My female rat is very skinny and scruffy

Question

Overall appearence  

Close up of her fur   Hi,

My female rat is a nearly a year old now and she started off very engergetic, a good weight, kept herself groomed etc. she does have a respiratory problem which we have battled with trying to fix, she's had it since she was a real baby (we got her when she was a few weeks old). I'm very worried about her now because she looks very scruffy and doesn't seem to clean herself. I can feel every bone in her body and she always has a tired look on her face with her eyes half closed. This is very unusual for her and she's been like this for a few weeks now. She's eating and drinking normally but her energy and overall appearance has dramatically dropped, do you have any idea what it could be?

Answer
Kellie-

Thank you for your question and providing photographs.

Weight loss can be one of the first indicators of a developing illness in a rat.It is also common in rats that might have had a dietary change take place. Have you changed her food recently? Sometimes rats will "turn their nose up to" new foods which often results in some weight loss at first. A change in coat appearance could be from that sudden avoidance to eat the new food or it could be a nutritional imbalance, such as excessive amounts of protein for example. I would also check her teeth- the weight loss, unkempt grooming, and tired expression (rats tend to squint when in pain) could have something to do with her teeth. Ensure that they are of an appropriate length and check the color. Rats front incisors should be orange to yellow, not white.  

My advice would be to see a vet. There are so many factors that could contribute to weight loss in rats that a qualified vet would best be able to determine its cause.

I hope that helps!
Good luck!