Thinning hair in elderly rats

[Godmother]

My three-year-old girls have thinner hair than they did in their prime. I was wondering if that usually happens in old age or whether it is because they are not eating as high a proportion of lab blocks in their diet now? They are more finicky about their food. They might have lost some sense of smell or perhaps they just don't care to make the effort to move unless the food is really tasty? They have HED, so moving very far is a big deal. They usually come out to eat when there is nobody around.

At least one of them will still nibble a bit at solid lab blocks, and I soak lab blocks in water and mix it with cereal to make it more appealing. But they still don't get as much as they should. I have to concentrate on keeping them hydrated and eating enough, and I supplement their diet with fruit/veg/cereals/soy milk/chickpeas and sometimes Ensure (they don't really like it anymore). They are going through a lot of watermelon and canteloupe lately.

I have never had elderly rats before, so I want to make sure I am doing the right things for them. Any advice would be appreciated.

 

[jorats]

Yep, that's all part of aging, especially those that go beyond the average lifespan. My Nessie has started to completely gray around her nose and is losing more hair. It's far more noticeable on rex rats. Their appetite diminishes, they sleep longer, stop grooming and loses interest in their surroundings. They are what 100 year old human would be doing.

 

[lilratsy43]

I had a girl who I thought was nearing 3 years old (she was a rescue, I was never certain of her age), but she lost A LOT of hair, had 2 tumors and hind leg degeneration...so hairloss is part of the deal.

I have decided that the oldies look much worse then they feel...

 

[RatsForever]

Sounds just like what my elder rats went through - thinning hair, sleeping a lot, diminish appetite, muzzle turning gray, etc. Very similar to what some elder people go through. I often convert my cage into a geriatric one with ramps, lower levels, and so on. Also, I end up mushing-up all their food. My gerontology training comes handy when I have elder rats :giggle:

 

[Godmother]

That's my girls all right. they sleep most of the time, groom, eat, motor toward the litter box and chew cardboard boxes. Not the most exciting kind of day, but they seem content enough. Their hair is thin but still not grey and it looks generally healthy. The part that bothers me about the thinness is the hip bones on Angela. But she still has enthusiasm about some things, so she obviously still wants to be around.