Still having problems getting Rat to eat enough

[amymckee]

I gave him some oatmeal, hoping that softer food would do the trick, but he still wont eat very much. I noticed today how slowly he eats- he grabbed a cheezit from me, but it took him a while to eat it all.  I am wondering if maybe he just doesnt like the food I give him? I feed my girls Suebee's diet, and they really like it (even though the nutro lite goes much slower than the cereal). He hasnt really been eating it, though. He is big, but seems a bit on the scrawny side to me. Any thoughts?

[Ray]

Try another diet, I have a new rat who we got at a petstore a good 2 hour drive from our house.  They are the only petstore that sells this "Nutritionally Complete rat food" stuff, and they feed all there babies it.  When I tried switching him over to a different diet, he hardly ate, and when he only picked out things he liked, now we take the 2 hour drive up to tacoma about every month for rat food.  Picky little rattie!  You should find out what the previous owner fed him (he had one, right?) and try feeding him that.  If thats no good then try to slowly introduce your current food in with the previous until it is nothing but your food.  It takes time, but it is working with my rattie.  

[emmamay]

maybe if your really worried about his weight you should feed him some yoghurt?!
but yeah find out what he ate b4 and then slowly introduce him to the new food.
My boys usually get bored of their food and want me to give them something completely new!
they just wont eat the same food for longer than a month, so i have to be creative with what i give them, but at least they looooove veges and really looooove bread!(brown bread)but yeah all the best of luck!  

[amymckee]

My little brother was the previous owner, and he often forgot to feed him- I think rat lived off cheezits, nutrapuffs, yogies, and occasionally seed mix when my brother remembered. He needs to be on a healthier regular food, whatever that might be. Is there a good alternative to Suebee's diet that he might like? Or a good suggestion for a regular addition to his diet? Im not sure what is better- him not getting enough to eat until he eats the healthy food in desperation, or getting enough but eating really poorly.

[Suebee]

I can't offer a lot, because I don't have problems with feeding, but you may want to supplement his diet with NutriCal if you think he really needs the extra food. Is he losing weight?

NutriCal is a low-volume, high-calorie supplement (marketed for dogs and cats) that rats really do like. I usually reserve it for sick rats, but if you think he's not eating enough, that should help.

[WS]

Sounds like his diet was pretty cruddy and fatty before, so getting him on a consistently fed, nutritious diet will do wonders for him.    He may even enjoy eating more when that happens.

It takes rats a little bit of time to adjust in any changes in diet... some rats eat like starving dogs and others are cautious (at first) about eating new things.   Be patient with him and give him a sound diet (the basis of which should be a formulated block - such as Oxbow or rodent blocks) in the mixture and give him time to get hungry and munch. - Keep an eye on how much he eats every day, -even if it is slowly eaten.  He may eat slowly as a result of being infrequently fed before.

Has he lost weight? As Suebee said, you may also wish to supplement his diet with something such as NutriCal paste. A healthy rat should be solidly and firmly built -if he feels thin and frail and his bones (hip, back, rib or shoulder bones) are prominent then he may be malnourished.

IF he's LOSING WEIGHT or really isn't eating, a vet visit might be in order.

Good luck!

[Tara]

This is just a thought....

I know when you radically change a dog or cat's diet, that it causes a bit of an upset stomach, wich would result in loss of appetite and some runny stool.  Could this be Amy's rat's problem?

[amymckee]

I havent noticed any poop problems- We gave him a bath last night and he didnt seem to have any trouble letting several out. They didnt seem squishy, either. Right now he gets 1/2 Nutro Lite, 1/2 cereal mix (Total, honeynut cheerios, "soy granola", and pasta). For treats he gets oatmeal, wheat bread, and only 1 yogie a day. He is also on doxy.

[Paul]

Amy:
Several posters when you first mentioned about your wee guy's problem suggested it might be a problem with his teeth / mouth.
Have you managed to get that checked out yet?

Paul

[scout]

Yes, I was just going to suggest that! Have you checked his teeth? One of my girls, who is normally quite lean anyway, started losing weight. I checked her teeth and discovered one lower tooth was growing into the roof of her mouth and the pocket was all infected. I now trim her tooth as low as I can every week and she has not only regained the lost weight, but continues to gain a little more all the time. (She has a long way to go before she'll be overweight).

If you're not sure what teeth should look like, here's an article:

http://www.ratfanclub.org./teeth.html

[Bilge Rat]

OK, here is one pic of his teeth- notice they are straight...


Here is the second one- there seems to be a gap. Is one of his teeth loose? Could it fall out?

[Christy]

The gap is normal, as well as the color.  From the pics they look fine, though it is kinda hard to tell for sure from a photo.  My first thought was the teeth as well.  Nutrical would be a good idea to at least get some good stuff into him until you can figure out what the deal is.  Good luck!