Help!! my pet rat is not eating?

Question

my rat is old ( 2.5 years). i've notice she has not been eating her food. i looked at her teeth and saw that they were very chipped and cut back. for now i have only been feeding her soft bananas. what should i do? how can i help her.

Answer 1

Like people, rats are omnivores.

Answer 2

This is what you should do. First off, calm down. Everything is going to be alright, I promise. It sounds like your rat's teeth are overgrown, therefore it makes it very difficult for your rat to eat. You have taken the correct path by giving your rat some soft foods.

I'm not sure whether a banana will be good for your rat for every meal. First off, take her to the vet. Let the vet check out the rat's teeth, and you can then be able to further assist your rat.

It's not that your rat doesn't like the food, it sounds like her teeth are making it difficult for her to eat. But first you need to calm down.

Keep playing with your rat like everything is still fine, because you don't want to alarm her in a time of pain.

Good luck,

Pet Rodent Expert

Answer 3

I would HIGHLY suggest taking her to the vet for a checkup.

Answer 4

Old rats will not eat as much as they used to, so it's important that you provide them with highly nutritious foods.

Extra high calorie treats are good to help keep muscle condition.

Provide soft, pureed foods that don't require being held to eat, like baby food, pureed vegetables and fruits, rat blocks soaked in soy milk, "nutrical" high calorie paste, avocado, porridge, yogurt, etc.

A vitamin and mineral supplement can ensure your rat is getting his complete nutritional requirements.

If your old rat is having trouble standing on his hind legs to eat, you may need to provide a low dish rather than a deep bowl for his food.  Syringe feeding may be necessary when self feeding becomes difficult.