first pet rat (eye discharge)

Question
Hello,
 My daughter with her Christmas money bought a pet rat (he is hairless).  As of tomorrow we will have had him a week. We are not sure of his age and we got him from a small local pet store.   Today when we went to play with him we noticed he has red stuff coming out of his right eye. Actually, it appears brown till you wipe it then it appears red almost like blood.  There are no scatches around it and it is not swollen. I took a warm water to a cotton ball to cleanse/compress it as well as he would let me.  I have called two vets before all of this happened about getting him neutred ( I read that it could make them live longer) but they do not help rats.  We live in Battle Creek, MI (49014). If you could help us find a vet,  we would greatly appreciate it! I know with it being a weekend we won't be able to get Rufus into one till Monday.  Is there any more suggestions to ease any discomfort?  I changed and cleaned his cage. I cleaned his water bottle and food dish.  I wiped his body with a baby wipe w/aloe, plus the compress. The bedding we use is Eco.  I bought it because it said it was hypo-allergetic.  He has a large wire cage with a plastic bottom.  Rufus gets fed everyday.  They sold us hamster food because they said that is what they feed him. He also gets critter cube put in his dish.  As of today we bought him purified water because we have well water. After reviewing many sites I went bought him alot fruits and vegetables but I don't know how much to give him.  He is somewhat picky. He doesn't like apples, bananas, grapes, broccoli, or applesauce.  He does like yogurt, carrots and he LOVES watermelon. My daughter and myself inter-act with him daily. He isn't very social yet but doesn't mind hanging out in the front pocket of a sweatshirt and seems to like his ball, ne is not a fan of the wheel. After he gets well we would like to find him a buddy to keep him company. I also don't find toys for rats and was wondering what we should buy for him to play with.  I would like to thank you for all of your help with our new family member.  I also would like to congratulate you on yours!

Answer
First, thank you for your congratulations =) and second, congratulations on your Rufus!

This is really common in hairless rats. He has porphin coming from his eyes - rat tears and mucus are red, looks like blood. Unless his eye is swollen or bulging, this may be completely normal for him. Porphin (when excessive) can also be a symptom of allergies, stress, or a developing respiratory condition. As long as his behavior and habits haven't changed I honestly wouldn't worry about it.

And finally, I encourage you strongly to get him on a real rat diet. I prefer Mazuri lab blocks and a fun rat mix like Reggie Rat. A hamster diet has a lot of fillers, many of which rats can't and won't eat. Go easy on fruits and vegetables, too much can cause diarrhea, so limit them to twice or three times a week.

Best wishes!