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Under stress, my rats eyes actually bleed tears?
I was giving my rats a bath, and one of them, when I started cleaning him, started crying I guess. His eyes got blood shot red and globs of blood just started pouring out. His nose did the same, but a little less blood. I freaked out and brought him out of the tub and dried him off immediately. What happened? I'm really worried :(
3 Answers
- Dave B.Lv 78 years agoFavorite Answer
Calm down!
That's not blood, and your rats are not necessarily stressed--although bathtime isn't always fun. Rats produce a red chemical called porphyrin, which seeps from their eyes and nose. It's perfectly natural and perfectly normal. You can help your rats out by gently dabbing the stuff away with a moist cloth (be careful around the eyes), but other than that, your rats are perfectly healthy.
You can learn more about this and dozens of other useful facts from a rat website, or from one of the rat owner books that they sell in pet shops. It's definitely worth your time to check these out, and your rat will be much happier and healthier as a result.
- 8 years ago
My rats get this all the time, I have 19, only a couple of the old ones get it, It's nothing serious. Just wipe it with a warm watered flannel. xx
Source(s): 19 rats, 2 hamsters and 1 bunny!
