my rats weird nose

Question
Hi Robin,

i was wondering about markings on albino rats; i know they have red eyes and pure white fur, but not mine. i have a 3 month old albino rat, and she has a brown spot on her nose
it wasn't there when i got her and i can't wash it off.
is this a bad sign? or is she not a true albino?

i bought her from a chain pet store, and she was being advertised as a feeder rat. i have kept her on her normal
chunk rat food (you know those giant grayish chunks that they sell?), the spot has been there for about 2 months or so. sorry for being so long winded just want to know if shes okay

Answer
 The brown spot is probably porphyrin staining.  Rats have a red-tinted mucus that can show up around their eyes and nose in times of stress or illness or sometimes just for no reason at all, and it can stain the fur or skin of rats, especially those with light or white fur.  It can be difficult to remove, but as long as she's acting happy and alert and is still eating and drinking it should be just fine to leave it there.  You may even see some brownish red spots around her eyes or behind her ears, which results from her grooming the porphyrin discharge and pushing it back on her fur with the normal grooming motions.

 I hope this answers your question, good luck with your rat!