# Reddish Rust Color On Fur



## Kenowhereman (Aug 29, 2015)

My two female rats are getting some reddish, rust coloring on their fur. My one girl gets it mostly around the neck and the other a little bit on her back. I can't figure out where it is coming from. Neither of them are sick in any way. I'm assuming it's blood but I can't find any sort of wounds or scabs on them. It cleans off but it keeps coming back. Any ideas?


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## Fu-Inle (Jan 22, 2015)

I know male rats can produce a orange-red oil that stains their fur but I'm not sure if its possible in females. Perhaps there is an item in the cage that the colour is coming from? I had a wood chew that would leave orange stuff everywhere. Another possibility is because rats have reddish coloured saliva, so when the groom eachother it could leave a reddish colour, which is more noticeable in albino and light coloured rats


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## Rugrats (Jul 29, 2015)

Gaz gets this and I always assumed it was a little blood from rough play and scratches or abrasions but couldn't find the cut. I'm assuming it's just little tiny scratches from overnight play that have basically healed by the morning they're so small. My rats have very sharp nails no matter how many lava ledges I get, so that's my theory. She's fine and it has never seemed to bother her so I wouldn't worry, but I'm also curious as to why this happens if someone has a better explanation. 

The wood chew idea makes sense too. Porro, my white rat, turned blue the first day I put a wood toy in there.  This stuff looks more like blood to me though if we're talking about the same thing.


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## notbritney (Feb 3, 2016)

I think it may be porphyrin staining. How old are your girls? From what I understand, it's perfectly normal, as long as there are no symptoms of illness. I could be wrong, mind you.


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

Kenowhereman said:


> My two female rats are getting some reddish, rust coloring on their fur. My one girl gets it mostly around the neck and the other a little bit on her back. I can't figure out where it is coming from. Neither of them are sick in any way. I'm assuming it's blood but I can't find any sort of wounds or scabs on them. It cleans off but it keeps coming back. Any ideas?


What color are your rats? If they have black fur and are getting some rusting, it is very common. Black Berkshire rats often have that. I have 1 rat who started getting that rusting color army around age 15 months. However, since I added flax seed oil on their veggies, the rusting decreased considerably.


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## CateLW92 (Jan 7, 2016)

Me too! But I've only noticed it on my albino girl! Behind her ears and a little over her back! No detectable cuts, but her cagemate grooms her a lot. Very little to no porphorin production anywhere from either of them. I have two red toys/chews in their cage which she often chews, but how it would end up in those places on her I don't know! Glad someone else has noticed this!


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Browing in rats can be one of 3 things;

Rusting - brown / blue / dark coloured coats turning brown / ginger in patches, useually the belly and rump are most effected, over time it tends to cover most of the rats. This is cause by a number of things including genetics, ageing, sun light exposure and diet. It is worth ruling out a copper deficiency if you suspect this by feeding a couple high copper meals (liver is best) and seeing how they get on in a few weeks time

Porph staining - useually visible on pale rats around the nape of the neck, head and shoulders, basically the areas most often groomed (so can also be in a line downt he flank say). Looks like little red ends to each hair, its porphyrn that has been groomed onto the fur. In itself it isn't an issue however it can be a sign that a rat is feeling under the weather if there is more than normal as more porphryn is excreted when they have a virus / infection etc. 

Buck grease staining - this is orangey colour that is mainly at the base of the fur and skin. Its normal grease that bucks produce when they have testosterone through, so babies wont show it and it builds up to its maximum when they are adults before dropping off as there testosterone levels drop as old men. Sometimes it can be seen through thin coats (especially rex) or it can build up and start staining the coats of pale rats which is usueally caused by a dietary oils inbalance (often too little of the right kind of oils which is omega 3, particularly where too much lower quality fats are fed).


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## Gribouilli (Dec 25, 2015)

I second the copper deficiency in rat fur rusting. I gave a little copper when my rats first had a little rusting, and it helped. Copper and flax seed oil are helping to keep the rusting fur minimal. I also feed them lots of veggies/greens and some fruits/nuts- so I can't be 100% sure it is the copper and flax seed oil that helped the most, but I believe it is.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

it sounds like porphyrin transferance to me, from grooming.  Some rats stain more than others, some don't at all.


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## MackAttack300 (Jan 21, 2021)

Kenowhereman said:


> My two female rats are getting some reddish, rust coloring on their fur. My one girl gets it mostly around the neck and the other a little bit on her back. I can't figure out where it is coming from. Neither of them are sick in any way. I'm assuming it's blood but I can't find any sort of wounds or scabs on them. It cleans off but it keeps coming back. Any ideas?


It’s because they clean thier teeth on each others necks. My girls get the same thing. It’s just plack and buildup like we get on our teeth. If u look at thier teeth they have a very similar color. I see them do it all the time


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