poor old Ellie not eating her blocks...

[Jems71]

My old girl Ellie (Ellesmera adopted about 1yr ago from Twitch) is not eating her blocks so much these days...she has lost a fair amount of weight. She is not lethargic...she is a bit slower but gets around fairly well, she is almost 2yrs old now (B'day end of Oct.)
I have checked her mouth and no apparent issues teeth look ok...no sores or lumps..she will nibble a bit on blocks but seems she prefers soft foods baby cereal and mashed cooked veggies...
Is this maybe just an age thing? I have mushed up blocks for her with some ensure and she will eat it right up...and she seems hungry when I give mushed foods...I have been only giving her the mushed blocks and ensure a cpl times a week...is she maybe at the point where she should have it daily? and is once a day enough? or should it be twice a day?
unfortunately I have to feed the entire crew the mush so I make enough for all the kids...but no one is over weight and all are very active...so I think they will be ok...

Vet thinks she is just getting old as nothing really seems wrong other then she will not eat solid/hard foods but has a good appetite for mushy foods...
I might have to start having her teeth trimmed if she is not doing this herself...

Anyone with any thoughts / advice?

 

[victoria]

When she tries to eat blocks, does she have difficulty holding them? Maybe she's not strong enough to munch on them?

 

[jorats]

Are you sure she hasn't slowed down eating by choice. And she slurps up the much because Ensure sure is tasty. But if you are really concerned you could give her baby cereal, a couple of spoonfuls a day but only to her since you don't want to turn the others into holding off for the good stuff.

 

[Godmother]

Or you could provide mush (without Ensure) to everyone to see whether that helps. I have had older rats who seemed to eat little solid food for no reason that I could find. If she eats the mushed blocks eagerly then she probably needs it.

Good luck. I am curious to see what happens.

 

[SQ]

In addition to their regular dish of hard blocks, I would suggest that you provide a dish of mushed blocks to her and her cage mates, but make the mush by adding cool water.
You may find that she needs it, and it will help keep her well hydrated. I have found that my older rats need the mushed blocks regardless of teeth issues.

You can still suppliment her diet by offering her some baby cereal mixed up with ensure.

 

[Jems71]

When she tries to eat blocks, does she have difficulty holding them? Maybe she's not strong enough to munch on them?

actually she does seem to have a hard time holding them! Sometimes I find her propped against the more sturdy dish nibbling blocks in the dish without holding them...made me wonder...
I will offer a dish of mushy blocks daily (adding water only) and maybe she can get some ensure a cpl times a week just for a boost.
This hot summer was hard on her poor girl, but I think she is starting to bounce back as she has been visiting the upper part of the cage these last few days where I have not seen her up there much in weeks maybe months.
Thank everyone!

 

[victoria]

When she tries to eat blocks, does she have difficulty holding them? Maybe she's not strong enough to munch on them?

actually she does seem to have a hard time holding them! Sometimes I find her propped against the more sturdy dish nibbling blocks in the dish without holding them...made me wonder...
I will offer a dish of mushy blocks daily (adding water only) and maybe she can get some ensure a cpl times a week just for a boost.
This hot summer was hard on her poor girl, but I think she is starting to bounce back as she has been visiting the upper part of the cage these last few days where I have not seen her up there much in weeks maybe months.
Thank everyone!

You know her best, if you think it is just old age, then it probably is, but if you think there's more to it it's probably wise to look into it a bit deeper. I have experienced this a few times now, and it can be a sign of old age and the rat becoming weaker, but I have also experienced it being the early signs of an ailment.

** Please note I am a little paranoid/prone to worrying and I am speaking from a more limited experience than many on the forum. **

Check her hind legs (if you haven't already) to make sure she doesn't have bumblefoot developing, as she may not be putting her weight on that leg if she's sore. You've already checked her teeth and took her to the vet likely eliminating malocclusion or a respiratory infection. The remaining suspects are all a little harder to diagnose, especially in the early stages. Heart disease can cause lethargy (is she breathing heavier than usual or has short bursts of energy followed by periods of rest/catching her breath?), which depending on your vet can be diagnosed using drugs (can't remember the name at the moment - I'm sure someone will add it later) or an x-ray and the weight loss and weakness is a consequence of her being to tired to eat. Neurological issues (specifically but not limited to pituitary tumors) can cause lethargy, loss of balance (that can lead to difficulty eating and in turn weight loss and lethargy) and/or weight loss, as well as many other symptoms and can manifest themselves in very different ways. Prednisone (in conjunction with Batryl because rats have such weak immune systems already, if they come down with something while it is compromised it is more likely to be fatal) may help to reduce swelling that is causing the symptoms and buy some time if this is what's causing her to be off.

See if she improves with the soft foods alone and if she does you will know it's just old age and she just needs some extra help eating. If you notice any other symptoms or changes in behaviour though, I would take her to the vet again. You can also try to give her some Metacam or Ibuprophen to see if maybe she is in pain/discomfort, but you would probably notice excessive bruxing or porphyrin if she were. :hugs: I hope your girl starts feeling better.