Additional nutrition

[reptilesalonica]

I am wondering if is important for mothers and/or puppees to get additional calcium.
~Greg~

[justinO]

if you are talking about rats/mice, yes, if you can, give the mother rats extra nutrition before they have babies ...... i give them small animal mix seeds & rolled oats.

[Linds]

Mothers and babies definitely have higher calcium, protein, and fat needs than say an adult male. Some people say egg shells are good, but none of my rats ever touched the stuff. Mine get all their additional nutrients from the chicken carcasses I chop up weekly.

[reptilesalonica]

One familiar person of mine gives Nekton calcium powder mixed in the water every week. Is that correct?
~Greg~

[Linds]

Unfamiliar with the brand, but you could provide supplementation via water as well, however it still does not account for the extra fat and protein they should be provided with. You also need to be careful not to oversupplement minerals and some vitamins, since they can build up in the system.

[reptilesalonica]

The Nekton products are from Germany. How can i give additional calcium without messing with human food craps? Should i search for a calcium supplementation for mammals (pets)?
~Greg~

[jadegrasse]

Give them baby formula mixed with water or milk. Has over 30 trace elements (calcium, magnesium...) and is often marked down.

[reptilesalonica]

Thanks jadegrasse

[Ian]

Sunflower seeds and Hen scratch work well to keep Mothers in good shape and they're both cheap to boot.