My rat has brown stuff around her eye

Question
I got two rats at a local pet store about 5 days ago and one of them has brown crusty stuff around her eye and neither of them seem to be drinking water is there anything I can do about this?

Answer
 The brown stuff is called porphyrin, which is the name for the red mucus that all rats have.  It normally doesn't show on their fur unless they are stressed or ill; since you just got these rats they are probably a bit stressed from the move.  If they aren't showing any other signs of illness, it's nothing to worry about.

 They probably are drinking water, but not when you are around to see it, likely at night when you are asleep.  Does the level in their water bottle go down at all?  Are you sure that the water bottle is functioning properly?  To check if your rats are dehydrated, gently pinch the loose skin on their backs and lift up a little and twist just a bit.  If the skin returns to normal right away they are hydrated.  If the skin stays upwards then they are dehydrated.  If the water bottle is working fine, they seem otherwise healthy, but they are not drinking, you may have to put a water dish in; they may not be accustomed to a bottle yet.  If they won't drink out of a dish, you'll have to take them to the vet for some fluids.

 Hope that helps answer your question, good luck with your rats!





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