Peanuts are the talk of the town at the moment for the health and nutrition of humans – but what about your rats?
Are peanuts a secret power food?
Are they a health risk?
Can rats be allergic to peanuts too?
Just like humans – rats can eat peanuts and all their various and profit-making forms – but just like everything with health – common sense is the best policy.
Rats should really only have one or two peanuts per sitting- rather than eating a whole packet watching a movie like we do!
As with all foods, their nutrients can sometimes affect other digestive pathways – and peanuts are no different. They do have some anti-nutrients when raw – just like some other members of the bean family, so just be aware when feeding them. Probably because of this too – it might be best to not feed peanuts to very young, very old or very poorly rats.
The Peanuts Themselves:
Peanuts are a type of bean and grow on small plants growing on the ground – just like most beans and peas would. They don’t grow on trees like other well-known nuts such as walnuts and pecans – they actually grow underground…
Peanuts are incredibly rich in nutrients and their protein and fat levels are perfect for building up the body, repairing damage and offering super nutrition in small doses where needed.
Raw peanuts are often called ‘monkey nuts’ or ‘nuts in shells’ and are also known as groundnuts and goobers depending on where you live.
These pale peanuts all wear a little red jacket and are neatly packaged in twos or threes inside a flimsy and crunchy pale shell – although it is always a bonus to find 4 in there!
Can rats eat peanuts in their shells then? Of course you can give your rats the nuts in their shells as this adds a bit of fun to the whole thing. In stores, you mainly only find these so called ‘monkey nuts’ being sold as roasted in their shells – believed to be much safer health-wise for rats as they aren’t raw (and so the anti-nutrients have been destroyed). These are also ‘safer’ for those people wary of aflatoxins (common molds found on grains) – as the heat of roasting should have killed any baddies in the nuts themselves.
Be a bit more wary when ordering peanuts in bulk or online from larger or unknown suppliers though. You would need to check whether they were raw or treated in any way as many nuts are now sold for different purposes – not all are destined to be eaten by humans or animals – and so not all are as safe as those nuts brought in food stores.
If they have their shells removed, they either keep their red jackets, remain ‘raw’ and are known as redskins, or they shed their handsome coat and become the pale cooked nuts we associate with ordinary ‘roasted peanuts’.
Can Rats Be Allergic To Peanuts?
According to all the information we have read, rats are not so affected by the proteins in peanuts as us humans, and so very rarely are there reported cases of rats suffering from peanut allergies – however, peanut allergies (as well as many others) are becoming more prevalent in humans every year – so we wouldn’t say for sure that rats couldn’t suddenly become more reactive to peanuts themselves – maybe more of an intolerance.
Rats can already suffer from other food allergies and intolerances and they tend to show up on your rats as a type of dermatitis – like a skin complaint. These types of allergies are usually built up to over a period of time with continued feeding – rather than the instant (and sometimes fatal) reactions we associate with humans health issues.
If you feel that perhaps your rats skins isn’t the best, maybe you could try an elimination diet over a few months for some of the main trigger foods and see if it clears up? (It needs to be over a long period of time as you need all of the components of that food to have been metabolized and/or left the body before you can start seeing any improvements.)
There are so many different peanuts!
Just like when you are shopping for yourself – you know which nuts are going to be more healthy and which ones are going to be more naughty – and the same applies to your rats.
Are Roasted Peanuts Safe For Rats?
Nice, safe and tasty – ordinary roasted peanuts are safe all around – full of ‘good’ fats and protein, they are great for anyone in small doses – and possibly great for those who need a bit of a tasty nutrition boost too.
Roasted peanuts can be great or not-so-great (as many of thiem are roasted but actually fried (?) – same with dry roasted peanuts: you must always read the ingredients – and if they have had anything added to them or they have been coated with anything – you need to be happy that those added ingredients are safe too.
And we all know too much salt (sodium) isn’t good for anyone – including your rats – so go easy on the salted nuts for everyone’s sake! Salting and frying anything makes it more addictive – so you will be doing your own insides a favor by not buying them in the first place.
What About Flavored Peanuts For Rats?
Anything else added to your nuts is just up to you – as their are many novelty flavors of peanuts out there including wasabi, onion and even dill pickle flavored?
If you think your rats would be ok eating a caramel peanut or a honeyed or barbecue-topped peanut – that is up to you. But I really would avoid giving your babies jalapeno-coated peanuts at all costs…
We know people say that rats can eat anything humans can – but you really do have to ask yourself – why?
Can Rats Eat Peanut Butter?
Of course they can in theory (and products like Meridian peanut butter is literally only 100% peanuts). It is, after all, just peanuts and oil (same as the plain roasted peanuts) – but it isn’t quite as easy for your babies to eat.
There are stories all over the internet and within forums about peanut butter getting stuck in a rats mouths due to PB’s all too famous ooochiness – and choking them, and this can be really disturbing to watch.
So if this is still something you do want to try – perhaps feed only in small amounts and only when supervised and see how you go. I mean – rats don’t NEED to eat peanut butter, so perhaps most wise rat owners would avoid it anyway?
How About Rats Eating Peanut Snack Bars?
Again, these are not healthy at all – but will not in themselves be harmful to your rats digestion – however, they can be really bad for long term health if given all the time – and they could possibly become a choking hazard if they are really sticky, hard or sharp – like an old-fashioned honey or syrup-coated peanut bar.
Perhaps eat such candy treats in a different room – then only YOU know they exist and you won’t have beady eyes watching your every move begging for a piece.
Recently though, there are lots of recipes available for keto-friendly snack bars (which have no sugar) so these can easily be adapted for and given to rats and be totally sugar-free rat snacks!
So the question of can rats eat peanuts is answered in the same way as so many other questions like this – stick with the original.
Raw or dried versions of the same are virtually always more nutritious and healthy as all the other processed versions – so is there any need to look elsewhere?