popsicle stick as a chew toy?

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eriin

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 30, 2012
Messages
392
Location
ontario, canada
my girls dont like to chew on any types of chew toys at all, only hammocks and my blankets and pillows. are popsicle sticks safe? and when i say popsicle i mean the kind that you've eaten the good part off of? is that too germ-y or pose a risk of passing bacteria on? or as long as im healthy would this be okay, i figure maybe the end soaked in the juice with entice them to chew it? i really want them to chew on something, there doesnt seem to be a problem now, but i really dont want to have to make a future trip to the vet for a teeth trimming
 
I'm not sure about popsicle sticks, but have you tried chicken bones from cooked chicken? My girls LOVE them, and they aren't much for chewing on anything else. You may want to give those a try.
 
Are you worried that if they don't chew on things that their teeth will overgrow? Rats brux to keep their teeth at a healthy length, so if they aren't chewing on their toys they will be OK. Only if a rats teeth are crooked (malocclusion) or trauma will their teeth overgrow. My Luma had facial paralysis and she didn't brux properly so her incisors started to grow too long.
 
Are you worried that if they don't chew on things that their teeth will overgrow? Rats brux to keep their teeth at a healthy length, so if they aren't chewing on their toys they will be OK. Only if a rats teeth are crooked (malocclusion) or trauma will their teeth overgrow. My Luma had facial paralysis and she didn't brux properly so her incisors started to grow too long.
This is absolutely NOT true. Yes rats brux,but it isnt enough alone to keep their teeth from overgrowing. U should ALWAYS provide things for ur rats to chew on, not only to keep their teeth trimmed but so they arent bored as well.
And to answer the original question,no i dont think popsicle sticks are safe for them to chew, they can splinter, have u ever chewed on a popsicle stick?? Lol,because i have as a kid and they will splinter like crazy .
Wooden chew sticks,cooked or raw bones, baby teething rusks, cardboard, nylabone edibles, corks, and nuts in their shells are a bunch of safe things to give ur rats to chew on.
 
This is an old post from 2013
and I agree that popsicle sticks can be dangerous because they can splinter.

Bruxing does keep their teeth worn down unless their teeth are misaligned - in which case their teeth need to be trimmed. http://ratguide.com/health/digestive/malocclusion.php

While rats enjoy chewing many different types of items, and therefore should have things they can chew,
healthy rats do not need anything other then the natural grinding of their teeth (bruxing) to keep their teeth worn down.

The vet approved medical site for rat owners, ratguide.com, states "In healthy rats the incisors are properly aligned and able to be maintained at a certain length through the process of natural teeth grinding without requiring something hard to chew on." http://ratguide.com/health/digestive/malocclusion.php
 
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