Double rex

[Kaykay87]

So I have new ratties, rescued yesterday. One lil girl is a double rex, she's the sweetest little thing. I've treated for mites as her ears are scabby. I just wondered if there's anything I need to do for her due to the nakedness, oil massages, more frequent vet trips special diet etc. I know to keep the bedding softer as she will scratch easy, and to keep an eye on her eyes and eyelashes.
Will post a pic if I can figure out how, but I named ner nearly naked Nancy

[[cub]]

She'll probably need to eat a bit more than the others as she doesn't have fur to keep warm. Just weigh them all regularly and keep an eye on their condition; you don't want her getting skinny but you don't want her (or her friends) getting spherical either. I've heard some people do moisturise their double rexes with edible oil, but I wouldn't necessarily rush to do that unless you notice her skin getting dry.

I've never had double rexes, but my rex girls have very thin wispy coats and large patches of fairly exposed skin, and I have found they're more prone to getting scrapes and scabs. I doubt it's from bedding, more likely to be from accidentally nicking themselves while scratching/grooming or scrapping with each other. But some soft bedding never goes amiss.

They also used to be a bit prone to getting cysts, though that seems to have improved with a healthy diet.

[Kaykay87]

Lovely thankyou. She has a small patch of fur on her head between her ears, a bit on her muzzle very curly whiskers and eyelashes, patch of fur by her tail and the rest is naked or covered in what I call bumfluff. Funnily enough she has white skin with black patches, only has fur on the black patches so far. She is all skin and bone atm, what can you recommend for weight gain, I'm doing a bit of research atm but I find it so much better to get info from an actual person iykwim

[[cub]]

If she's not too underweight and otherwise well in herself, then just enough of a good quality, nutritionally balanced dry mix should do it. If the others don't need to put any weight on then she may need to be fed extra meals separately, so they don't nick it off her. Otherwise they can all get extra together.

Cooked carbs with a bit of protein and oil is also good, e.g. eggy rice. Some people also swear by this pre-made mix that you mix with water to make a wet meal, which is a bit more convenient: https://ratrations.co.uk/complete-wet-m ... al-support Though if you're finding that she's not willing to eat enough without being tempted with wet meals, then there may well be some kind of underlying health problem and she may need to see a vet.