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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / September 2006Overweight rattie?
I weighed the girls tonight, and Daisy tips the scale at just over 13 ounces. Should I be concerned about her health? NRen2k5 <nomore@email.com> wrote in news:E_KNg.45138$8g4.873702 @weber.videotron.net: > I weighed the girls tonight, and Daisy tips the scale at just over 13 > ounces. Should I be concerned about her health? 13 ounces - that's about 370g, which doesn't sound like a particularly fat rat. We've had a female who peaked at 16 oz. It didn't seem to cause any problems, and when she was ill (the sort of ill that involves weight loss), she seemed to ride the storm very well, partly (we think) due to the spare she had to lose. She lived to a good age, actually, and defeated everything that was thrown at her until she got weak from age and just faded away. She may have been even fitter without the extra weight - you just can't know with a sample size of one. She may have been the exception to the rule - like the 90 year old smoker or the muscular person who does no exercise. I know obesity is supposed to be bad news for rat's health, and I'd be interested to hear of other people's experience with fat rats.  SignatureRegards, Dave email: dave_ryman@hotmailNOSPAM.com My Homepage: http://homepages.tesco.net/david.ryman/ The F1 travel guide: http://www.zdp06.ukgateway.net/f1_travel.htm > I weighed the girls tonight, and Daisy tips the scale at just over 13 > ounces. Should I be concerned about her health? I wouldn't be concerned... that's not obese. And like Dave mentions, you want them with a bit more weight on for when the illness gets them. SignatureJoanne Owned by 21 rats. Webshots: http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 ------------------------------------------------------- ~Ignorance is not innocence but sin. *Robert Browning* >> I weighed the girls tonight, and Daisy tips the scale at just over 13 >> ounces. Should I be concerned about her health? > > I wouldn't be concerned... that's not obese. And like Dave mentions, you > want them with a bit more weight on for when the illness gets them. I agree with Joanne, mine are always a bit overweight, I would have lost Art a few months ago if it wasn't for his extra weight as he stopped eating when he was ill, they lose weight so quickly when they are ill. Hi Joanne, I have an obese rat and I don't know how to get him to lose weight. As far as his food intake in concerned. he rarely gets sweet treats but he does get a small amount of rich food (every 2nd day). This is mainly because he lives with two young slim rats who need the rich food, and Ginger (the fatty) usually manages to steal a few pieces of it before the youngesters gobble it up. They get constant access to rat food from the store, which has grain, seed and leucerne type pellets. The lab blocks here look lousy and I don't trust their quality. Ginger does eat the store bought rat food, but not constantly, whilst the others tend to ingore the stuff. I think the main problem is that he just sits there, even when he has access to a whole room (for days on end). When I get him out of his blankets, he has a quick woddle about the room and then if back to sleeping. A small tredmill would be fatastic. With all your rat experience. Do you have any suggestions on how to manage Ginger's weight? Dewi > > I weighed the girls tonight, and Daisy tips the scale at just over 13 > > ounces. Should I be concerned about her health? [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > ------------------------------------------------------- > ~Ignorance is not innocence but sin. *Robert Browning* Hi Dewi, Just how obese is your sweetie? How much does she weigh in grams? Also, age is a factor. You don't want your rat to lose too much weight if they are older, they are going to need it when age starts to get them, or illness. But excercise is always a good thing for rats, it gets them moving and good air flow through the lungs. Since you have young ratties in the cage with the older one, any chance you can make them "work" for that rich food? Like wrap it up and hang high in the cage so they have to do some climbing to get it, or put it in a sock, tie it up and the rats have to tear open the sock to get to it. Also, when ratties come out at play time, you could take fat rat and bring her far from the cage and let her stroll back to it, do this a couple of times. During out time, give them climbing obstacles... like make a castle out of boxes, tape boxes together and on top of each other and watch the rats have fun. Joanne (posting through google) > Hi Joanne, > [quoted text clipped - 34 lines] > > ------------------------------------------------------- > > ~Ignorance is not innocence but sin. *Robert Browning* Hi Joanne, Thanks for your reply. I don't have any scales but Ginger is obese. When he's out and about he can walk and runs about in short spurts. Ginger's 2 years old, so I guess that's starting to get old. He's adorable with the rolls. If only humans could look so cute when we get roly-poly. He sleeps on top of a chest of drawers and I put the food on the ground, so he has to get himself out of bed if he wants a meal and will have to climb up to get back in bed. I've started taking him out of his blankets for a some activity twice a day for 5 to 10 mins (seems to be all he's willing to do). Anymore than that and he starts looking stressed. I'll try the sock with the treats in it for the young rats. I think they would enjoy the challenge. Thanks again, Dewi. > Hi Dewi, > Just how obese is your sweetie? How much does she weigh in grams? Also, [quoted text clipped - 40 lines] > > > > Dewi |
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