elricsgirl
Member
My Stanley will be 2 years old in about a week and he's overweight. 1.96lbs. Possibly more at this point. My vet had me cut down on treats and just mainly stick with veggies and his normal food (Oxbow).
Right now he eats: A few small pieces of carrot, cucumber (his favorite), mixed greens (no spinach), 2 small pieces of apple (probably the size of a fingernail), 3 or 4 peas and a couple of Cheerios (okayed by the vet at his last check up). This is aside from his regular food each day.
I cut waaaayyyyy back on cheerios last year and no longer offer gerber puffs. I also cut back on carrots and peas. He hasn't lost an ounce. He gets to be outside of his cage as long as he would like each afternoon. He usually poops out at about 45 minutes to an hour.
He's always had an issue with buck grease and I've read that can be hormonal. Could hormones or a thyroid issue be causing this weight issue? He's also very lazy lol. Always has been. I try to make him chase me for veggies, but he's on to me and just sits lol.
I'm at a complete loss because he isn't a young man anymore and I'm starting to see some strain on his hips. I'd like to hear from some rat families so that I can suggest things for my vet to check. Please don't get me wrong, our vet is great and a rat owner herself. I was overfeeding him previously and wasn't aware. She educated me and set me straight. But now I fear there might be something else going on since he hasn't lost any weight.
Thanks in advance!
Right now he eats: A few small pieces of carrot, cucumber (his favorite), mixed greens (no spinach), 2 small pieces of apple (probably the size of a fingernail), 3 or 4 peas and a couple of Cheerios (okayed by the vet at his last check up). This is aside from his regular food each day.
I cut waaaayyyyy back on cheerios last year and no longer offer gerber puffs. I also cut back on carrots and peas. He hasn't lost an ounce. He gets to be outside of his cage as long as he would like each afternoon. He usually poops out at about 45 minutes to an hour.
He's always had an issue with buck grease and I've read that can be hormonal. Could hormones or a thyroid issue be causing this weight issue? He's also very lazy lol. Always has been. I try to make him chase me for veggies, but he's on to me and just sits lol.
I'm at a complete loss because he isn't a young man anymore and I'm starting to see some strain on his hips. I'd like to hear from some rat families so that I can suggest things for my vet to check. Please don't get me wrong, our vet is great and a rat owner herself. I was overfeeding him previously and wasn't aware. She educated me and set me straight. But now I fear there might be something else going on since he hasn't lost any weight.
Thanks in advance!