Major weight loss

[Melissa's ZOO]

Lilly is I believe 16 months give or take.

Last month she weighed in at 440 grams. Last night she weighed 407 grams. I felt on her and did not feel she was skinny. But this morning when I gave her a pet bye I could feel her hip bones and her spine.

I am calling the vet first thing this morning to get her in ASAP.

What do you think it could be? She would sneezing every once in awhile last night and was making a funny noise, occasionally. So Myco flare up? Should I get an x-ray just to make sure it is not her heart?

I also noticed that a few of the others were sneezing, should I go ahead and treat everyone? Or just those I notice sneezing?

Also, what should I give Lilly to put some weight back on?

 

[jorats]

That's a big drop in weight without cause like new diet change or illness.
Sneezing once in a while is not cause for concern. But bringing her in might make you feel better. Don't get an xray unless the vet recommends it. Sometimes even xrays are fuzzy and don't really give a result.

For her to add some weight, I would recommend baby cereal with olive oil. what you want is high fat but low protein, low sugar, especially if something is going on with kidneys.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Thanks Jo.

I wonder if she has decided to stop eating the OxBow? and is only eating the veggies I give them at night. She still has an appetite. She yanked the grape out of my fingers this morning.

She acts fine other than the weight change.

We are going to the vet tonight. So lets hope we can get it figured out.

I will also be getting baby cereal and Olive Oil to give her.

 

[jorats]

How long have they been on the Oxbow?

 

[lilspaz68]

Thanks Jo.

I wonder if she has decided to stop eating the OxBow? and is only eating the veggies I give them at night. She still has an appetite. She yanked the grape out of my fingers this morning.

She acts fine other than the weight change.

We are going to the vet tonight. So lets hope we can get it figured out.

I will also be getting baby cereal and Olive Oil to give her.

Is she only getting Oxbow as her staple?

I have heard of some people's rats who decide they don't like it so much, they stop eating it and lose lots of weight. It doesn't happen that often, but it has happened. See if you can offer her something like baby cereal and see if her appetite improves.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

They have been on OxBow since July. It is their staple diet. She eats the veggies, I put out every night. She still takes her Hamsteroid (hard chew thing)every night and chews away on that.

Maybe I am just being a worry wart and I just need to get some additional food for them. I am going to order some Harlan 2014?

Here are everyones weight for last month and this month.

Name October November (grams)
Lilly- 440 - 407 (June 2006-16 mths)
Flower - 512 - 503 (July 2006-15 mths)
Clover - 412 - 414 (July 2006-15mths)
Jaz - 268 - 253(August 2006-14mths)
Ivy - 330 - 349(October 2006-13 mths)
Rose - 423 - 403(December 2006-11 mths)
Willow - 144 - 160(July 2007-4 mths)
Sunflower - 158 - 172(July 2007-4 mths)

After looking at the figures again it looks like I may have some on a food strike.

 

[jorats]

Can you put an age to them next to their names?

If I can remember, the two last ones are young and gaining so that's good.
If it's adult rats losing weight, they may just be stablizing and it might be a very healthy weight loss. This is what happens with Oxbow, rats will eat only when need to. So they don't overeat.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Lilly and Jaz are the only ones I really worry about. Jaz is very tiny for an adult but she is a healthy tiny. But she is not in a place where she could stand to loose some weight.

And like I said with Lilly, I could feel her hip bones and her spine. Which concerns me. (baby food here we come)

I just ordered a bag of Harlan 2014 and I will give them each one or two a day along with the OxBow.

Willow and Sunflower are very young and they are progressing very well. Sunflower is a super wheel runner. It is funny when I give them treats Sunflower takes hers to the wheel and will run, run, run stop eat and run, run, run. I think she thinks she is going somewhere. It is so funny. :lol:

I think I will hold off on the vet for a few days and see if the baby food helps. If not then she will be going in on Monday.

 

[jorats]

I would give them 2 HT a day and unlimited Oxbow, they will soon settle into a good weight. Oh and continue the fresh veggies daily.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Okay, will do.

Yeah, are kidding if I don't give them veggies every night and a treat in the morning I get the cold shoulder from most of them. :twisted: It's amazing how they know that after playtime it's veggie time. They all run to the top where the bowl is and wait.

 

[Lise]

I would blame the Oxbow, personally. That is what happened to my rats and I didn't notice until bones started sticking out either.

When I put them back on regular lab blocks it was gained back quickly.

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

After thinking about it Lise, I think you are probably right. I know that some of them do eat it. The bowl is empty almost every night and no one is stashing it. But I am getting the Harlan and will be feeding it as well as the OxBow.

I feel bad for Lilly, she just felt weightless and looked pitiful this morning. She gobbled that grape down like nobodies business.

Now that I think about she has been even more guarded of her veggies while she is eating them. She used to not care if someone came near her or even tried to take it form her, but now when I think about it she has been extremely vocal and angry at the little ones lately. I also think that she is the one that attacked Sunflower, everything was fine when I gave them the treats it was after wards that I noticed she had a gash on her forehead. I bet she tried to steel Lilly's treat and she lashed out at her. :?

The rest can actually stand to loose some weight so it is a good thing in a way. :lol:

 

[mamarat2]

Maybe put her back in the first with an extra helping of veggies and maybe some baby food with olive oil supplement. Give her a few minutes to have "extra" food and then put the rest of the crew in with everyone's plate.

Nutrical is also a nice helpful high calorie snack.