Obesity in pets is sadly becoming more common. The health effects of obesity in pets can be vast. And as pet owners it is important we do our best to prevent obesity in our pets. Obesity is not just common in dogs and cats, all pets are susceptible including pet rats. So what can you do to prevent your pet rat putting on too much weight?

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What causes obesity in pet rats?

Obesity in pets is generally multi-factorial. It is important we understand all of the possible underlying reasons why our pet rats may be gaining too much weight.

Reasons for obesity in pet rats are varied and often specific to the individual but can include:

Inadequate diet 

A diet that is not well balanced and formulated is a major risk factor. An example would be a muesli-style diet where your rat can pick out the nice bits and leave the bits they don’t like. This can often end up leading to an unbalanced diet as they will often select the more sugary, less nutritious pieces.

You can read more about suitable diets for your pet rat here.

Too much food 

Overfeeding is a big cause of obesity in all pets. It is important to body condition score your pet rat to understand if they are in ideal condition, under conditioned or over conditioned. And then adjust the amount of food they are fed in line with this. As a starting guide rat nuggets (a complete diet for your pet rat) will often say on the packet how much to feed per day. It is important to follow this as closely as possible and supplement their diet with fruit and vegetables.

To find out how to body condition score your pet rat we recommend this useful guide from Oxbow Australia.

Not enough exercise

Pet rats are active animals who love to explore, climb and move around. If they are not given the facilities to exercise or an enriched environment that encourages exploration, then they can adopt a sedentary lifestyle. If they are not moving around and exercising much then they are not burning any calories, so will quickly gain weight if still eating the same amount of food. 

Health conditions

Certain health conditions can encourage your pet rat to gain weight and struggle with obesity. If you are concerned your pet rat is gaining weight despite having a good diet, being fed appropriately and having adequate exercise, it is important to get them examined by your veterinary surgeon as soon as possible. They can investigate if there are any underlying health conditions that may be causing them to gain weight.

Always remember your veterinary surgeon and veterinary nurses are always able to help when concerned about obesity in your pet rat. And should you have dietary or nutrition questions they are always a great point of contact. 

Find a local vet

So what can you do to stop your rats putting on extra weight once they are an ideal body condition?

Using the Oxbow body condition score chart, a pet rat is an ideal body condition score when they are 3/5 on the score chart. Once your pet rat has reached this body condition it is important to maintain their body condition and try and prevent them putting on extra weight which may lead them to becoming over conditioned and/or obese.

Top ways to prevent your pet rat putting on extra weight include:

  1. ensuring you are feeding a balanced nutritious diet 
  2. ensuring you are not feeding too much food and are adjusting the amount of food fed to your pet rat based on the feeding guidelines for them, the specific product recommendations, and the body condition score of your pet 
  3. providing environmental enrichment for your pet rat such as toys, climbing frames and changing their environment frequently to encourage exercise. It is also important to ensure they have a large enclosure to explore to encourage them to move around as much as possible
  4. ensuring your pet rat has regular health check ups with your veterinary surgeon and any health concerns are addressed quickly 

Summary:

  • Obesity in pet rats is a common problem that can lead to several health issues
  • Feeding an appropriate amount of a balanced nutritious diet is important to prevent obesity
  • Pet rats need to exercise and providing large spaces with enrichment is a good way to encourage exercise
  • In rare situations health conditions can lead to weight gain in pet rats. If you have any health concerns about your pet it is important they are seen by a veterinary surgeon as soon as possible

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