Hey everyone. I'm brand new to this site, so be patient with me.
I have a male, double-rex rat named Jarvis. Despite a mysterious lump that went away over time, he has never had any other health concerns. But I've noticed that he has lost a lot of weight in the past month—a concerning amount of weight. At first, I thought it was just him getting old because he's roughly 3 years old. I thought maybe his aging caused him to lose a little bulk. But it's gotten to a point where his bones are showing, which worries me a lot. But what's odd is that his behavior hasn't changed at all! He's still eating, drinking, navigating the cage just fine, and still playing with his brothers; this makes me less worried! But he just keeps getting skinnier and skinnier. Should I be worried about his weight if he's still behaving like normal?
Since his weight loss, I've started feeding him occasional meals high in protein and natural fat. Is there anything else I can do at home to help him before I decide to bring him to the vet? Is this worth a vet visit? (Vet trips are expensive and I don't want to bring him in if he doesn't need to go. But if that's the natural next step, I will no doubt contact the vet)
My Mr.Jarvis is the love of my life and I want to do right by him. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Thanks, everyone.
I have a male, double-rex rat named Jarvis. Despite a mysterious lump that went away over time, he has never had any other health concerns. But I've noticed that he has lost a lot of weight in the past month—a concerning amount of weight. At first, I thought it was just him getting old because he's roughly 3 years old. I thought maybe his aging caused him to lose a little bulk. But it's gotten to a point where his bones are showing, which worries me a lot. But what's odd is that his behavior hasn't changed at all! He's still eating, drinking, navigating the cage just fine, and still playing with his brothers; this makes me less worried! But he just keeps getting skinnier and skinnier. Should I be worried about his weight if he's still behaving like normal?
Since his weight loss, I've started feeding him occasional meals high in protein and natural fat. Is there anything else I can do at home to help him before I decide to bring him to the vet? Is this worth a vet visit? (Vet trips are expensive and I don't want to bring him in if he doesn't need to go. But if that's the natural next step, I will no doubt contact the vet)
My Mr.Jarvis is the love of my life and I want to do right by him. If you have any suggestions, please let me know! Thanks, everyone.
