Why is my albino rat weak, has red tears, and won't eat solid food?

'chromodacryorrhea is the term for the red tearing that is commonly seen in rats. This is not blood per se, but a secretion of porphyrin from the gland. This happens commonly when your rat is very ill or stressed and is indicative of a serious condition. If he is sneezing and showing this, it is time for a trip to the vet. Your rat may have a treatable respiratory illness or something more serious like a tumor. I would urge you to take him in as soon as possible. Hope this helps.

The red tears are due to the secretion of porphyrins. This typically happens during times of stress or illness. If your rat has bloody urine, you should have her examined by your veterinarian to diagnose a UTI or a more serious condition such as a bladder tumor.

Hello, and thank you for your question. The reddish discharge from the eyes is called porphyrin, which usually occurs in rats due to stress, often due to medical illness. Has she been feeling unwell lately? Common causes of illness in rats include upper respiratory infections (colds), systemic infections, diarrhea, skin problems, or skin tumours. If her energy or appetite are decreased, I would encourage you to take her to the vet to pinpoint the underlying cause. At minimum, they can provide supportive medications for pain or antibiotics if needed. In the meantime, make sure you are keeping Enni's living area clean, and cleaning out any soiled bedding daily. I hope this helps, and that Enni feels better soon.

Hi, and thanks for your question. This sign could be compatible with a severe upper respiratory tract inflammation/infection or possibly to a rhinitis (inflammatory, allergic, infective). An immediate clinical examination at your local veterinarian is essential to confirm these clinical suspicions and treat appropriately. Nutritional support and antibiotics are likely to be needed. Hope this answer was helpful, but please do not hesitate to contact us again on the forum or by requesting a consultation if you have any more questions or to discuss it any further. If this answer was helpful please let us know, this will be used to improve our service!

Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! When I see patients like this the first thing I do is a skin scrape to check for residual parasites like mites (which I suspect here) If none are found, often I will do a culture to make sure no resistant bacteria or fungi (like ringworm-another possibility high in the list) infect the skin, and if so what kind. Thank you for attaching pictures! It is very helpful to us. The "blood" that you are seeing is likely a secretion called porphyrin...it can be released due to stress or illness. I hope this information helps! If you need further assistance or would like a consult please don't hesitate to ask.

Poor Rick! The staining you are describing is porphyrin, which is a normal discharge that gets groomed off. However, when rats are not feeling well it can be produced in larger amounts and lack of grooming causes it to accumulate. If Rick is having trouble breathing, he should be seen by his vet immediately as he may need oxygen supplementation. To keep him comfortable, you can moisten his food slightly or provide a gel diet which is easier to eat.

Hello! The picture is a bit dark, but there are two main possible causes for this. The first cause is completely normal- rats have porphyrin pigment, which is red colored, in their tears and nasal secretions naturally. Seeing a small amount of red tinged tearing is completely normal in rats. The tearing often increases during times of stress and illness. Moving is a common cause of stress in rats, so may increase this normal tear production. If Nugget is completely normal otherwise, I would likely attribute this to the stress of moving. If the discharge is a bright frank red blood, associated with the eye being swollen or held shut, yellow/green discharge, sneezing, wheezing, lethargy, or disinterest in food, I would recommend a vet check to rule out an upper respiratory infection that may require antibiotics for both rats, as it is usually contagious. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! :)