Hand Feeding a Sick Rat Who Won't Eat
How to Hand Feed an Ailing Pet Rat & Avoid Weight Loss in Ill Rats
Sep 21, 2008
There are many situations that can result in a pet rat who won't eat. A rat won't eat properly if he's seriously ill, injured or under stress. And in situations when a rat does stop eating a normal volume of food or if the pet rat stops eating entirely, the rat owner must take swift action to help provide supportive care and nutrition if the rat is to survive.
Poor Appetite or Refusal to Eat in Rats
A pet rat's condition can steeply decline once the rat starts refusing to eat properly. Rats, like many other small rodents, have extremely fast metabolic rates which mean their body systems operate at a much faster speed than a dog, cat or human's. Rats burn calories at a much faster rate and a rat's vital organs can begin to be adversely affected within a matter of hours, leading to rapid weight loss and ultimately, death.
To add insult to injury, many injured or sick rats will not stop eating until they are literally hours away from death. This can be deceptive to pet owners, who assume that the rat is not seriously ill because he is still eating. In reality, any decrease in a rat's appetite is cause for serious concern and immediate action should be taken to remedy the problem.
Helping a Rat Who's Not Eating Normally
Each day, the same amount of food should be consumed by a pet rat, so noting how much food is left uneaten is vital. Rats should also be weighed every other day to closely monitor their weight, as gradual weight loss is the first and most common symptom of rat illness.
When a rat's appetite decreases, the following measures are recommended:
- Feed high-calorie, high-protein foods such as meat baby food varieties.
- Offer a high-calorie nutritional supplement like Nutri-Cal, which is available for purchase (without a prescription) at most veterinary clinics. The Nutri-Cal can be fed to the rat alone, or mixed in with the baby food or yogurt.
- Provide yogurt with live, active cultures. Poor appetite in rats may be caused by gastrointestinal upset, which is usually signaled by diarrhea since rats cannot physically vomit. Yogurt helps to replenish natural gut flora, which helps to process and digest food, while easing stomach upset in rats and other pets.
- Offer a high-protein, high-fat food like cottage cheese.
- Offer crackers with a thin coat of peanut butter or cream cheese, which are both high in calories and fat.
- Provide avocado, banana and melon, which will help to provide fluids to the rat and to boost blood sugar.
- A rat who's not eating properly will also likely be dehydrated, so tempt him to drink by offering a non-citrus fruit juice mixed with Pedialyte in a separate bottle in the rat's cage.
Helping a Rat Who Won't Eat or Drink
A rat who will not eat or drink is critically ill and must be brought to a vet as soon as possible. In the meantime, hand-feeding and supportive care for the sick rat will be required. Mix three parts Nutri-Cal with two parts of meat flavored baby food and feed this using a small liquid syringe. Feed a minimum of two tablespoons four times per day. If the rat will willingly eat more, provide it.
If diarrhea is present, mix three parts Nutri-Cal with two parts yogurt (instead of baby food), to help heal a rat's upset stomach.
Fluids must also be given by hand to a rat who is refusing to eat or drink. Use a liquid syringe to hand-feed drops of Pedialyte to the sick rat. Remember, Pedialyte must be used within 24 hours of opening the bottle, so if necessary, freeze the Pedialyte into ice cubes and thaw as needed.
To help maximize a rat's chances of survival in the event of illness, keep all the necessary tools on-hand at all times, including Nutri-Cal, meat baby food, an unopened bottle of Pedialyte, and extra rat cage bottle, and several small liquid syringes. These tools will be vital if a sick pet rat is to survive.
Related Reading
For more information on caring for a sick rat, visit the Pet Rat Care Page.
