Cabotine - Gaining weight way too fast for my comfort!

[Unepuce]

Cabotine was a cute little 232 g hyperative 3 month-old when I rescued her at the SPCA last July. Now, at 14 months old, she is a whopping 689 g anic: Her average gain weight these past 5 weeks is 20.2 g! :shock:

She lives with the rest of my colony so has access to the same food as they do. (their blocks are a mix of Extrusion and HT). I took her to the vet 3 weeks ago to have her checked since this was worrying me - I even got her X-rayed to see if she had extra fluid and check the size of her heart - the x-ray was perfectly clear and her heart is the right size! Looks like she is just a big fatso who seems to aim at weighing as much as her boyfriend - my ratosaurus is was 739 g at weigh in today, but he is not nearly as big a pancake as Cabotine is.

I just don't know what to do... I would like to help her lose weight so she is not stuck with health issues in the future, and I don't feel it's fair to change to whole colony's diet just for her. What should I do????

 

[lilspaz68]

Is she looking obese, does she have rolls etc? Or is she just a big round belly?

 

[Unepuce]

She does look obese to me!

Here the pancake picture from May 2 (588g)



And some from begining of April, back when she was "only" 568g

 

[lilspaz68]

OK so that rules out a closed pyometra...

Lets start from the beginning...how old was she when she started seriously gaining from her regular weight?

 

[Unepuce]

She's actually been gaining from day one and never stopped. Her chart is a constant move up (wish my stocks could look like that!!!) and for the past weeks, the gain has accelerated. Below is all of her weighs, as of every Saturday, starting July 3 2010 to today.... (sorry, I just copy/pasted as I need to get moving...)

Cabotine
232
236
273
275
289
292
311
317
321
331
337
342
363
379
379
378
388
394
388
395
401
403
412
423
439
420
431
427
439
449
464
465
476
480
496
520
538
551
555
568
588
586
587
588
625
638
648
671
689

Scary, isn't it???

 

[lilspaz68]

Something must be off with her metabolism...she may have Zuckers (rare in pet stock though) but it seems more like she's just going to gain weight no matter what you feed her

She gets lots of opportunities to exercise, she's drinking, pooping, peeing normally etc?

 

[hopefloats]

I am so loving this thread! I have to follow it to get some tips, I have wondered this about edgar, but he seemed to stop gaining.

My edgar! Just under 2 LBS..

Maybe it is a black rat gene? LOL I know it is not funny, but omg I laughed so hard when I seen that first picture, which is now my desktop background. That is the cutest thing ever, even if it is unhealthy. she is more of a large hershey kiss size, like the big ones you see out at valentines day!

 

:giggle: black rat gene HAHAHA ..Oscars is black ..and he did weigh 700 grams.

 

[hopefloats]

Where is our biologist when we need her? Eli, black rat, edgar brother, is pretty hefty him self, Someone has a teddy, who i believe is black, and pretty pudgy. and I know i saw a few others

 

[jorats]

Can we get a pic?

 

Where is our biologist when we need her? Eli, black rat, edgar brother, is pretty hefty him self, Someone has a teddy, who i believe is black, and pretty pudgy. and I know i saw a few others

Teddy!! I have a Teddy who currently weighs 690 grams and he is black also :giggle:

 

Can we get a pic?

Nancy posted pic's above!

 

[hopefloats]

Can we get a pic?

Her's is amazing. I had to borrow it for my desktop background

 

[hopefloats]

Where is our biologist when we need her? Eli, black rat, edgar brother, is pretty hefty him self, Someone has a teddy, who i believe is black, and pretty pudgy. and I know i saw a few others

Teddy!! I have a Teddy who currently weighs 690 grams and he is black also :giggle:

I thought that was yours but i am horrible at remembering who owns what rat. I cannot get my rats names straight half the time.

 

[mamarat]

Cabotine looks just like my Puce. RIP

 

[Roo]

I must say... that is a really cute rat-pancake.

 

[hopefloats]

It should totally be Nominate for RPOM


Any Seconds?

 

[hopefloats]

We need to show the curvy girls that not all rats are shaped like ratatouille.

 

[Roo]

We need to show the curvy girls that not all rats are shaped like ratatouille.

:laugh4: Seconded! I certainly agree.

http://s2.postimage.org/9r6rfo627/05023214.jpg

 

[lilspaz68]

A 400 plus gram gain is too much for Cabotine in less than a year, no matter how cute she looks...its worrying. :/

You expect a little middle aged spread starting around 18 months (Lilith is ROUND now and used to be whip thin) but this girl isn't even middle aged.

Is she acting well in all other respects?