Salt licks?

[wolfsoul]

I just went out and bought the rats salt licks. My main thought is the iodine that they can get from salt.

Does anyone here use them? I'd like to hear if anyones' pets enjoy them or whatnot. I know my old rabbits always did..

[tikeyas_mom]

I refuse to buy them. they are suppost to help keep hamster, rat, mice, gerbils, guinea pig, and rabbits teeth trimm. but ya I dont think they are to healthy.

[CathyBogart]

I can't see how they could possibly be unhealthy. We sell Apple, carrot, celery, and corn flavored mini salt-licks at work. I haven't tried giving them to the girls but maybe I will. :)

[wolfsoul]

They had carrot flavoured ones, but they were more expensive and only came in a one-pack. Mine are just regular, but they came in a three pack :D I feel bad cuz I broke one lol, now it won't go on the wheel, ahhk. :rolleyes:

[Desert Arabian]

My rats have gotten the mineral salt licks, regular salt licks, apple licks, carrot licks, and celery licks. They love them all, and it has never made them sick.

And they even love my skin salt, hehe, lol. :p

Tikeyas_mom, salt is required for all living creatures, without salt everything would die. TLarge quantities can kill, yes that is true, but it is very healthy for them other wise. They don't chew it, they lick it. It does not wear down their teeth.

[wolfsoul]

YLL, these are the mineral ones, lol, I thought they all were :p Ah, I don't know much about them :o The bag says "mineral Salt wheel."

I don't think I would get the flavoured ones. I always try to avoid artificial flavouring or colouring..

[Desert Arabian]

Wolfsoul, no they are all different. This is what they get:

Click here (http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?familyid=4576&sku=2205399154&tab=6&dept_id=1528&c1=1500&c2=1528&c3=&ct1=Chinchilla&ct2=Vitamins+%26+Supplements&ct3=)
The white one is regular salt, the brown one is trace mineral.
These are the favored ones I use, I am sure you have already seen these:
Click here, too (http://www.petco.com/product_info.asp?familyid=7847&sku=4512561156&tab=6&dept_id=1528&c1=1500&c2=1528&c3=&ct1=Chinchilla&ct2=Vitamins+%26+Supplements&ct3=)

[tikeyas_mom]

oh really I didnt know that they were esential. :eek: I have to buy 5 now lol. one for each rodent ;)

[Karen]

Miss Hoppy ignores her salt lick entirely. It's been in her cage literally for years, unused. Every once in a blue moom she will decide she want something salty, and will lick the varnish on the lintels. When she does this, Paul gets some salt and pours it into his hand, and she'll lick it from there, but "salt licks" hold no interest for this bunny!

[wolfsoul]

The white one is regular salt, the brown one is trace mineral.
Mine looks alot like the brown one :D It even came with one of those metal hoders.



I have to buy 5 now lol. one for each rodent

Heehee, the ones I got cost about 5 something, it came in a three pack with the handle. I took the last one, but they might have more now ;) There were also carrot shaped ones, probably carrot flavoured, and they were different colours and stuff, but they were like almost six bucks for one :eek:

[zookeeperinaltha]

I have salt licks (regular ones) for my rabbit and bunny. Snotz the rabbit loves it and licks it all the time. Snuggles hasn't used his yet, he may be to young. Used for there teeth? My guinea pigs and rabbits have never bit it just licks it. Never heard it was for there teeth. Am I missing something?

[Desert Arabian]

They are not ment to be chewed on, they are ment to be licked.

[Daisylover]

Rabbits don't need salt licks or any of those vitamin supplements the pet stores sell. That's just another gimick of pet suppliers to seel stuff to the public the rabbit doesn't need.

[luckies4me]

Rats do not need them, nor do they need the mineral blocks if they get a balanced diet. It can do more harm than good.

[wolfsoul]

Rats do not need them, nor do they need the mineral blocks if they get a balanced diet

But they need iodine :confused: Iodized salt is the primary source of iodine, and the only other sources are seafood, plants that were grown in iodine-rich soil and some dairy products. I would think I would be better safe than sorry when it comes to guessing where my plants are grown and whatnot. And my rats don't get fish ( I hate seafood blah :p) So I'm going to stick with the salt licks :D

The rats don't seem to appreciate them much unfortunatly...:(
I put one of them in Icarus's apprent "peeing spot" and I had to throw that one out :rolleyes: