Body Condition & Weight Management

Why does body condition matter?

Rats who are underweight will struggle to fight health issues and will recover from illness more slowly. If they are young when they are underweight, they won’t grow properly either.

Rats who are overweight will also be more prone to health issues, and will struggle under anaesthetic more. They will also have mobility issues, causing them to become more inactive and even more overweight.

Can’t I just go by my rat’s weight?

Like people, rats come in different sizes, so one size doesn’t fit all!

How do I determine my rat’s body condition?

Pet obesity is a universal problem and many owners find it difficult to judge their pets’ body condition. With the help of other rat owners, I’ve created an infographic showing body condition, which can be found below. This should help provide a visual guide to help you determine whether your rat is over- or under-weight. It’s important to note that the rat should feel solid (muscle) instead of squidgy (fat) when in the ideal range. Some lines have less muscle tone than others (the 2 under ‘ideal’ both have great muscle tone).

I'm more of a numbers person, I struggle with feel!

You can weigh your rats regularly to get an idea of what is normal for them and keep a log, then observe any trends from there. You will need to gauge what body condition score your rats have initially, though.

What do I do if my rat is underweight?

If your rat is underweight, supplement instead of just increasing the group’s food. Chances are that the rest of the group would nab the extra food and subsequently gain weight! I feed my rats one meal a day in the evening, so I provide an extra meal in the morning so they stomach room for dinner. I sometimes find that once they’ve gained a bit of weight their appetite increases and they self-sustain at a better weight afterwards. If the whole group is underweight then up their feed incrementally.

I use the following to help rats gain weight:

Vetcal pro gel (amazon, VetUK, etc) - quick, easy and keeps well, so I always have a tube of this in my stash. Very high calorie so good for emergencies. Smells like syrup, I always want to have some too!
Weight Up Baby (Rat Warehouse) - keeps well and nice and tasty. Easy to mix medication into.
Moo mix (Rat Rations) - keeps well and works well with medication. I would go for the above two with a rat that is dropping weight dramatically, and Moo Mix for supporting ill and elderly animals who aren’t dropping weight rapidly.
High-calorie meals made with ingredients such as coconut cream, avocado, oats, potato, walnuts, parsnip and similar.

What do I do if my rat is overweight?

If your rat is overweight, you should take a variety of approaches and see what makes a difference. The following are my go-to strategies:

Cut out all treats. You might be surprised by how much this cuts out!
Reduce the group’s food by a little bit (ie. from 15g per rat per day to 13-14g per rat per day). Be careful when reducing their food, as sometimes they start to eat more poo instead, which is higher calorie.
If you make your own Shunamite-style mix, use lower-calorie components. Avoid using components like mealworms and pasta.
Scatter feed instead of using a bowl.
If you are feeding your rats nuggets, switch to a mix (either rat rations or your own Shunamite-style mix) and see if that makes a difference. It’ll improve their coat condition and health in general, though!
Many people take the overweight rat out at the start of dinner. I prefer to leave them in at the start so that they have competition, then take them out once the others have stopped eating. That way they have time to register that they're full and can get in some extra exercise.
Gradually make their set-up more active, replacing ledges with things like ropes so they have to use their body to move, climb and balance. Do this in increments so that they don't injure themselves or not bother. Use thick ropes and bridges to start, then once they’re fitter you can begin to use thinner ropes and have gaps between items.
Little and often exercise (free roam/playpen, sofa time, etc) to encourage them to move around. Once they're fit enough, consider using the stairs too. Again, do it gradually as otherwise they risk injury which then requires rest. We don't expect humans to go straight to 5k from the couch!