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Tango65 asked in PetsRodents · 9 years ago

Male rat as discolor fur?

It's near his butt. He is a white rat, with a few black spots. The discolor fur is a light brown color. It's been there for about two months now. Anyone knows what it is?

3 Answers

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  • Sheena
    Lv 7
    9 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    is it a bit orangey?

    if so, it's buck grease. male rats have oilier coats, and sometimes on light coloured animals this can cause staining.

  • 9 years ago

    If your rat has recently had diarrhea, it could stain his fur, but I doubt it would be there for two months. Rats also secret a substance called porphyrin that is an orangish red color. This is easily seen on white rats near the eyes and nose.

    Also, if you got your rat as a baby, their coloration changes when they get older. If your rat comes from parents that carry a 'point' gene (a gene that causes colored spots or smudges to appear on the nose, base of the tail, ears, feet, and sometimes eyebrows) he could wind up with some pale markings in addition to his spots that look like those of a Siamese cat.

    http://www.afrma.org/rataocp.htm these markings can be seen here on the first and third rat from the top.

    You should monitor your rat, and if he is passing solid stools (no diarrhea) it is probably just his fur darkening as he grows from a boy into a man. xD

    Source(s): Own and breed fancy rats
  • 9 years ago

    I agree with Sheena. Sounds like buck grease. If its really bad, give him a bath with baby shampoo, or shampoo for rats. Be careful not to get his face and ears wet! Its normal, and nothing to worry about. All males have it, and its especially visible on white rats. :)

    Source(s): Rat slave 10+ years.
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