# What the **** is wrong w my rat?!



## Peaceloveandbriella (Feb 21, 2021)

LOL seriously tho... I’ve had many rats over the years, and this is a first!
OK a few weeks old and he was very lightly coated with black hair, it was kind of patchy. So it was like OK is he going to grow hair? It grew in better, but THEN he lost all of of his hair, so I'm like OK this is what's wrong, he's just a hairless and had some hair (bad breeding maybe, he was a feeder) Totally bald for a week or two. Then, he starts growing hair back again?! But.. This is the even more bizarre part, it's like he's two rats in one, two completely different coats, two different textures and colors.
And the markings of the coats are like oddly perfect. At first, the dark areas on the top of him, were so balls and hairless, yet the gray coat was already grown in, it actually looked like someone took a razor and shaved him! It was the strangest thing, I should have took photos! Anyway... Now, the dark hair is growing in and this is what I'm left with folks! So... What the **** is wrong with my rat?!


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## _dizzy_ (Mar 28, 2018)

That's really odd. At first while reading I thought maybe a patchwork rat, but I don't think their hair is supposed to grow back in like that. It's a very odd coat type and I wonder if it has an official name. I'd like a rat like that XD
Hope someone know because I am CURIOUS


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## VivDaRatLuver (Dec 26, 2020)

I was going to say that he was a patchwork too but after reading the whole thing I have no idea


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## Enne (Dec 12, 2020)

I'm guessing it's a rex that molted. Rex babies tend to go through a molt where they can lose none or all of their hair, it depends on the rat. His fur is just growing back in now. He will probably have a wavy/fuzzy coat all over, like the darkest/thickest patch of fur is now, when he's done growing it all back in.

Here is a photo of my rex rat, during and then after his baby fur molt. He didn't lose much hair, but you can see in the second photo, he is very fuzzy and wavy compared to the first photo where it's velvety. Some baby rex rats completely lose all of their fur during this time!


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## Rats4All (Feb 4, 2021)

@Enne that seems resonable.


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## VivDaRatLuver (Dec 26, 2020)

My double rex went through a molt but didn't grow it all back (because she was a double rex). I assume that normal rexes would do the same but grow back all the way.

(edited for grammar)


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## nightRAT (Feb 22, 2021)

sometimes our rats shed too so its perfecktly normal but if its got 2 shades of black then you've got your selfef a rare rat


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## nightRAT (Feb 22, 2021)

buts thats not only the case it posiby might just be still growing hair


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## TwilxghtRat (Nov 27, 2020)

Yes, I also thought it was a Werewolf/Patchwork rat, until I read all of that! I do believe that Enne is right!


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## nightRAT (Feb 22, 2021)

TwilxghtRat said:


> Yes, I also thought it was a Werewolf/Patchwork rat, until I read all of that! I do believe that Enne is right!


whos enne?


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## nightRAT (Feb 22, 2021)

nightRAT said:


> whos enne?


NVM


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## Clarkbar (Oct 28, 2020)

Molt question.
A few days ago my mom said, one of your rats is scratching a lot. I noticed today she has a little nekked arm, but with the hair starting to grow back. It kind of looks like when babies start to grow fur. Is she molting?

They're about 6 months old







.








"No pictures, just give me the cheerio hoomin!"


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## nightRAT (Feb 22, 2021)

hahahahahahaahahahah

XD


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## Enne (Dec 12, 2020)

No, 6 months is too old for a baby molt. Babies molt at a few weeks old and it's usually only rexes that have noticeable hair loss.


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## Clarkbar (Oct 28, 2020)

Enne said:


> No, 6 months is too old for a baby molt. Babies molt at a few weeks old.


Do they ever molt or lose fur at a later age? It's growing back, and she seems otherwise fine. 
These are my first rats, I just had hamsters before, so I don't know about these things.


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## Enne (Dec 12, 2020)

They shouldn't experience hair loss as adults, no (unless it's a poor rex or double rex which yours is not). You might want to look at the protein content of your rat's lab block/pellets and/or limit protein-heavy snacks. Ideal protein content for lab blocks is less than 16%. Rats can experience hair loss with a heavy protein diet.


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## Clarkbar (Oct 28, 2020)

Enne said:


> Ideal protein content for lab blocks is less than 16%. Rats can experience hair loss with a heavy protein diet.


They eat Kaytee Forti-Diet lab blocks, which has 20% protein. The thing is, they've been eating this for 4 months with no problems.

Snacks are cheerios, fruit and veggies, dried pasta to chew on, bits of rice pops, occasional tiny bit of yogurt, and occasionally (like once a week) a bone or whole nuts like acorns for chewing.

I live in a small town, so there's not much choice at the pet store. The only other lab block rat food costs 3x as much, but I'll get a bag of that to mix with this food.


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## Enne (Dec 12, 2020)

I'm guessing it's the high protein, then, if your rats are showing no other symptoms but hair loss. They'll eat it even though it's not the best for them. Oxbow Regal Rat and Science Selective are good blocks with proper protein amounts. A 3 lb bag of Oxbow is $11.04 on Chewy, a 3 lb bag of Kaytee is $5.59

I would suggest buying the 20 lb bag of Oxbow for $39.94, as it will cost you $3.68 a lb for the 3lb bag, vs $1.97 a lb when buying the 20 lb. So in the long run it will save you quite a bit of money.

You can keep the Kaytee and give it like a treat, just like you give the meat and nuts, occasionally.


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## Bosworth_the_rat (Jan 20, 2021)

Enne said:


> I'm guessing it's a rex that molted. Rex babies tend to go through a molt where they can lose none or all of their hair, it depends on the rat. His fur is just growing back in now. He will probably have a wavy/fuzzy coat all over, like the darkest/thickest patch of fur is now, when he's done growing it all back in.
> 
> Here is a photo of my rex rat, during and then after his baby fur molt. He didn't lose much hair, but you can see in the second photo, he is very fuzzy and wavy compared to the first photo where it's velvety. Some baby rex rats completely lose all of their fur during this time!
> View attachment 303611
> ...


Your boy looks almost exactly like my boy, Jami! And also, I think the change in his coat after his molting is very cool.


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## nightRAT (Feb 22, 2021)

i have no idea what you guys just said😵


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## MinkShadow (Mar 5, 2021)

nightRAT said:


> i have no idea what you guys just said😵


Just people talking about rex molts! Quite interesting, and some of it was new info for me too as in NZ we don't have rex rats!


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