Need a nut free food - will Mazuri Rat & Mouse work?

[DawnandDusk]

We have nut allergies in the family and need a gerbil food with no nuts and no chance of contacting nuts. So far I've been making my own using the wonderful nutrition calculator in this forum. But I worry about selective feeding, and sometimes it would be easier to just buy something. We're in the US and Mazuri Rat & Mouse is the only feed I've found that is made in a nut free facility.  It has quite high protein though (23%).  Am I better off continuing to make my own, or would this be suitable?

Mazuri Rat & Mouse Diet

Crude protein not less than 23.0%
Crude fat not less than 6.5%
Crude fiber not more than 6.0%
Moisture not more than12.0%
Ash not more than 8.0%
Vitamin E not less than 50 IU/kg

(Or, if you're aware of a gerbil food that I can get in the US that's made in a nut free facility, let me know!)

[betty]

Mazuri Rat & Mouse is used for gerbils in the US I am sure from their chat groups - although I always thought there were different one for different requirements - so am wondering if there is a lower protein one out there that isn't commonly listed.

I don't think 23% short term or mixed in with your home-made food (with intentionally reduced protein of its own) over the year would be too much of a concern if your gerbils don't currently have any health issues (or predicted health issues with old age.

However, I would imagine that mixing a kibble with a seed/grain mix might exagerrate the selective feeding aspect if you don't run some feeding observation experiments with it.

I am sure LilyandDaisy will have some much more useful advice on the food mixes and protein levels as she is the forums nutrition guru that we all turn to in situations like this (thanks for being awesome at this LilyandDaisy).

As for a nut-free food in the Us - I am sure we had a similar question to this earlier this year, I will see if I can find the recommendations again in a SEARCH.

[betty]

Oxbow Mouse and Young Rat was one of them I think - 18% protein - but not sure on if it is in a nut-free factory or whether some of their extracted ingredients are from nut-based products. First ingredient is corn though - so I suppose it is swings and roundabouts when you really start to look closely...

Just a starter though.

[betty]

Versele Laga COMPLETE Hamster and Gerbil looks nut-free too - but only 13% protein - but the VL COMPLETE range is kibbled (the Oxbow above isn't.

[LilyandDaisy]

Yes, Mazuri is often used for other rodents so it should be suitable for gerbils.

I never find selective feeding is a problem with seed mixes, as long you don't feed excessive amounts. I have only noticed selective feeding with pet shop mixes that contain a lot of pellets.

One of my rodent textbooks (The Biology and Medicine of Rabbits and Rodents) actually recommends 22% protein for gerbils, though it doesn't give any source or reasons. I think the Mazuri should work if you can mix it with some other ingredients, both to bring the protein down and to provide variety. However Mazuri is very large pellets and gerbils will usually favour seeds over pellets, so as betty says, you might then have issues with selective feeding.