Rat is chewing on his own penis.

Question
I just bought my male rat yesterday, he is about 8 weeks old. i recently noticed that he keeps chewing on his penis. he will do it for a couple minutes, then stop. but then start up again a while later. is this normal? is there something wrong with him> thanks so much!

Answer
Probably has a problem going on and needs a vet. Sometimes the sheath to the penis gets stuck which can expose the glans. This is painful and can be fatal as the rat may stop going to the bathroom.  One of the signs is constant licking of the penis and swelling and redness eventually. PLEASE DO NOT RETURN HIM TO THE PET STORE. he will not be seen by the right vet and will probably end up dying.  Let me know your location and I will give you names of vets to take him to see. Bring the bill up to the pet store and raise cain when your done at the Vets.

Refer to sandyscrittercity.com for more info on this condition. Here is the url:
http://www.sandyscrittercity.com/genitalproblems.htm