Rats weight loss

Question
I have a dumbo rat and recently noticed he's lost weight and doesn't seem to be eating much. He seems to have energy when I hold him. I did notice that when I hold him he seems to be breathing heavy as you can see his side's moving. I'm not sure what's the cause. He's in a cage with two other rats, should I be worried about that?

Answer
Hi David, well I wouldn't say you should be worried, but you need to take action right away.  Weight loss and loss of appetite are signs that something is wrong.   You didn't say how old your boy is, which would have been helpful.  

Let's assume he is close to the age of 2, which is fairly old for a rats life.  If that is the case, he could have any number of illnesses common to older rats.  These can include cancer, congestive heart failure, respiratory infection, kidney or liver disease, etc.  If he is closer to age 1, those illnesses I listed are not as common.   However, respiratory infections are fairly common in rats of any age.  The fact that you say his sides move when he's breathing means he's using his stomach muscles to help his lungs breathe.   Is he making any kinds of chirping noises or such as he breathes?  If the answer is yes, then a respiratory infection is most likely present.   The fact that he's losing weight however makes me think it's something more than that.  

I know you were hoping for a sure fire answer from me, however I can only speculate.   My experience tells me you need to take him to a vet right away for an exam.  If it's a respiratory infection, it can be treated with antibiotics.  A combination of the medications Baytril and Doxycycline are most effective in battling respiratory illness in rats.  I would not hesitate to bring him in asap as rats can deteriorate very quickly if the problem is not addressed quickly.  And the fact that he's not eating and has lost weight is a sign he is already deteriorating.  

Sometimes respiratory illness is contagious but please don't separate him from his cage mates as that will cause him stress which is not conducive to healing.  Also, if it is contagious, I would imagine it would have spread to the others by now.  This is assuming it is a respiratory infection and not another illness.

Do you have a vet nearby who has experience in treating rats?  If not, write back to me with the nearest large city you live in and I can locate one for you.  But again, I cannot emphasize how much of an urgency this is.  So please reply quickly if you need my help.  I hope for the best for your boy.