Sophie - She's Gone :(

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Sophie is loosing weight & I don't know why. About a month ago she weighed 344, last week she weighed 330 and now today she weighs 322. She is eating and acting normal! I started her on ensure tonight! Any ideas? Shes 17 months old and very active! I have increased outtime, but no one else has lost! She is not on meds and has not recently loss any of her cagemates.
 
No change in foods either? At this point, I'd just keep an eye on her. And maybe sneak in some extra treats like whole grain bread with olive oil.
 
jorats said:
No change in foods either? At this point, I'd just keep an eye on her. And maybe sneak in some extra treats like whole grain bread with olive oil.

Nope, still eating Extrusion!
I'v added more veggies ..but that shouldn't lead to weight loss.



I have been feeding mom ensure where she is getting older, Sophie has joined in on that now too ..just started last night, i'll weigh her again tonight!

Let me know how your girl dose as well KS
 
I will!

I tried giving her baby food last night while out for free time with all the others and NO ONE cared for it!
I picked banana and peach & cream flavor but I guess it's not to their taste ! LOL
I will go get some ensure and see how it works out for her.

ps: None of my 5 dogs wanted to eat the baby food either...WTH???!! :?
 
I think maybe starting her on a high calorie supplement like Nutri-cal or Nutri-stat if her weight falls too low. If she continues to drop, you may also want to get her checked out by a vet. It could very well be nothing but you know them rats. They like to hide their sickness until it's too late.
 
KS: mine love baby food.

Jar: bananna, blueberry, carrot, peas, summer vegges
Box: bananna and rice / bananna and oatmeal
 
My Philbert is now 30 months old and super skinny. :gaah:
Reggie is the same age and is normal weight.
Flee is sharing the cage with 4 other ratties that belong to my Niece.
Any ideas for the old dude that no longer eats hard stuff?
Thanx.
:cuddle:
 
Sharlees rattakisses said:
My Philbert is now 30 months old and super skinny. :gaah:
Reggie is the same age and is normal weight.
Flee is sharing the cage with 4 other ratties that belong to my Niece.
Any ideas for the old dude that no longer eats hard stuff?
Thanx.
:cuddle:

You can soak blocks in warm water overnight
Feed ensure (vanilla or strawberry)
Mix ensure with baby cereal
 
You can soak blocks in warm water overnight
Feed ensure (vanilla or strawberry)
Mix ensure with baby cereal[/quote]
Ratty Momma said:
[quote="Sharlees rattakisses":7hu830po]My Philbert is now 30 months old and super skinny. :gaah:
Reggie is the same age and is normal weight.
Flee is sharing the cage with 4 other ratties that belong to my Niece.
Any ideas for the old dude that no longer eats hard stuff?
Thanx.
:cuddle:

You can soak blocks in warm water overnight
Feed ensure (vanilla or strawberry)
Mix ensure with baby cereal[/quote:7hu830po]

Well I bought strawberry ensure and cereal..."Philbert say's" :sick2:
That stuff isn't cheap. :gaah:
Doesn't like soaked blocks either.
ANY other idea's most welcome. :thud:
 
Umm...from an alternative health standpoint I'm going to caution using anything with refined carbs in it as a "fattening" agent. From a natural medicine standpoint, refined carbs like sugar and flours and starches will feed cancer. I'm not saying your rat has cancer but unexplained weight loss can sometimes signal the growth of some kind of tumour. Healthy oils can be added as a supplement that will help maintain weight. Fish is a nice food to feed as well and any of the high antioxident fruits and veggies...broccoli, blueberries (any berries), nuts and nut butters. I know this isn't the mainstream view but this may go beyond a matter of maintaining weight in an otherwise healthy rat and be more of a maintenance diet to prevent cancer growth. You just don't know at this point.
 
You can also find sugerless soy milk and add baby cereal to it if you are worried about tumors. My rats hate soaked lab blocks. Add a little olive oil to the baby cereal or put it on grain bread at Jo said.
 
Feeding a crew can be so tricky. When Spike was sick and losing weight (chronic URIs) I put extra goodies in the cage. Unfortunately, a lot of those goodies got eaten but the other rats. So here I had three fat rats and one little skinny wheezer :( After he passed on, the others were put on a pretty strict diet and lost the weight and are now back to a nice sleek rat body size. So hard with a crew to make sure everyone gets their share.
 
When one of my rats needs extra food I put a box with fleece on top of the cage and put the rattie in with the food. I've even used the carrier fixed up with fleece and the food if the rat was scared on top of the cage.
 
UGH!

Sophie is still loosing weight!
If I feed her olive oil and bread everyday she don't loose, she stays the same ..but if I don;t feed that to her she looses!!

Is there anything that can cause unexplained weight loss???

Two weeks ago she was 344, now 324

She is acting fine and eating normal!


Please help :sad3:

Edit: 18 months old! Her brother passed from a heart attack in recovery from his neuter and her other brother died of colon cancer, she had two siblings that never made it when they were born and her mom is 26 months old and healthy as a friggin horse!
 
Does she actually feel and look lighter or is it just when you weigh her? Rats weights can go up and down. if she's otherwise healthy and has a good diet then just keep doing what you're doing. She doesn't sound too skinny anyway, 324 grams is okay.
 
I really don't know what to suggest. If she seems otherwise healthy not sure what you can do until she shows symptoms of something that needs treated :(
 
I always wait ..and it always turns out bad :(

anyone else have any ideas?

I have a vet appt Tuesday for a general check up for everyone! I'll get her checked then.
 
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