My rat has skin sores, hair loss, and red crusty eyes. What's wrong?

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! :)

Thanks for reaching out about Templeton and including photos. These lesions seem very similar to dermal lesions seen with mites, a type of ectoparasite. A veterinary visit is recommended, it mites both rats needs to be treated. This has a fairly good prognosis for recovery. Good luck.

First of all make sure it is not blood, as it could be easily confused with it. Just wipe it with a wet swab and if not coming back immediately that means you are right otherwise an immediate check up will be needed. There are different causes for abnormal porphyrin secretion. Age, general Illness, unbalanced or bad quality diet and irritation from bedding could be all related to chromodacryorrhea. If you already rule out all these and still have this problem a check up will be needed. Please post a further pic of the secretion so we can give more specific advices about it. 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. Please find the time to give us a feedback about the consultation as that will be used to improve our service.

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!

It sounds indeed like your rats may be suffering from a mite or louse infection. Treatment usually consists of applying an avermectin such as Revolution or ivermectin available either in pet shops, your vet or over the internet. You can use the Revolution for dogs up to 5 lbs, at a dosage of 0.1 ml/lb of rat (you will need a 1ml syringe to measure out the dose correctly. Of course it would be easier to have the treatment done by your vet after he or she verifies whether this is indeed a mite infection/louse infection. Make sure you remove and destroy all bedding and disinfect all cages and toys.

Hi there! Pablo does look pretty itchy by those pictures. Mites are usually microscopic, so if you can see the bug it may be something different. I have seen many rats with lice. Lice are species specific so they are not likely to affect you. You can bathe him and buy a tiny comb to start picking out the bugs and eggs, but he will also likely need to see a veterinarian for medication to get rid of the infestation. Thorough cleaning of the cage and daily bedding changes will also need to be done. I hope he heals quickly!

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.