#rat care

effyeahpetrats:

thedailyratlife:

How To Care For an Elderly Rat:Grooming
As rats age and start to develop weak muscles and other issues they may have some difficulty grooming thoroughly. Because of these conditions which create limitations for your pet rats, you may have to help them with grooming to ensure they are clean.
A few things you can do to keep them clean:
-A daily wipe down with a damp cloth or wet soft bristled brush can help keep their coat clean and groomed.     
-Rats usually use their feet to clean their ears. Because of this you may need to remove built-up wax with a Q-tip once a week.     
-Holding your rat upright in your lap can allow him to groom using both hands, something which is difficult with hind leg degeneration.     
-Regular clipping of his back claws will be necessary as they won’t be worn down like normal.     
-Elderly rats with mobility issues may start having bladder control problems.  If this occurs, wash their belly clean when he does wet himself. Urine can burn and irritate the skin if not cleaned up.     
-Moving their limbs around with gentle range of motion, exercises will help keep his joints flexible.

All of these points are important, but I cannot stress the last two points especially!