# bristly fur rough not smooth sign of previously bad diet?? or??



## Lauren L (Jul 9, 2013)

so i ended up with another rat the other day someone at my college gave her to me because they couldnt keep her in their dorm (freshmen) and some friends told her i had rats *shrug* so i have a new rat however i have noticed her fur while it looks like a normal smooth coat of fur feels...odd to the touch..

i have 5 smooth standard coated rats,, 3 hairless (2 from a rex crossed with hairless and are a bit patchy at times) none of them feel like this fur feels rough kind of sand papery she seems visibly fine is eating, drinking and acting like a normal rat i have no idea what diet she was previously kept on no one thought to ask before bringing her to me. coat is not unhealthy looking or anything just feels weird..not greasy or smooth to the touch or soft , it is rough

i am feeding oxbow regal rat to all of mine.

anyone had any experience with this?? would post pictures but it wouldnt do any good you would honestly think her coat was normal...until you touched her 

if its a diet problem what should i add into her food? she is not losing fur either.


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## Lauren L (Jul 9, 2013)

k 1 photo note these two do not live in the same cage ect this was a brief photo for a comparison she is on the right hairs might be a BIT longer but are very rough


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## Nathan4d (Feb 17, 2013)

Could possibly be to do with age? Only thing I can think of. Hope someone can give a better answer 


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## TexasRatties (Jun 2, 2013)

It could possibly be diet in a few weeks her coat may change now their she is on a better one. But also some rats have different coats and she could just have a coarser coat. I would give it a few weeks to know what she should really feel like.


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## Lauren L (Jul 9, 2013)

Nathan4d said:


> Could possibly be to do with age? Only thing I can think of. Hope someone can give a better answer
> 
> 
> Sent from Petguide.com Free App


she is about the same size as my 11 week old she is pictured with so probably not old age =/



> It could possibly be diet in a few weeks her coat may change now their she is on a better one. But also some rats have different coats and she could just have a coarser coat. I would give it a few weeks to know what she should really feel like.


k thanks =]


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## nanashi7 (Jun 5, 2013)

I don't know the proper term for it, but my male has curly-whiskers and rough fur. Whatever the type, he looks perfectly soft but is a bit rough. I've tried different diets, but I think it is just the type of coat.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

nanashi - your male is probably a rex

Lauren L - a lack of sufficient protien and sometimes also omega 3 fat can give a rough coat, basically a rats coat moults gradually from every 4 - 8 weeks (depending where on the body it is, the bum is the longest/oldest fur) and it requires a lot of nutrients to make the new coat. If they dont get enough to make the new coat they dont moult (the new hair effectively pushes the old one out), its called getting stuck in moult. Try giving her a couple high protien meals this week, like scrambled egg or tinned fish or kitten food and i'd expect her coat to improve massively in the next couple of weeks.. You may also be able to see a square edge on her tail, this is often linked, lack of protien means lack of muscle built so a boney tail


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