# Is this rat, considered high-white? :( hight-white dont live long?



## planetjenessa (Dec 7, 2011)

This is my new rat, ive read some things on the web about high-white rats, nothing good said, they said they dont live long, have bloat.
Is my new rat (no name) a high white? if not what breed is this rat?


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## Flashygrrl (Feb 8, 2012)

http://www.ratforum.com/showthread.php?39504-Megacolon-and-High-White-Information

Hope this helps. Breed is all the same, it's just all in the color.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

It could be, but not all high whites have problems. You already own it so no reason to worry now.


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## planetjenessa (Dec 7, 2011)

ive read the artical, i still dont understand it


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

Nickle tour... animals have what are called linked traits... without getting into a genetics lesson, this means that a high white rat might also get mega colon which is a genetic disorder that's usually lethal. 

But just because this is a dangerous genetic mix, doesn't mean it always hqappens. Many high whites don't get mega colon. Breeders often steer clear of high whites because it is so tragic when some of their babies die. I recently got beat out of a beautiful high white by a store employee, that got it tagged for her when it came in, she showed me recent photos to rub it in... it's doing wonderfully. Now if she were to breed it with another high white, the results could be tragic.

In human genetics, close relatives generally don't marry and have children because dangerous recessive traits can lead to tragedy. My friend married his first cousin and his kids are bright, healthy and normal. True there's a striking similarity between all of his family members, and they only got wedding presents from one side of the family, but everything worked out fine. Just because there's a 99.999% chance you will eventually lose all of your money at a casino, doesn't mean some people don't ever win. It's an odds thing and since you already own the rattie, you have to hope you lucked out.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Actually, I'm going to say from her blaze she is not a high white. Most high white rats have wedge blazes, she has a lightning blaze, meaning that its not center on her face.

Just because she is a high white does Not mean that she will get megacolon, typically after 6 weeks they are safe and life just the same life span as other rats. Its similar to the Black eyed white rats, which due to the lack of pigment are around 90% of the time deaf, while high whites Do get megacolon sometimes, they don't always. She's in the safe though if she is over 6 weeks.

Megacolon is a genetic mutation caused by pigment cells not migrating to the right area, resulting in the strange white areas like the wedge blazes (there are recessive blazes, typically found on variberks, varigateds, and sometimes Dalmatians) or with dalmations or capped rats only having a small area of color on their face. Because of this not all the cells Migrate to the right area of the body, resulting in not having from mild cases of not having a rectum, to not having part of their large intensene, some don't even have large intense, resulting in bloat and then death (Mild cases, which I think has only happened twice Can be saved by a special diet and help with pooping, but its extremely rare)

She's not a high white though, Though her blaze makes her face look Really cool, she looks like your typically Black variberk with a blaze.


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## mistymornings18 (Aug 13, 2012)

She is adorable!! Looks like my Luna only Luna's white is middle of her head


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

LightningWolf said:


> Actually, I'm going to say from her blaze she is not a high white. Most high white rats have wedge blazes, she has a lightning blaze, meaning that its not center on her face.
> 
> Just because she is a high white does Not mean that she will get megacolon, typically after 6 weeks they are safe and life just the same life span as other rats. Its similar to the Black eyed white rats, which due to the lack of pigment are around 90% of the time deaf, while high whites Do get megacolon sometimes, they don't always. She's in the safe though if she is over 6 weeks.
> 
> ...


Curious where you got this info on the blaze shape from. My understanding is that high white does not have to be a blaze, or even a wedge blaze. It can show as blazes, spotting in odd places, and odd colored eyes. It's hard to tell the difference between a high white and a rat with dalmation/variegated patterns, but I would definitely not deny a possibility that the rat in question is high white. You can't really know for sure without pedigrees.


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

She looks like she has high white markings to me...but as was said high-white is just an indicator that the rat mayget MC and will need to be watched carefully.

Also you are feeding a seed mix which is now considered a very bad, poor in nutrition diet. There are many diet threads on here you should probably look at. Is she alone of does she have a same-sex friend?


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## planetjenessa (Dec 7, 2011)

THANK YOU EVERYONE, As i said, in this picture this is the FIRST day i got him, he was small. Its been 4 days of having him & he is a ball of energy & licks like a dog! 
so from these answers, im not forsure if or not hes a high-white, but so far he seems healthy and very outgoing.

There on a lab block diet, he was eating a seed mix the first day because i got him out of town and after went to my mom's house, so the shop gave me a hand-full of food for them.


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