# Greasy



## KreoCrisis (Jan 9, 2014)

I'm not sure this should go under Rat Health as it's not really a health issue (I hope) but more of a curiosity. I have four girls, two of them are the typical small, slight and highly energetic female. The other two have a more masculine body; enormous, squishy and extremely lazy. And now two of them occasionally get greasy backs, but it's not the male-ish two. 

I've only heard of greasy backs in males and I've only fostered male rats for a short time before adopting them out so I don't know as much about them. And it's my very female rats that have the greasy backs. It doesn't happen very often, but they're almost a year and a half old and it's only happening now. I haven't changed anything recently; diet, bedding, free range time, nothing. It only happens about once a month and it's very sudden. One day they'll just have greasy backs, I give them a bath (which they hate. They aren't used to it since I've never had to bathe them before) and things go back to normal. 

But I don't understand why they get greasy, especially the small ones. If it were the bigger two, I'd think it'd be something like extra testosterone or something that made them more masculine and would naturally include some of the more male body functions like buck grease. I tried Googleing greasy backs in female rats, but I can't find any information on it at all.


----------



## Phantom (Apr 4, 2012)

It's the hormones I believe. I had one female rat once who had an extremely greasy back. My Evy has a pretty greasy back too. I just give her a bath when she needs it.


----------



## KreoCrisis (Jan 9, 2014)

If that's all it is it's fine, it's just that I've had twelve female rats (not all at once) and this is the first time any of them has a greasy back. I thought it was odd.


----------



## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

What are you feeding them on, often excessive greasy coat is an inbalance of oil content


----------



## KreoCrisis (Jan 9, 2014)

They always have access to a seed mix and rat blocks. The seed mix is a general hamster mix (with no corn), the rat blocks are Wild Harvest. I supplement this every day with some veggies and fruit in the morning. I haven't varied their diet in over a year and they're only getting greasy now. And it's only two of them when all four are eating the same thing.


----------



## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

That may well be the cause, I cant find any nutritional data on wild harvest but the fact its rat and mouse tells me that it will be too high in protien and probably oil too (mice need more than rats). The hamster seed mix will also be the same. Whilst you may only be seeing the greasy fur in 2 rats the others sound overweight too which can be another sign the balance isnt right. Rats deal with excezs nutrients in different ways dependong on there unique make up.

Id seriously look into a different food, im not sure whats available near you but oxbow isnt an awful lab block, though I dislike them generally. You can also make your own balanced food with a bit of effort, once youve got the balance right it works well. You should find your rats are better condition on the right diet


----------



## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

I would highly recommend switching foods. Wild Harvest is absolute garbage and it definitely has something to do with what you're seeing, despite the fact that it has been so long.

If you must stick with a rat block, go with Oxbow.


----------

