Benny

Question
Hi, my hooded male Benny is a year and a half. Up until recently he was very healthy. He lives with his buddy Bug in the upper half of a 5ft by 2ft cage with coated wires. My problem is that he has been loosing weight rapidly. I have lab block, seed mix with no corn and he gets fruits and veggies with some meat every night. His breathing has gotten worse. I love Benny very much. The most horrifying thing is that his skin is very loose and hanging off his body. Please Help!

Answer
Hi Laura

I am sorry Benny isn't feeling very well. I notice you said  his breathing is getting worse which leads me to wonder if he doesn't have lung disease now. Over a period of time, when respiratory infections become severe and also more chronic, damage is done to the lungs, sometimes leading to blistering or other types of lesions and scarring of the lungs. When lungs cannot function right, this also can lead to problems with the heart. Weight loss can be a sign of many things so if that is they only symptom, tests should be run by the Vet to determine what could be going on. Checking the kidneys would be the first thing I would do because unfortunately, kidney disease is one of the leading causes of death in rats other than COPD (lung disease) Even the notorious mammary tumors that plaque our mostly female rats, kidney disease is still seen more often to be the cause of chronic illness in rats. often, the diet can be blamed, especially if the diet is high in protein. This is not always the case but it can be one of the main causes (too much protein)

I wish I could tell you exactly why he is losing weight but without checking him out I cant tell for sure, only to let you know what it can be related to. Don't fret too much though. Most of the ailments I mentioned can be treated with medications.  Do you have a vet that sees your rats? If not, I can help you locate one that is either a certified exotic specialist, which I prefer, or a general vet that holds a special interest in exotic pets and has alot of experience with treating rats and is up to date on the most current treatments etc...which sometimes regular vets do not have to go out on a limb when it comes to exotics and keep up with current trends and exotics (which, I feel, they SHOULD do if they are going to treat rats or other non traditional pets that fall into the category as exotics)

Anyhow I will be here for you if you have any more concerns or need further help with finding a                                                  vet in your area of if your just plain worried and need a shoulder to lean on. I am here for ya!  If you do need a vet, be sure to include your location and the cities surrounding you.

Sandy