What Type of Foods Do Rat Terriers Eat?

Rat terriers are a small and feisty dog breed, with a high metabolism and active lifestyle. Bred to find small rodents, such as rats and rabbits, they have a strong hunting drive and are eager to please their owners. They require daily extensive exercise and a healthy, balanced diet.

  1. Raw Meat

    • Dogs are carnivores and thrive on an all-meat diet. If you are able to, consider feeding your rat terrier a raw meat diet. Wolves, who dogs are descended from, eat a raw meat diet in the wild. A dog is able to handle raw meat because of the short digestive tract, which allows food to digest quickly, which is not an environment that bacteria can thrive in. His stomach also contains a high amount of acid that can kill harmful bacteria in the meat itself. Feed the meat by itself or still attached to bones for good oral exercise.

    Commercial Dog Food

    • Commercial dog food is a carefully prepared blend of the nutrition your dog needs, often concocted in a laboratory according to published guidelines. If you want to feed your rat terrier this type of diet, look for one that has meat as its first ingredient. Many commercial dog foods have a high grain content that dogs don't necessarily need, as they are primarily meat eaters.

    Human Food

    • If a rat terrier is an indoor dog, he may enjoy eating your leftovers or scraps. He may hover around your dinner table expectantly and beg if fed on a regular basis while you eat. To ward off begging behavior, relegate the scraps to the food dish and don't feed him during your meal from your hands or plates. Rat terriers are athletic and can easily hop on a chair and chow down, so keep that in mind.

    Foods to Avoid

    • There are a number of human foods that are toxic to dogs, rat terriers included. The list includes mushrooms, garlic, onions, nuts, raw eggs, raw fish and dairy foods. Chocolate, in large amounts (particularly dark chocolate) can be fatal to dogs. Also keep your cat's food dish away from your pup as the nutrition blend is inappropriate for canines. It is also important to keep bones away from your dog, such as chicken or fish bones, as they can splinter and cause damage to the throat or digestive tract.