Oscar ..Chest Tumor ..bye big boy :(

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Well, Mommas 3 remaining boys turned 24 months May 17th. Mommas babies never did have the best health. Bruno had a heart attack, Hunter had colon cancer and Sophie had PT ..all at young ages. Toby has had multiple resp infections, now scarred lungs. Teddy and Oscar have been pretty healthy ..Oscar got a resp infection Easter weekend, almost one his 6 wk course of meds, not showing any signs of the infection now. But recently I have noticed both Oscar and Toby have been loosing some weight ..starting to feel bones more and more ..both boys were fairly large at 700 and 650 grams. Oscar weights about 570 now (was 700) and Toby is now 520 ..was 650 ..both boys are active, healthy and eat well.

Is this just old age?

Teddy is just fine according to weight, etc!

ETA:

Back in Jan- 5 months ago:

Toby - 600 grams
Oscar - 660 grams
Teddy - 660 grams

Today:

Toby - 530 grams ( down 70 grams)
Oscar - 600 (down 60 grams)
Teddy - 690 (up 30 grams)

It feels like a lot more ..but maybe it is just the mixture of they were so large ...I'm not used to feeling bones :giggle: and sagging skin? like old people?

Skin and Coat are soft and shiny ..eyes are bright ..teeth are good..eating is good, energy is good.

The main area I noticed the weight loss is on the back ..the back bone is much more prominent. Bellies are still round and big :giggle:
 
ETA: The weight loss is most noticable in the back! .I can feel the back bone.

Both boys enjoy sitting with me and being cuddled, but they do enjoy exercise time too

Bellies are still big and round .
 
Check their teeth, just to be on the safe side -- there's nothing more frustrating than a rat losing weight and trying everything in the world only to realize it's a tooth issue. Also, how's their general appearance?

It could very well be that they're just slowing down, but that seems like a fairly dramatic weight loss. But if they lost the weight while they were ill and recovering and just didn't put it back...
 
Teeth are fine ..the weight loss has been over 3 months (I also switched food around the same time from all extrusion to extrusion/harlan mix) ..they don't enjoy the harlan much!
 
Ok, so I just weighed them that second.

Back in Jan- 5 months ago:

Toby - 600 grams
Oscar - 660 grams
Teddy - 660 grams

Today:

Toby - 530 grams ( down 70 grams)
Oscar - 600 (down 60 grams)
Teddy - 690 (up 30 grams)

It feels like a lot more ..but maybe it is just the mixture of they were so large ...I'm not used to feeling bones :giggle: and sagging skin? like old people?
 
Weight loss is always a concern but quite normal with aging. Unfortunately, our rats seem very much prone to losing a lot of muscle mass in on their romps.
If it's a slow weight loss, I don't pay much attention too but a really fast one, then I'd be worried about something going on. But since it's all of them, I'm more inclined that it's normal aging. You could try giving the older guys extra "good fats" like olive oil.
 
jorats said:
Weight loss is always a concern but quite normal with aging. Unfortunately, our rats seem very much prone to losing a lot of muscle mass in on their romps.
If it's a slow weight loss, I don't pay much attention too but a really fast one, then I'd be worried about something going on. But since it's all of them, I'm more inclined that it's normal aging. You could try giving the older guys extra "good fats" like olive oil.
Click to expand...


I know 24 months isn't considered that old ..but with mommas babies history ..I think it is! ..Momma came from pets unlimited, preg very young ..I'm not sure if that has anything to do with it.

I would consider 70 grams weight loss in 5 months not too fast ..esp within these 5 months I have changed food to a kind they don't like all that much ..and yes it feels like muscle mass ..since they still have fat round bellies.

I will continue keeping a good eye on them ..they have been getting olive oil added to their food about once a week and they get ensure every second or third day.
 
With your rats' genetic history 2 years is definitely older.

Definitely sounds like aging. I find that gravity takes its toll just like on older people. The hips and spine become more prominent and they end up with a teeny potbelly...its gotta go somewhere right? LOL

Perfectly normal.
 
lilspaz68 said:
With your rats' genetic history 2 years is definitely older.

Definitely sounds like aging. I find that gravity takes its toll just like on older people. The hips and spine become more prominent and they end up with a teeny potbelly...its gotta go somewhere right? LOL

Perfectly normal.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the hips and spine is where i'm really noticing it. Momma was my only other "old" rat ..but she was tiny from the start so gravity did nothing to her! I guess where Toby and Oscar are so big I notice it more?

I'm glad this sounds normal ..I was starting to get worried ..even tho I know everything else is fine.

Thanks for reassuring me!
 
Oscar is down another 40 grams just from May 26th ..so 8 days :sad3: ..now weighing 560 grams (I know thats not small for a boy ..but it is for Oscar, since he weghed 700 grams at his most.

I don't get it.
I see him eating his blocks.
Easter weekend he had a bad night where his breathing got raspy and he was having trouble breathing ..we started him on doxy + baytril right away, which worked well, he still have 1 more day of meds left.
He was at the vet just 2 weeks ago for an annual check up ..his lungs sound fine, teeth were good, etc.
He is a very happy boy, lots of energy, bright eyes ..I just don't get it! :panic:

If any of you remember, this happend to my girl Sophie (Oscars Sister) as well, after weeks she ended up getting PT. We tried everything with her, we even did blood work (which I won't be doing on Oscar because it took the good out of her).

Oscar is almost 25 months old ..which is OLD for his genes ..maybe his is just aging SUPER fast? ..he had a bad day a few days ago ..seemed like he was starting to get HED ..but it only lasted a day ..this boy is confusing me ..

I will be spoon feeding him every few hours with lab block dust, olive oil and water ..I really don't know what to do, ugh!

ETA: Sophies Thread; viewtopic.php?f=21&t=21401&hilit=Sophie
 
When mine lose weight too fast like that, I usually start soaking their blocks with Ensure. Now, it doesn't make them gain a whole lot more but it makes me feel better I guess... some rats, you just can't do much. You can try adding olive oil in his diet.
 
Right now he enjoys lab block dust mixed with water and Olive oil ..I'll switch it up with ensure at times.

Does this weight loss seem like an aging fast type thing?? or should I be looking deeper? ..I don't know what else to look for.
 
Because of Sophie's history, of course you would worry about PT. You'll be watching Oscar carefully, though, so you'll know to start Pred if you see any of the typical signs like clumsiness, clubbing paws, difficulty eating.
 
That's a very quick weight loss and since you have noticed him being confused on and off I would worry about PT as well. I'm sorry :hugs:
 
I will be watching him closely. I am closing off the CN tonight and having the boys in the bottom, girls on top ..I HATE to break my group up ..but Oscar, Teddy & Toby are all 25 months old ..Oscar isn't well, Toby is not far behind him.

Eve is also old, but she LOVES Chloe and Bug way to much, I cannot tear them apart.

I am not really sure how I should split them up ..Oscar, Teddy and Toby are brothers and have been together since birth ..but only oscar and toby are showing age ..but I want to have mushed blocks with ensure/olive oil available at all times for Oscar and Toby ..but Teddy don't need it.
and Bella has been with them for 22 months now.

Scamp don't care where he goes, and he is still young ..16 months.

Maybe I will keep the originals together (Toby,Oscar, Teddy and Bella) - All of which are 2 or older.

Bug, Chloe, Eve and Scamp can stay together - All under 16 months except for Eve ..I'm not sure how old she is ..she looks old, acts young.

This is so hard.

ETA: splitting them into two groups ..so the oldies can have a lower shelf, and soft food available at all times. I will still let them have playtime together tho.

My BF wants to just wants to have the cages closed off whne were not home, or sleeping ..because when we are here we can have them out for soft foods, etc ..but I don't know what I should do ..suggestions??
 
I separated them!

On Top: Bug, Chloe, Little Miss & Scamp
On Bottom: Oscar, Teddy, Toby & Bella

The youngins are on top with a wheel, house, pocket hammock and chew toys
The oldies are on bottom with a tent, house, couch bed & chew toys - with soft blocks and hard blocks available at all times.

They will have playtime together daily ..the top half were so confused about not being able to go down bottom :giggle:
 
This day just keeps getting better ..Oscar is still loosing weight fast ..staring to refuse food and has laboured breathing :(
 
I wonder if there is a respiratory infection there that is not responding to Baytril and Doxy. Can you try a different med combo and see if there's any change?
 

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