Dehydrating veggies

[DarkLies212]

Ambrose doesn't eat a lot of anything for a while. He'll get in these moods where, say, kiwi is his favorite thing, but before he can finish an entire one (throughout a week or so) he'll get tired of it and refuse to eat anymore. Since he's eating a lot of his veggies and I don't want them to go bad before he can finish them (I for sure won't touch the stuff >_<)

So do you think I could dehydrate some veggies before they go bad? Broccoli, cauliflower, etc? And would I have to rehydrate them before giving to him?

[Charley Chuckles]

Ambrose doesn't eat a lot of anything for a while. He'll get in these moods where, say, kiwi is his favorite thing, but before he can finish an entire one (throughout a week or so) he'll get tired of it and refuse to eat anymore. Since he's eating a lot of his veggies and I don't want them to go bad before he can finish them (I for sure won't touch the stuff >_<)

So do you think I could dehydrate some veggies before they go bad? Broccoli, cauliflower, etc? And would I have to rehydrate them before giving to him?

I don't really know, but thinking all the water and good stuff may be compromised by dehydration :dono

[stepnstone]

I have always been told not to feed dehydrated anything to a squirrel,
although I would think it has more to do with nutrition then the fact they won't eat it.
I have heard where some give dehydrated banana chips and their squirrels love them but
I can't see one eating a dried out vegetable as picky as they already are about freshness...

[DarkLies212]

o.0 Why not anything? Is it a choking hazard due to the sharp edges or toughness?

[stepnstone]

o.0 Why not anything? Is it a choking hazard due to the sharp edges or toughness?
Outside nutrition I can't honestly answer that but it may very well be based on digestion.
Sharp edges or toughness can be a reasoning...
If something dehydrated can not be digested by their systems properly and timely, I would think
it would just sit and absorb fluid, if it blew up I suppose it could cause choking or even a blockage.
Not a known fact, just a theory...

[DarkLies212]

Oops, sorry, did you edit that prior post? I didn't see the explanation before I posted my question...

[BigNibbler]

I think dehydrated foods commercially have sulfites and other preservatives.
But dry food, sucks up moisture. I was just playing with Oats and veggie puree.
Using a food processor and a juicer to make some nice Oats and Veggie boo balls.
I had tried to get info here and elsewhere, but then started experimenting.
Made sure to let the oats suck up all the liquid that I extracted from the veggies.
About twice the liquid as the dry measure of pure oats.
Then I reintroduced the solids removed from the vegie juice.
Not all of them. About 70%.

Lots of variations can be tried. I just used lettuce and broccoli to start.
I read someone then mixes it all with mashed avocado, but they liked it as is.

They are small and can eat a lot. They could eat more dry food than they realize they should and it could bloat and stuff them. That was my worry about using oats and how much they expand.
Got to try it and keep it moist.