Addition to the safe food list

by CallaLily Tue 12 Apr 2016, 5:14 pm

I think we should note on the Safe Food List that it is not a complete list. And maybe a small warning that mice, like people, can develop allergies to anything at anytime, so to go slowly and carefully with new foods and always watch out for possible symptoms. Also, maybe bold the different sections (safe, avoid, rarely) so they're more clearly separated?

On that note, I wanted to add that I personally question chamomile, hibiscus, honeysuckle, mango, petunia, and tomatoes being on the Avoid list. I know that hibiscus is listed as toxic to dogs, cats, and horses on the aspca website - so I guess it should remain there as a precaution. I also know there are some mildly toxic species of honeysuckle, though not necessarily to mice. I doubt that one is a common thought to anyone looking for ideas on what to feed their mice, so perhaps it can just be removed entirely. I also know it's unlikely everyone will ever agree on the tomato debate, so those will likely stay. I feel especially chamomile, mango, and petunia shouldn't be on the Avoid list. Please link me to anything anyone finds stating otherwise. Smile

Edit: oops. I see chamomile, like hibiscus, is listed as toxic to dogs and cats on aspca website.

by Peachy Tue 12 Apr 2016, 8:28 pm

I added the warning and some headings. I think I removed honeysuckle altogether, should I add mango and petunia to safe?

Also, I had no idea there was a tomato debate. Laughing

by Brynne Wed 13 Apr 2016, 12:28 am

You say tomato...

I've never done research on the tomato issue, only taken other people's word for it. I think it's something to do with the acidity/alkalinity level.

by CallaLily Wed 13 Apr 2016, 7:01 am

Some people say tomato is too acidic. Others claim its not much more acidic than an apple or most other fruits. I'm guessing it could/should stay on avoid, just in case.

I personally think mango and petunia flowers are safe. Petunia is listed as nontoxic to dogs, cats, and horses on aspca and is human edible. But it's hard to find info on whether or not the same is true for mice. Mango is a similar concern as the tomato, though I've seen it listed as a "low-acid" fruit in places. Confused

Thinking on this a bit more....it's ok if we should keep these listed in Avoid, just in case. I mostly just wanted to mention that I wasn't 100% sure if they truly needed to be there. There are so many other things that are known to be completely safe, so it doesn't really hurt if they miss out on a few foods because they're questionable. Smile

I'm still interested if anyone finds any more info on these (or any other) foods. I'll of course try to find more too.

by CallaLily Wed 13 Apr 2016, 11:03 am

I did some more digging around. There's some research on chamomile and hibiscus on mice.

http://m.cancerres.aacrjournals.org/content/69/9_Supplement/926.short

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0065128111001164

Also, there seems to be some concern with mango and male rats but this doesn't seem to be a concern for mice (or female rats for that matter). http://www.rmca.org/Articles/oj.htm This doesn't answer the issue of acidity, however. But I wondered if it may have played some role in thinking mango should be avoided for mice.

Thoughts?

by MouseLover Thu 14 Apr 2016, 10:33 am

I've given dried mango to my mice before. They enjoyed it and it didn't do them any harm. But perhaps dried fruits have less of an acidity issue?

by CallaLily Thu 14 Apr 2016, 1:54 pm

Mine have eaten mango before too, both dried and fresh. I didn't see any reaction but I don't know if I was just lucky.

by Artistwolf Thu 14 Apr 2016, 4:15 pm

Mango is a pretty stringy fruit, is that not why it might be warned against? I would think dried mango would be okay then.

by CallaLily Thu 14 Apr 2016, 5:12 pm

NM's answer is here: http://forum.thefunmouse.com/viewtopic.php?f=39&t=136327&p=300686&hilit=mango#p300686

Norman's Mom wrote:mango, ---NO (mild citrus acidity present)

I'm glad I looked back. I'd forgotten her exact answer on honey suckle.

Norman's Mom wrote:honeysuckle flowers, DEPENDS ON VARIETY - I would say NO.

There's also a warning on being careful with too much fish because of mecury there from her. Some species of fish have lower risk. Something to look into. I'm pretty sure salmon and sardines are lower risk. I'll have to remember to look into that more.

Editing one more time to save so it's not forgotten.

Norman's Mom wrote:Be careful using too much fish though, if they ingest too much mercury they can get sick - Salmon and poultry is much better for them then tuna or tilapia

Norman's Mom wrote:The other thing to remember is that mice cannot vomit. They cannot expel toxic things from their bodies if they eat/drink them, so it is very important to never even try to feed them stuff to "see if they will like it" - You wouldn't believe how many people do that and wind up with sick or dead mice.

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