older female

Question
Hi Sandra,
I'm back for help.  My two female rats are getting old, I'm not sure but I think they're around 2 1/2 or older. My dumbo has never had any health problems, but she has been slowly losing weight. They have both been really slowing down, which I contribute to age, but one is getting fatter and the dumbo is getting thinner.  I am starting to worry. Is this common for some older rats?  She has always preferred lower calorie foods and has always been thin. I hate to take her to the exotic vet unless I have to because we always get mites with every trip.  I do have a regular vet who helps me if I need meds. My fat little rat has myco and is on baytril all the time, I give it with baby food, and I have always let the dumbo have baby food too. I have been letting her eat all she will, which is less  than about a teaspoon twice a day.  I don't know how much regular food she eats since they eat at night. They eat the mix you suggest on your website and fresh veg /fruits daily.
Thanks for any help or suggestions.  Shirley

Answer
Hi Shirley

No, losing weight is not a part of old age.  My oldest boy, Bo, who is 2 months shy of his 4th birthday, is nice and plump and well rounded as can be, and my other boy, Santana, is 2.5 years old and is also a 700 gram beef cake.  Weight loss is always a concern, even gradual weight loss.  Sometimes just doing some blood work can hold the answer but if you want to avoid the exotic vet for just a bit longer, you can also help the Vet out by taking notice of other things, such as drinking habits, how often she urinates.  For example, does she seem to drink more and urinate less? Does she seem to urinate more than normal, is it an odd odor, etc..etc..  Does she lay on her shelves or atop a hidey house etc...and hang her head over to sleep or during rest? Does she seem to want to go to her cage more rather than be out for play time?
Does she seem to breathe heavy, such as using her abdominal muscles to breath, causing her sides to seem like they are sinking in?

Take note of anything you can think of that seems odd, even if it seems trivial.  It can mean alot and can help the vet with his diagnosis.

Please let me know.

hang in there

Sandy