Fixing Condition issues
Adjusting the balance of nutrients (long term trouble shooting)
Where you see a consistent trend for the rats to look slightly out of condition, but have rules out obvious deficiencies, it is likely that you have a more general issue with the balance of their diet which may be perfectly sound on paper. This is where the real art comes into feeding rats and can take some time to really get right (bearing in mind it’s often a moving target). One of the most common issues I have seen with diet balance is actually the over feeding of veg, treats or extras. These act to water down what can be a perfectly well balanced mix.
Veg in particular is normally fat free and very low in digestible protein, which will dilute the effect of protein and oil in your mix. However it is also a very healthy and good thing to feed, if you can get the balance right. Aiming for around 10% of your overall diet to be veg as a maximum is a good rule of thumb, unless you are prepared to feed extra fresh foods like meat, bones and high protein wet meals (something which will require some time and effort to get the balance right). Again keep these extras down to a low percentage of the overall diet and the effect will be minimal.
If you feel your rats are missing out on treats then why not treat them with bits from there food mix, most rats have favourites and will be well pleased with a pumpkin seed, rice puff or piece of kibble out of the food box. The key with anything is not to overdo it, and bear in mind that a typical rat gets around 10-25g per day of dry food, so you need to keep your other food down to a low amount in relation to this (veg and wet food can weigh more relatively, due to the water content, but be sensible).
Veg in particular is normally fat free and very low in digestible protein, which will dilute the effect of protein and oil in your mix. However it is also a very healthy and good thing to feed, if you can get the balance right. Aiming for around 10% of your overall diet to be veg as a maximum is a good rule of thumb, unless you are prepared to feed extra fresh foods like meat, bones and high protein wet meals (something which will require some time and effort to get the balance right). Again keep these extras down to a low percentage of the overall diet and the effect will be minimal.
If you feel your rats are missing out on treats then why not treat them with bits from there food mix, most rats have favourites and will be well pleased with a pumpkin seed, rice puff or piece of kibble out of the food box. The key with anything is not to overdo it, and bear in mind that a typical rat gets around 10-25g per day of dry food, so you need to keep your other food down to a low amount in relation to this (veg and wet food can weigh more relatively, due to the water content, but be sensible).
Weight Management
Reducing the amount fed to the group
Getting the right amount for your rats is vital in keeping them at a healthy weight; however crash dieting them can be dangerous, especially in older rats. It’s worth remembering that this applies to the entirety of food the rats eat, including dry mix, any wet food, treats and vegetables. I would always reduce the treats first, then wet meals (unless necessary for health) then dry mix and veg together. Getting that right for the whole group can be challenging, in most cases a compromise must be found. Usually it is better to feed to keep most of the group slim, then diet or feed up the others. Scatter feeding is a very useful tool in doing this, as it slows down the overall speed of eating as well as encouraging activity. Feeding twice a day may also help in some cases where one rat will literally eat until all the food has gone (aka. The hoover rat) and the others just eat until full. This gives others a fair chance to eat there fill.
You need to reduce food gradually in a controlled manner and pair it with increased exercise in order to achieve lasting success. To start off with you need to limit the amount of food your rats get in a day. Contrary to some myths out there rats do not need a constant source of food to survive, in fact scientific studies have shown that rats actually do better with a “starve” period (there’s a lot of interesting research into this it’s worth looking at if you want to know more). If you don’t already have a period when the rats have no food available in the day then first work out how much food they eat (weigh a full bowl before and after feeding) then reduce that by about 10-25% (depending on how much your rats have to loose, and if you have any fragile rats in the group). Then try to weight your rats weekly (at the same time each week), if they are gaining for a couple weeks in a row you need to drop it more.
Reducing the amount fed to an individual
When you have one or two individuals in an otherwise nice or light weight group then it is worth targeting them specifically. Generally when faced with a chubby rat I will aim to both reduce the amount the overall group gets and reduce their food intake, combining the two is often more effective than doing one alone. The first steps in reducing the amount fed to an individual is to make sure the group is not getting any more than it needs to keep a good weight, then ensure you are also scatter feeding and it can help to feed morning and afternoon (this stops the rat hogging food). When its feeding time take the individual/s who need dieting out of the cage, then add less food than you would normally, scattering it around. Give the group 10-15 mins to get started on the food, then add in the rest. This works particularly well on rats who just eat faster than there cage mates.
You can use this extra time to also increase that individuals exercise levels, using activities like getting them to run up the stairs a few times, or climb up the front of the cage a set number of times. In one case I set up a mini obstacle course in the rat room that the rat in question had to clamber up and over in order to get back to the cage. Once he realised the others were eating he became very quick at completing it and would have to do it 3 or 4 times. This also has the bonus of improving their fitness and overall health. Even an old rat can benefit from being encouraged to trot around the floor a bit, helping keeping them mobile and healthy.
Increasing the amount fed to an individual
When you have a group that’s overall pretty good weight and one or two rats who are a bit skinny it can be well worth feeding them extras separate from the overall group. This works particularly well with more easily digestible foods like processed carbs and wet meals, adding in high calorie boosters like coconut cream, soya cream, baby food and banana can also help add flavour and calories to a balanced meal. Try to keep these meals as balanced as possible. Some good options for a balanced wet meal are;
The easiest way of doing the actual feeding is to have a carrier/small cage set up to put them in, add the rats needing feeding up with a tasty balanced meal (and possibly some dry mix). Try to do this away from the usual feeding time, by a couple of hours as otherwise they may feel full so eat relatively less of their dry food, so not gain as much from the extras. How often you need to do this depends very much on the rat, I tend to start with once a day 10 min spells with wet food freely fed, up this to twice a day if needed and then if they need longer they may get an hour a night with a shorter snack in the morning to fit around me working.
Some individuals (especially those with kidney failure) can be a bit slow or stubborn at eating, in these cases alternating flavours can work to keep them interested. Some rats also won’t eat unless they have a friend present. If this is the case and there isn’t another skinny rat needing feeding up then try alternating a friend in with them. Other rats won’t eat much outside the cage, leaving them in the cage with a meal whilst the rest of the group free range can also help, though generally if you can set them up a home away from home (with water, a bed and food) in a large carrier or small cage they will soon feel more comfortable in it. This works particularly well where you are leaving them for more than 10 mins at a time. Mixing clashing flavours together or serving warm can also encourage a stubborn rat to eat.
Increasing the amount fed to a group
If your entire group are looking a bit skinny and out of condition (these often occur together) then the chances are you are underfeeding. Try increasing the amount of food you are giving them by 10-15% and monitor them over a week or two. You can weigh them to help with this though weight in itself doesn’t tell you if the rat is the right weight for its size or not. If this doesn’t work try feeding a bit more, but also look into the mix for any deficiencies, particularly in the macro nutrients like protein and fat. If increasing the amount your feeding significantly doesn’t give you any improvements then it is more likely to be what your feeding that’s the issue.
Getting the right amount for your rats is vital in keeping them at a healthy weight; however crash dieting them can be dangerous, especially in older rats. It’s worth remembering that this applies to the entirety of food the rats eat, including dry mix, any wet food, treats and vegetables. I would always reduce the treats first, then wet meals (unless necessary for health) then dry mix and veg together. Getting that right for the whole group can be challenging, in most cases a compromise must be found. Usually it is better to feed to keep most of the group slim, then diet or feed up the others. Scatter feeding is a very useful tool in doing this, as it slows down the overall speed of eating as well as encouraging activity. Feeding twice a day may also help in some cases where one rat will literally eat until all the food has gone (aka. The hoover rat) and the others just eat until full. This gives others a fair chance to eat there fill.
You need to reduce food gradually in a controlled manner and pair it with increased exercise in order to achieve lasting success. To start off with you need to limit the amount of food your rats get in a day. Contrary to some myths out there rats do not need a constant source of food to survive, in fact scientific studies have shown that rats actually do better with a “starve” period (there’s a lot of interesting research into this it’s worth looking at if you want to know more). If you don’t already have a period when the rats have no food available in the day then first work out how much food they eat (weigh a full bowl before and after feeding) then reduce that by about 10-25% (depending on how much your rats have to loose, and if you have any fragile rats in the group). Then try to weight your rats weekly (at the same time each week), if they are gaining for a couple weeks in a row you need to drop it more.
Reducing the amount fed to an individual
When you have one or two individuals in an otherwise nice or light weight group then it is worth targeting them specifically. Generally when faced with a chubby rat I will aim to both reduce the amount the overall group gets and reduce their food intake, combining the two is often more effective than doing one alone. The first steps in reducing the amount fed to an individual is to make sure the group is not getting any more than it needs to keep a good weight, then ensure you are also scatter feeding and it can help to feed morning and afternoon (this stops the rat hogging food). When its feeding time take the individual/s who need dieting out of the cage, then add less food than you would normally, scattering it around. Give the group 10-15 mins to get started on the food, then add in the rest. This works particularly well on rats who just eat faster than there cage mates.
You can use this extra time to also increase that individuals exercise levels, using activities like getting them to run up the stairs a few times, or climb up the front of the cage a set number of times. In one case I set up a mini obstacle course in the rat room that the rat in question had to clamber up and over in order to get back to the cage. Once he realised the others were eating he became very quick at completing it and would have to do it 3 or 4 times. This also has the bonus of improving their fitness and overall health. Even an old rat can benefit from being encouraged to trot around the floor a bit, helping keeping them mobile and healthy.
Increasing the amount fed to an individual
When you have a group that’s overall pretty good weight and one or two rats who are a bit skinny it can be well worth feeding them extras separate from the overall group. This works particularly well with more easily digestible foods like processed carbs and wet meals, adding in high calorie boosters like coconut cream, soya cream, baby food and banana can also help add flavour and calories to a balanced meal. Try to keep these meals as balanced as possible. Some good options for a balanced wet meal are;
- A ready-made balanced soakable mix like rat rations kidney friendly mix.
- Senior dog food mushed up, aim for egg or fish based if possible, I particularly like burns penlan farm range (essentially egg and rice).
- Some cooked rice with egg beaten through and lightly cooked and a handful of veg added.
- Baby food mixed with a bit of soakable carbs (noodles, soakable mix, flaked rice, breakfast cereals etc.), avoid too many sweet ones, unless the rat is refusing to eat anything else (good in an emergency situation).
- Tinned mackerel in tomato sauce with egg noodles and sweetcorn (or other veg).
- Some healthy left overs such as vegetable soup or low salt pasta and sauce.
- A homemade soakable mix along the following guidelines;
The easiest way of doing the actual feeding is to have a carrier/small cage set up to put them in, add the rats needing feeding up with a tasty balanced meal (and possibly some dry mix). Try to do this away from the usual feeding time, by a couple of hours as otherwise they may feel full so eat relatively less of their dry food, so not gain as much from the extras. How often you need to do this depends very much on the rat, I tend to start with once a day 10 min spells with wet food freely fed, up this to twice a day if needed and then if they need longer they may get an hour a night with a shorter snack in the morning to fit around me working.
Some individuals (especially those with kidney failure) can be a bit slow or stubborn at eating, in these cases alternating flavours can work to keep them interested. Some rats also won’t eat unless they have a friend present. If this is the case and there isn’t another skinny rat needing feeding up then try alternating a friend in with them. Other rats won’t eat much outside the cage, leaving them in the cage with a meal whilst the rest of the group free range can also help, though generally if you can set them up a home away from home (with water, a bed and food) in a large carrier or small cage they will soon feel more comfortable in it. This works particularly well where you are leaving them for more than 10 mins at a time. Mixing clashing flavours together or serving warm can also encourage a stubborn rat to eat.
Increasing the amount fed to a group
If your entire group are looking a bit skinny and out of condition (these often occur together) then the chances are you are underfeeding. Try increasing the amount of food you are giving them by 10-15% and monitor them over a week or two. You can weigh them to help with this though weight in itself doesn’t tell you if the rat is the right weight for its size or not. If this doesn’t work try feeding a bit more, but also look into the mix for any deficiencies, particularly in the macro nutrients like protein and fat. If increasing the amount your feeding significantly doesn’t give you any improvements then it is more likely to be what your feeding that’s the issue.
Body Tone and Fitness
Increasing Exercise in cage
Increasing the amount of exercise your rats get not only helps keep them at a healthy weight, it also keeps them fit and healthy longer term as well as helping keeping them mentally stimulated. Cage set up is one of the biggest ways you can achieve this, making sure you have an active layout that is challenging for your rats abilities can really help. An easy layout tends to drive rats to be less active as they become used to the idea of sleeping and eating being the only 2 things worth spending any time on. The first thing to do when trying to increase your rats in cage activity is to look at what you have in there, reducing the amount of things designed for sleeping / resting and freeing up space for more active pursuits. Some of the regular culprits are;
This is very much part about enrichment and part exercise, rats have a number of different muscles in their bodies and by offering a real range of different activities you can encourage the rats to use different muscle groups. For instance digging uses muscles differently to wheel running, and climbing up vertical bars is very different to balancing of climbing up a pole. Adding in these different types of exercise can help really enrich your rats lives as well as get a good even muscle tone. Once you have your cage set up in a challenging way then it’s worth looking into their natural behaviours and trying to include at least one example where the rats can exhibit and satisfy that;
Out of cage time can have a real positive impact on the rats overall condition. I am not the only owner who has noticed that at times when free range is more limited (say I have a litter sapping much of my time or have moved house) the rats overall coat and body condition do drop a little. Free range (once the rats are used to it) helps lower stress levels and let them release pent up energy as well as gain additional exercise. Some free range sessions very much end up as what I term a cuddle session (e.g. you and the rats chilling on the sofa watching tv together) and whilst this is great for rat/human bonding it’s not great for exercise. True free range is giving rats extra space as well as interesting or abnormal things to explore and interact with.
If you’ve not already got a good free range area then look for a space which is relatively rat proofed (no holes and live wires), often a hall way or bathroom are doable, or if your struggling then the top of a bed or large sofa can be made more exciting (but there’s no guarantees the rats will stay on there). The key to a good free range is things to explore, these don’t need to be expensive, cardboard boxes, toilet role tubes, second hand kids toys, a handful of leaves in a box, even some of their cage furniture not currently in use can really offer them something exciting. If you have more space, a specific rat room and a bit of cash to spend then investing in a cat tree or making a larger climbing frame out of boxes and branches can really spice things up for the rats. The real key here is to keep changing what’s there, perhaps once a month change the layout, or some of the toys, or throw some new boxes in etc. Change helps keep the rats interested and moving around.
If your rats are getting a bit sedentary during free range then try changing what’s in there, introducing the use of vertical space via climbing frames (old wine racks are brilliant for this as are a few branches tied together into a tripod). If that’s not working try to make sure you actively play with your rats during free range. Here’s a few fun games mine enjoy;
Increasing the amount of exercise your rats get not only helps keep them at a healthy weight, it also keeps them fit and healthy longer term as well as helping keeping them mentally stimulated. Cage set up is one of the biggest ways you can achieve this, making sure you have an active layout that is challenging for your rats abilities can really help. An easy layout tends to drive rats to be less active as they become used to the idea of sleeping and eating being the only 2 things worth spending any time on. The first thing to do when trying to increase your rats in cage activity is to look at what you have in there, reducing the amount of things designed for sleeping / resting and freeing up space for more active pursuits. Some of the regular culprits are;
- Ramps / ladders / tubes – multilevel cages in particular often come with these as standard, it can be very tempting to fit them, especially if you have older or lazy rats. In reality a healthy fit rat has absolutely no need for them, and even old rats with HLD can often get around perfectly fine with the odd extra perch. Ramps in particular should only be used in extreme cases where a rat really can’t get around without them (and you’d be surprised what a decrepit old rat can manage if you let them try). Ladders can be used but keep these near vertical or hang them as places to rest or groom. Tubes should also be minimised unless you have them at a fairly steep angle, or they are quite short and not making it very easy to get around.
- Shelves – a lot of people assume that in a large cage you need lots of shelves; this is partially to prevent falls and partially to fill the space so it looks like the rats have lots to do. In reality rats tend to use shelves mostly for urinating or lying on and neither of these activities particularly encourages exercise. After removing the ramps the next best thing is to remove or minimise the shelves, this frees up a lot of vertical space which can be filled with more challenging and active furniture such as branches and ropes. Vertical space also encourages climbing on the bars which is great exercise. Rather than lots of shelves try replacing with one or two litter trays and leaving more space. The litter trays can both act as a toilet and a place to hide some of their food or nest in. Not only will this help rats activity levels, it will also help keep the cage smell lower.
- Sleeping places – if your cage is mostly hammocks, nest boxes and cosy beds then the chances are your rat will sleep more than anything else. Whilst a choice of sleeping places is appreciated, try and limit the number so there is plenty of space in the cage to move around between parts of the cage
- Changing around the cage layout – change is one of those things that keeps the rats interested and excited. Regularly changing the layout and content of the cage will keep the rats from becoming too complacent in terms of getting around. Doing a full rejig of the layout every clean out or two can really keep the rats moving.
- Wheels – if your rat’s wheel run this is one of the single best things that you can put in your cage. Not only do rats that regularly run in a wheel live longer on average, they are usually fitter than those that don’t. Unfortunately not every rat does run in a wheel, though starting them young is a good way to encourage it, as it picking the right wheel for the rats. Always make sure you have a large wheel, 30cm / 12 inches is really the minimum diameter for rats, brands such as silent spinner and wodent wheel are good options. On average I would say girls favour the faster more open silent spinner, and boys prefer the slightly heavier but also larger wodent wheel, but trying more than one type is beneficial. If looking at other brands avoid any with open bars either at the sides or the wheel itself as these can be dangerous. Smearing something tasty around the wheel can persuade a rat to try it out, and don’t assume because you don’t see the rats running in the wheel they never use it. I was convinced my bucks had stopped using there’s until I went into the rat room for something in the middle of the night and caught one running in it.
- Challenging layouts – when you’re first looking to improve you layout try and get hold of several more challenging cage furniture. Ropes, branches, parrot toys and perches are very useful. A general rule of thumb is the more unstable and/or narrow something is the harder it will be for the rats. Also angle is important, the steeper the angle the more work the rat will have to do to climb it. Try putting in a few key larger items and then joining them up with a few different routes with the toys, perches etc. Then add a few hammocks / cargo nets positioned to break any falls and a few more ropes etc. and so on, until you have a cage which has space and plenty of climby things and toys. Don’t over crowd too much, try and make it so the rats have to stretch, climb up the bars or jump to get from place to place. Also try to make it harder than you think your rats are capable of at first, then spend maybe 30 mins watching them explore, if it genuinely is too hard then add a few more items or rearrange slightly, most of the time though they will surprise you.
This is very much part about enrichment and part exercise, rats have a number of different muscles in their bodies and by offering a real range of different activities you can encourage the rats to use different muscle groups. For instance digging uses muscles differently to wheel running, and climbing up vertical bars is very different to balancing of climbing up a pole. Adding in these different types of exercise can help really enrich your rats lives as well as get a good even muscle tone. Once you have your cage set up in a challenging way then it’s worth looking into their natural behaviours and trying to include at least one example where the rats can exhibit and satisfy that;
- Foraging – offering a nice deep layer of substrate and scatter feeding is one of the best ways to keep a rat busy and active for a good portion of the day, whilst it isn’t normally a heavily physical activity it tends to be light activity for a decent length of time and so is very useful. Add in food hidden in paper / card piñatas or more challenging locations and oyu can increase the difficulties and so the exercise.
- Digging – to really offer this in a cage is very much space dependant, as they need a deep layer of substrate (say 15cm +) to really get digging. If you can offer them a digging box in cage though it does improve their foraging, adding in an extra challenge that surface foraging can’t manage. Failing this invest in a digging box to be used during free range time. A simple digging box is a plastic Tupperware box complete with lid, cut a large rat sized hole in the lid and fill the box 2/3s full of an appropriate digging material (compost, hemp, card, hay, shredded paper etc. offer a good digging media, alternating encourages them to investigate more). Scatter a bit of their food in the box to get them started and leave them too it.
- Balancing – anyone who has tried tia-chi or yoga will know that balancing uses an awful lot of muscles. It’s no different for our rats, having to balancing along a thin branch or on a slightly mobile rope is great for improving agility. Start with wider branches and taught ropes if they aren’t used to it, and build towards more wobbly items and thin branches
- Climbing – bar climbing is a very good version of this but its worth offering alternatives too, rats use different muscles when climbing a pole or branch than they do bars so giving a few different vertical or semi vertical options can be worthwhile. Add a bit of string looped round any too smooth surface to help them grip better,
- Running – a wheel is the most obvious example of this, but leaving a decent amount of cage floor space will help give them space to bound around.
Out of cage time can have a real positive impact on the rats overall condition. I am not the only owner who has noticed that at times when free range is more limited (say I have a litter sapping much of my time or have moved house) the rats overall coat and body condition do drop a little. Free range (once the rats are used to it) helps lower stress levels and let them release pent up energy as well as gain additional exercise. Some free range sessions very much end up as what I term a cuddle session (e.g. you and the rats chilling on the sofa watching tv together) and whilst this is great for rat/human bonding it’s not great for exercise. True free range is giving rats extra space as well as interesting or abnormal things to explore and interact with.
If you’ve not already got a good free range area then look for a space which is relatively rat proofed (no holes and live wires), often a hall way or bathroom are doable, or if your struggling then the top of a bed or large sofa can be made more exciting (but there’s no guarantees the rats will stay on there). The key to a good free range is things to explore, these don’t need to be expensive, cardboard boxes, toilet role tubes, second hand kids toys, a handful of leaves in a box, even some of their cage furniture not currently in use can really offer them something exciting. If you have more space, a specific rat room and a bit of cash to spend then investing in a cat tree or making a larger climbing frame out of boxes and branches can really spice things up for the rats. The real key here is to keep changing what’s there, perhaps once a month change the layout, or some of the toys, or throw some new boxes in etc. Change helps keep the rats interested and moving around.
If your rats are getting a bit sedentary during free range then try changing what’s in there, introducing the use of vertical space via climbing frames (old wine racks are brilliant for this as are a few branches tied together into a tripod). If that’s not working try to make sure you actively play with your rats during free range. Here’s a few fun games mine enjoy;
- Tag – this involves me chasing them around and pouncing on them for a tickle then running my hand away (which usually results in a chase back and pounce). Its best with young bouncy rats, and some more dominant bucks can get a bit wound up by it but many rats love to play like this.
- Chase – using a feather wand, bit of string or a straw your blowing through you can usually get the rats to actively chase and try and pounce on it. This is great for encouraging activity levels. Its best to let them catch the item occasionally to keep them interested and move it in a jerky motion much like an insect might run.
- Paddling – most rats dislike lots of water but can quite enjoy paddling or splashing in shallow water, especially if you add interesting things like pebbles, shells, peas etc. If they seem to like water then offering them a slightly deeper pool, perhaps using a slanted tray so its shallow at one end and deep enough to swim a bit at the other can be a really good way for them to exercise. Moving through water is harder work than through air
- Treasure hunt – if you have a particularly lazy rat who won’t explore then hiding a few tiny pieces of food around the free range area in hard to get to places should start them exploring a little more. You don’t even have to do this every time as once they think there might be food to be found they will explore all the harder
- Hide and seek – If you have a particularly people focused rat try picking them up and putting them somewhere a bit out of the way, then run off (avoiding treading on any other rat) and watch them chase you to get back to you. Adding in a food bribe or training them to come to a click or rattle of the food tub helps a lot too. This is particularly effective up and down stairs and is good exercise for humans too.
- Training – teaching your rat to come when called, or training them to follow your hand and complete an agility course is a really fun way for your rats to exercise and great for bonding too. Whilst I don’t have time to go into the how in this article, the easiest thing to train them to do is to come, or return to the cage, at the shake of a food tub. Simply shake the tub and supply a treat/piece of food and repeat. You can teach them to come to their name this way too.
Lack of Humidity
Rats generally do better with higher humidity that humans do, if the humidity falls too low there coat and skin can become dry, in extreme cases they can get issues such as ring tail, which is where a ring of scales on the tail dry out so much they restrict the blood flow further down the tail and can require amputation. Low humidity can also irritate rats with respiratory issues. The first port of call if you suspect low humidity is to look at what substrate / floor covering you use. Very absorbent substrates like corn cob, some cat litters and even hemp, can reduce the air humidity above them. This isn’t a problem if the area is quite humid anyway, but when combined with central heating or particularly dry air it can cause an issue. Switching to a less absorbent litter or mixing with something like shredded card can help.
The next thing to look at is the dryness of the air in the general vicinity, central heating can cause the air to dry out, so if practical turning the radiators down or off in the room the rats are in can be worthwhile (bearing in mind that rats tend to do better at cooler temperatures rather than room temp). It’s fairly normal to see these kind of issues more in winter around the time the heating comes on. Making sure the rat cage is well away from nearby radiators can also help. If these aren’t an option or the problem is persisting then try putting a bowl of water on a nearby radiator, or getting a humidifier or fresh air globe which can help add humidity to the air.
The next thing to look at is the dryness of the air in the general vicinity, central heating can cause the air to dry out, so if practical turning the radiators down or off in the room the rats are in can be worthwhile (bearing in mind that rats tend to do better at cooler temperatures rather than room temp). It’s fairly normal to see these kind of issues more in winter around the time the heating comes on. Making sure the rat cage is well away from nearby radiators can also help. If these aren’t an option or the problem is persisting then try putting a bowl of water on a nearby radiator, or getting a humidifier or fresh air globe which can help add humidity to the air.
Lack of Company
This generally assumes that a rat will have company; however a rat living along can have a real impact on its condition. Mutual grooming helps a rats coat and skin maintain good condition and a rat without company can be particularly susceptible to mite and lice outbreaks. A lonely rat is also one who is more stressed than one settled in a group and stress does affect a rat’s condition and happiness. The obvious answer to this is to make sure rats live in a group, if needed neutering or trying the rat with alternative companions. If you’ve tried everything and it isn’t possible for the rat to live with other rats then you as the owner can try and help. Grooming the rat with a brush and or comb, stroking lots and providing lots of interaction and company are the best you can do. It won’t fully compare to another rat but will help.
Grooming your rats coat and tail
This is more of a “condition first aid” measure rather than a long term solution, but it can be well worth trying alongside diet etc. to help speed up the improvement of coat / tail condition issues. It can also be helpful in cases where a rat’s physical condition (e.g. HLD) prevents them from adequately grooming themselves. It’s worth noting that actually bathing a rat can well make a rats coat condition worse, especially if it is already quite dry, so should be reserved for cases where the rat is actually mucky or very greasy and uncomfortable (beyond its ability to clean itself).
The coat tends to be best with a good brush / comb. Investing in a soft bristled pet brush and/or a human nit comb is worthwhile especially if you have old bucks, Brushing a rat twice daily will help break up a build-up of grease and dead skin, it also helps stimulate and spread natural oils along the hair shaft. This can help with both overly greasy and dry skin/fur. A nit/fine toothed comb can help comb out dandruff and loose skin as well as loose/moulty hairs. Brushing gently against the direction of hair growth can be even more effective and some rats love it, though they may resemble a hedgehog afterwards. Even regular stroking can help spread oils along the rats coat, remove loose bits and improve shine.
The tail can get a bit scaley at times, particularly in older bucks. As well as looking into diet giving the tail a regular clean can really help a rat who has problems, especially if the rat has lost some of the ability to carry its tail, so it drags through mess. To clean it get a soft bristled tooth brush (value ones are best) and the scouring pad off a cheap dish sponge. Then get some gentle hand soap, a towel and a bowl of warm water. Sit the rat on the towel and wet and soap up the pad. Pull this down the rats tail a few times, this softens and removes loose muck. Then using the tooth brush gently brush the rats tail in a circular motion being careful when going against the direction of the scales. Your aim is to gently loosen and dislodge old scales but not to scrub so it hurts. Once finished dry off with the towel and rub in a drop or two of good oil (coconut is particularly good) or a fragrance free moisturiser / emollient. It might take a few sessions (aim for at least a week apart) to get the tail back into a good condition, then if needed do around once a month.
The coat tends to be best with a good brush / comb. Investing in a soft bristled pet brush and/or a human nit comb is worthwhile especially if you have old bucks, Brushing a rat twice daily will help break up a build-up of grease and dead skin, it also helps stimulate and spread natural oils along the hair shaft. This can help with both overly greasy and dry skin/fur. A nit/fine toothed comb can help comb out dandruff and loose skin as well as loose/moulty hairs. Brushing gently against the direction of hair growth can be even more effective and some rats love it, though they may resemble a hedgehog afterwards. Even regular stroking can help spread oils along the rats coat, remove loose bits and improve shine.
The tail can get a bit scaley at times, particularly in older bucks. As well as looking into diet giving the tail a regular clean can really help a rat who has problems, especially if the rat has lost some of the ability to carry its tail, so it drags through mess. To clean it get a soft bristled tooth brush (value ones are best) and the scouring pad off a cheap dish sponge. Then get some gentle hand soap, a towel and a bowl of warm water. Sit the rat on the towel and wet and soap up the pad. Pull this down the rats tail a few times, this softens and removes loose muck. Then using the tooth brush gently brush the rats tail in a circular motion being careful when going against the direction of the scales. Your aim is to gently loosen and dislodge old scales but not to scrub so it hurts. Once finished dry off with the towel and rub in a drop or two of good oil (coconut is particularly good) or a fragrance free moisturiser / emollient. It might take a few sessions (aim for at least a week apart) to get the tail back into a good condition, then if needed do around once a month.
Managing older rats condition
Older rats present a particular challenge when it comes to managing condition. This is particularly true when it comes to rats with limited mobility or a condition like arthritis, HLD or kidney failure (common in old age). Limited mobility affects a rats ability to keep itself clean which can affect coat and tail condition as well as muscle tone. These conditions do benefit from dietary support and can often also benefit from medication, however there are specific things that you can also do to help them maintain the best condition they can,
- Cage set up – there’s a real tendency for people to see weakness or limited mobility in there rats and move them to an easy low level cage or add loads of ramps to help them get along. The trouble with this approach is that if the rat doesn’t use what capability it has it loses it faster. I’ve previously written an article on this subject in depth (called growing old disgracefully) but if you missed that then the main point is to try and keep them as mobile and active as long as possible, minor adjustments to the cage set up such as adding a few more perches and stropping points around the cage, but keep them climbing, running and active for as long as you can. I have had several bucks with advanced HLD and really amazing muscle tone on their shoulders from determinedly climbing around there cage.
- Adding supplements to their diet – there are a few generic supplements which can be really beneficial to a wide range of old age related problems. Probably the most useful is high omega 3 oils such as Linseed/flax or hemp oil, this helps the joints, coat condition and any kidney degeneration present. B vitamins are also useful in keeping old rats feeling and acting young, and extra vitamin C can help boost their immune system. Don’t overdo all supplements though as whilst old rats can benefit from a little more calcium, too much can put added strain on the kidneys
- Feed them a little extra if required – this is discussed in more detail in other areas, but generally one of the more common reasons for a rat to be skinny in the group is some age related issue like kidney degeneration. If a rat is old try and avoid adding too much extra protein to any extras and stick to egg, fish or soya where possible. Also avoid brown grains and try and focus on rice and barley over wheat and oats.
- Look into moving to a kidney friendly diet – this could have a whole article dedicated to it, however the main principles are increasing the amount of “white” processed grains, reducing high phosphorous grains (such as oats, wheat and rye), reducing protein levels and avoiding higher impact proteins like red meat.
Health Issues
There are a number of health issues that can affect a rats condition, be that body or coat condition. Most illnesses affect the rats condition to some degree as an unwell rat won’t usually be able to look after itself properly and will not be getting the full effect of any food/drink it consumes. Below are the most common illnesses that show particularly through examples of poor condition, often without any other symptoms;
- Kidney issues – this can show itself through a lack of muscle tone, weight loss and thinning fur (caused due to reduced ability of the kidneys to properly process nutrients). Get the rat along to the vets for a urine test to confirm or do one yourself at home. The vet may suggest trying a diuretic and should also suggest adapting the diet as discussed in managing older rat’s condition.
- Lice / mites – these usually show as tiny scratches or irritation on the skin, or crustiness on the ears, treatment is ivermetcin or selametcin and it is straightforward to do at home. If you have a small number of rats and it’s a one off then beapher spot on is a good option, failing that a bottle of harakametcin or PhamaQ can be very handy to have in and cost effective. Stubborn mites or lice do better with selametcin which may require a vet visit,
- Skin infections – this shows up as scabby, flaky or irritated skin and patches of hair loss. They need vet treatment and potentially a skin scraping to decide if its fungal or bacterial and how to treat. This isn’t something you can usually manage or improve purely on home care though tea tree oil can be useful in treating many infections. It’s worth bearing in mind these can be transmissible to other rats, animals and humans, Staph infections and ringworm can be particularly problematic.
- Food Allergy – rats can be allergic to certain foods, one of the more common ones is certain proteins such as sesame seeds and peanuts. It is useful to rule out lice, mites or a skin infection first. If so then trying to eliminate any common allergens from the diet is a good idea. You can even move to something very plain and safe such as eggy white rice for a few days to see if this helps then add in food until you find the culprit. A vet is likely to prescribe a steroidal cream or medication to help calm things down whilst the diet change comes into effect
- Urinary Tract Infection (UTI) – whilst this can be recognised from blood in the urine often this is a later symptom. More often your rat will start to look a bit rubbish in a group that is otherwise looking in lovely shape. They often loose a bit of muscle tone and there coat condition can get pretty rough too. This makes it very worth checking the urine; you can use a human urine dipstick test or take them along to the vets and ask for one. You want a dipstick that checks for at least protein (points to a kidney issue) and blood (points to a UTI). The dipstick can pick up far lower amounts than you will be able to spot. At this point the rat needs to see the vet. Septrin being the best antibiotic for a UTI.