[Whiskers]

[align=center]Can rats have milk chocolate? White chocolate? Peanut butter chocolate? Mint chocolate? What about chocolate brownies, cake, cookies, and ice cream? And what about dark chocolate? Isn't that healthier or something?

Last night I had a dark chocolate bar on my dresser that I was going to eat later, then I let my rats free roam. They tried to chew through the paper wrapping, but I stopped them. Then they tried to drag it into the cage! It was funny.... :lol:

So can I give my rats a little bit of any of those or are they bad for the kidneys or something?[/align]

 

[Sparker]

A small amount of chocolate (I use either dark or semi-sweet) can be a good bronchial dilator. When I say a small amount, though, I mean one chip each about once or twice a week.

It is a lot of sugar and nutritionally void, so be careful. If it isn't good for you, it isn't good for them. Better to stick to the healthy foods.

 

[Forensic]

Rats can have a teeny, tiny amount of dark chocolate on occasion (like mini-chip sized, it can help open the airways.) But the rest of them are full of fat and sugar and aren't good for them in the slightest, not to mention is can lead to heart failure or neurological issues. So... yeah.

 

[Sparker]

Forensic - I think we were writing those at the same time and said pretty much the exact same things.

Awesome!

 

[Forensic]

Forensic - I think we were writing those at the same time and said pretty much the exact same things.

Awesome!

Yeah, pretty neat. :lol:

For reference, Whiskers, the forbidden foods list: http://www.petratscanada.com/forbidden_foods.htm

And there's really no need to give them junk food (like brownies, cake, ice cream, etc.)

 

[Whiskers]

A small amount of chocolate (I use either dark or semi-sweet) can be a good bronchial dilator. When I say a small amount, though, I mean one chip each about once or twice a week.

It is a lot of sugar and nutritionally void, so be careful. If it isn't good for you, it isn't good for them. Better to stick to the healthy foods.

[align=center]I've never heard of semi-sweet before.
Is that fat/sugar free?[/align]

Rats can have a teeny, tiny amount of dark chocolate on occasion (like mini-chip sized, it can help open the airways.) But the rest of them are full of fat and sugar and aren't good for them in the slightest, not to mention is can lead to heart failure or neurological issues. So... yeah.

[align=center]When you say "on occasion" how often is that?
Like once a week, once a month, or just on holidays?[/align]

For reference, Whiskers, the forbidden foods list: http://www.petratscanada.com/forbidden_foods.htm

[align=center]I saw that list and read the chocolate part, which said a little bit is okay.
But I wanted to make sure what kind since there's a lot of different kinds of chocolate.[/align]

And there's really no need to give them junk food (like brownies, cake, ice cream, etc.)

[align=center]I didn't think so.
But I just had to make sure.[/align]

 

[Forensic]

[align=center]I've never heard of semi-sweet before.
Is that fat/sugar free?[/align]

No chocolate is fat/sugar free.

[align=center]When you say "on occasion" how often is that?
Like once a week, once a month, or just on holidays?[/align]

Once or twice a week max, just like Sparker said.

 

[Whiskers]

No chocolate is fat/sugar free.

[align=center]Oh. Well is it semi-fat/sugar free?[/align]

Once or twice a week max, just like Sparker said.

[align=center]And only with dark and semi-sweet chocolate?[/align]

 

[Forensic]

[align=center]Oh. Well is it semi-fat/sugar free?[/align]

No... It's less cocoa and more butter/sugar than dark chocolate, and less than milk chocolate (which also contains milk and vanilla). I think dark chocolate is also called bittersweet? Unsweetened or baking chocolate is the closest to fat/sugar free but I wouldn't try it, it's not very tasty. White chocolate isn't chocolate at all, technically.

 

[Forensic]

[align=center]And only with dark and semi-sweet chocolate?[/align]

They're best.

A bit of the others mightn't hurt, but they won't have the benefits of the darker chocolates.

 

[Whiskers]

White chocolate isn't chocolate at all, technically.

[align=center]What the?
How is it not chocolate?[/align]

 

[Forensic]

White chocolate isn't chocolate at all, technically.

[align=center]What the?
How is it not chocolate?[/align]

It doesn't contain any cocoa solids, just the butter. Hence why it's white.

Technically, it cannot be called chocolate in a lot of places.

 

[Sparker]

[align=center]And only with dark and semi-sweet chocolate?[/align]

They're best.

A bit of the others mightn't hurt, but they won't have the benefits of the darker chocolates.

And the point of giving them chocolate in the first place is that it can ease the breathing (no replacement for medical attention, mind you, just a good home remedy for a rat whose Myco is undercontrol) and dark/semi-sweet are the only ones that help in any way. Dark is a litter better for that, of the two options.

That is what she means by "benefits".

 

[Whiskers]

It doesn't contain any cocoa solids, just the butter. Hence why it's white.

Technically, it cannot be called chocolate in a lot of places.

[align=center]So why does it taste chocolatey? 8O [/align]

 

[Sparker]

The magic of modern technology! : :lol:

Just kidding - I don't know anything about white chocolate, it just popped into my head.

 

[JESSU]

I gave my ratty a tiny pinch of a chocolate chip muffin once. He got so excited he fell of his platform.
I buy him carob. I wasn't sure if they could eat chocolate.

 

[Whiskers]

The magic of modern technology! : :lol:

Just kidding - I don't know anything about white chocolate, it just popped into my head.

[align=center]I'll never eat white chocolate again....[/align]

I gave my ratty a tiny pinch of a chocolate chip muffin once. He got so excited he fell of his platform.
I buy him carob. I wasn't sure if they could eat chocolate.

[align=center]What's carob?[/align]

 

[Sparker]

He got so excited he fell of his platform.

I just laughed out loud and choked on my coffee. :lol:

 

[Forensic]

It doesn't contain any cocoa solids, just the butter. Hence why it's white.

Technically, it cannot be called chocolate in a lot of places.

[align=center]So why does it taste chocolatey? 8O [/align]

It doesn't. Ick. :x It tastes like sugared fat. Really.

 

[Kimmiekins]

White chocolate tastes like chocolate because it has coco butter in it.