RatsForever
Well-Known Member
About three weeks ago I rescued a rat, Oscar, from a not so nice place and he was in very rough shape (viewtopic.php?f=56&t=21631). Oscar is slowly recovering and is more active and wide-eyed. He is also turning out to be such a sweetie! But, what is troubling me is his weight and fur - he is still very thin and his fur is still rough and looks thin (he was treated for parasites). He was also treated for respiratory and UTI. No matter what kind of food I give him, he is not gaining any weight. If you could see my other curvy rats you would know that they are not starving. :giggle: His sides look sunk in and I can feel his spine and hips. Also, as you can see from the picture below, his fur looks so dirty (he is a PEW) and in terrible shape. Unfortunately, the picture doesn't capture how thin he looks. I've followed some of the past advice that has been given on the forum on how to help a rat gain weight but nothing is working. I have tried Ensure, Soy Baby Formula, oatmeal, olive oil in mushed-up lab blocks, avocados, bananna, blueberry, carrot, peas, and so on. He does eat but not as much as the others. I'm beginning to wonder if he has a more serious illness that I am not aware of, like diabetes or kidney failure. The earliest vet appointment I could get was next week. So until then, can any of you more experience rat parents offer any advice? Thank you and Happy Holidays!