# Help An Older Rat Gain Weight



## nicodemus (Feb 21, 2011)

My rat is a year and a half. He's had some trouble with pneumonia (which we're on top of now) but the bout he had with it has aged him, I'm afraid. He's on doxy and Baytril almost constantly and he's doing really good, but I've noticed he's lost some weight. Also, we did a urinanalysis last month and he's got a little extra protein in his urine so the vet thought I should monitor that. I have been feeding him Oxbow but will now start feeding him 2014 Harlan Teklad.

However, with the weight loss, I want him to be able to gain some weight but not push the protein content over the edge.

Any ideas? This stuff is so hard for me to calculate.


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## RedFraggle (Jun 4, 2012)

Soya based baby formula is good for getting weight on them. Oats are aldo good for weight gain so you could make him some porridge.


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## nicodemus (Feb 21, 2011)

*Soya*

But will that increase his protein too much? As an older rat I need to keep his protein between 10 and 12%.


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## RedFraggle (Jun 4, 2012)

You'll need to check the nutritional content. The Cow and Gate one is 1.8 g protein per 100 ml (reconstituted).


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

His kidneys will only continue to degrade, and a dramatic change in diet is the only real solution.

A drastic reduction of phosphorous in the diet is required, so grains like wheat and oats should be eliminated and replaced with grains like barley and rice. 

Protein should be kept lower than you would normally give an adult, and the source should be considered. Egg is a great and very gentle source of protein for older rats.

Extra calcium will be essential as well. Yogurt can help give calcium, some healthy fat, and probiotics.

Feeding older rats is a bit of an animal in and of itself. That is why I have a separate formula for seniors. I start males on the senior diet at one year, though.


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## nicodemus (Feb 21, 2011)

cagedbird,

Would you mind sharing with me please what your senior diet is? I would love to put both of my older boys on it!

Also, how would you go about feeding the "seniors" when you also have two females that are only about 5 months old?


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

The senior diet has a drastically reduced phosphorous content to slow down the kidney failure that inevitably begins to take over our boys after their first 12-18 months.

In a mixed mischief, you can make a blend of the senior and original formulas or simply feed senior formula exclusively. With females, the phosphorous content is not as important.


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## nicodemus (Feb 21, 2011)

Ok, I know that reduced phosphorous is what you want. However, you didn't quite answer my question.

Do you think this product is good to buy, as long as I obviously supplement with fresh fruit and veggies? http://ratsnacksnstuff.weebly.com/diet.html Look at the senior variety.

I have a limited budget AND limited know-how to trust myself on preparing the right kind of balanced diet.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Yes, that is my preferred senior diet, alongside Rat Salad (which lowers cost, but I explain that in my pamphlets).

I have new formulas being packaged right now at a lower price point and can PM you this information as I don't like to do anything that could be interpreted as trying to push my products in threads for obvious reasons.

The complete elimination of wheat and oats alone (prevalent in other rat diets) makes a huge difference in the impact on older rat kidneys. Also, being able to control not only their protein intake, but the TYPE of protein goes a long way in helping the body process those proteins. Eggs, for instance, would be the most preferred protein for senior rats.

I will PM you.


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## nicodemus (Feb 21, 2011)

*Oldies Diet*

Thanks a mill!


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