bleeding nose

Question
hi my names Kirsten i have a rat named baby and she gets blood nose's quite frequently just wanted to know what's been causing them I'm a bit worried. also shes been a bit sick. I've been in Sydney this past week and leave tomorrow but mum said baby has been sick and not eating but she is now slowly getting her appetite back. i though it was just cause I'm not there and being away from me for so long was a bit hard on her. me and my rat are very close and its not like her to get sick like that. well reply as soon as u can. thank you.

Answer
 It's very likely not a nosebleed, but something called porphyrin which is the name for the red mucus that all rats have normally.  In a healthy rat you will likely not see any porphyrin, or only a few red/brown crusties around their eyes when they wake up from a nap.  Excess porphyrin is caused by either stress, pine or cedar bedding, irritants in the air, an unclean cage, or other illness.

 If baby is not eating, she may have an illness.  Have there been any other symptoms of a respiratory infection such as sneezing, wheezing, or rattling in the lungs?  If so, it is likely a respiratory infection and she will have to go to a vet for antibiotics.  If not, it may be that something else is wrong with her, something we cannot see.  I definitely think it would be worth it to have her examined; your vet will be able to tell you more and recommend treatment options.  If it is a respiratory problem usually a single course of antibiotics will suffice to treat it.  If it is something else, it's definitely better to catch it early so her odds of beating it improve.

 If she seems to get better after you get back, it may have just been stress.  When rats bond to people like that they certainly can become sick with worry when their friend suddenly disappears.  You may want to consider getting her a cagemate of the same gender so she won't be so lonely, if this is the case.  Make sure she is totally healthy before bringing home another rat, of course.

 I hope this helps answer your question, good luck with your rat!