How to help my obese rat lose weight through diet and exercise?

Question

My rat is pretty obese, and can't seem to lose weight....any suggestions? Maybe a new type of food? Pet's info: Other | Unknown - Other | Female | 1 year and 7 months old

Debi Matlack · Accepted Answer

A few things you can try are using a smaller dish for your rat and make sure to wash it weekly, daily if need be. One just big enough to hold one feeding block is plenty. And feed fortified food. These foods can be found in either “block” or “seed” type forms, and a mixture of both is recommended. If you’re trying to help your rat lose weight, feed it no more than 3 tablespoons per day. Rat blocks contain a complete supply of vitamins and minerals. And avoid the generic “rodent formula” foods available at pet stores, as these often don’t provide an adequate amount of protein for your rat. Limit treats. One tablespoon of chopped fruit or vegetable is the best treat for your rat. Including apples, strawberries, bananas, and squash as treats rather than regular part of your rat’s diet will help support its weight loss. Feed treats in a separate dish from your rat's regular food and make sure to clean the treat bowl daily. Feed her at night, when she is most active, and if you notice her stashing food in her cage, you're giving her too much. Rats are intelligent animals who need a great deal of mental stimulation and activity. If you’re trying to help your rat lose weight, making sure it has plenty of activities will help it stay healthy and happy. If you have room, buy or bulild a multi level cage so she has to climb from level to level and feed her at the top or bottom and put her nest area at the other end. Play with her, they love interaction with their people. Provide an exercise wheel, tunnels, igloos, ropes, ladders, blocks, and child or baby safe toys for your rat to play with. Wooden gnawing blocks make great chew toys. You can also offer rawhide chew sticks or hard dog biscuits. Old soup bones or chicken bones are fine for a rat to chew on

How to help my obese rat lose weight through diet and exercise?

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