES OF PROTEIN

Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. There are 20 amino acids that rats need in their diet. Some are called non-essential amino acids, not because they are not important, but because they can be manufactured by the body when needed. The 9 essential amino acids must be consumed through their diet on a regular basis.

Protein from animals and some plant sources like buckwheat, soy, quinoa and hemp contains all of the essential amino acids, but while a vegetarian diet may work for humans, rats do need some animal protein in their diet due to a higher growth rate and higher need of protein at certain stages during their lives.

The essential amino acids (histidine, lystine, leucine, methionine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, threonine, valine and tryptophan) are found in beef, lamb, pork, chicken, turkey, fish (salmon, sardines, tuna), liver, edible insects like meal worms, nuts, seeds (pumpkin, flax, linseed, sesame, watermelon, sunflower), eggs, soy, yogurt, cheese, mushrooms, lentils, whole-grains like wild rice, quinoa, millet, brown rice, buckwheat and pearl barley.

SAFE PROTEINS

Some proteins however, are easier digested and processed by the body. Because all rats have some degree of kidney deterioration as they age, it is best to feed plant proteins and safer animal proteins like poultry (white meat and bones), fish (needed for omega 3), meal worms, eggs and dairy products like cheese and yogurt. It is best to avoid red meats, or to feed only high quality muscle meat in small quantities as a snack. Eggs whites are lower in protein but easier to digest, while chicken and fish contains high levels of protein in a small amount.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN?

While some studies say rats need about 5% protein in their maintenance diet and 15% for growth and lactation, rats may actually need more as these studies were done using a purified, highly digestible protein.

Rats in a maintenance diet need closer to 8% protein and rapidly growing and lactating rats approximately 23 to 28% of protein to cope with the increased demands made upon their bodies. Rat milk contains 20% protein in comparison to human milk at only 7%.

THE DANGER OF TOO MUCH PROTEIN

Although rats with food allergies may be more sensitive to high protein foods, there is no scientific evidence that rats in general will get sores and scabs from too much protein in their diet.

Rats with healthy kidneys will also not be affected by higher protein in their diet, but a rat with deterioration in kidney function may have an accelerated rate at which the disease progress. Males are more prone to this due to a male specific protein found in their kidneys.

The more excess protein in the diet, the more toxins need to be processed by the kidneys and liver.

In several studies of high protein diets vs renal failure, rats were fed a diet containing 40-80% protein over a period of a few months. While most showed no damage to their kidneys, some did have enlarged kidneys. It is not clear if this was due to the rats being overweight due to an inadequate diet or the higher protein content.

CONCLUSION

It is advised to add plant and animal proteins on a regular basis to your rats’ diet, but feed in moderation. Add easier digestible proteins like chicken, fish, egg, meal worms, yogurt or cheese a few times a week and daily for lactating moms and rapidly growing pups.

Underweight animals should rather be fed healthy proteins to add muscle weight, rather than fattening foods to pick up weight.

Ensure is a meal replacer and high in protein with added vitamins, minerals and probiotics. It is good to give to underweight, growing or lactating animals, but best to avoid in a maintenance diet as rats requiring a lower protein content in their diet, may become overweight.

http://www.fao.org/docrep/018/i3253e/i3253e06.pdf

http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/food_allergies.php

http://www.livestrong.com/article/237785-list-of-foods-that-contain-the-most-amino-acids/

“The Scuttling Gourmet”, Alison Campbell, 3rd edition (2010)

http://www.jbc.org/content/67/1/101.full.pdf

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