# My rat's nose secretes small amounts of porphyrin regularly



## Hoathie (Nov 29, 2012)

My rat Aria is about 4 months old. She's albino and because of this I can see anything that gets on her fur. I've noticed faint traces of red on her fur. I've seen her nose secrete porphyrin once before when she accidentally fell into my bathtub. That stressed her out quite a lot I would imagine. There was only a tiny bit around her nose but when she began washing her face afterward she got it on the top of her head. The same thing seems to be happening now, although I haven't observed any traces of porphyrin on her nose since the bath incident. She seems completely normal; good appetite, high energy level, normal poop, normal breathing. She doesn't seem stressed at all. She plays with her sister and gets really excited to come out whenever I take them out. Is it normal for rats' noses to secret porphyrin regularly? I don't notice it all the time, just sometimes in the morning.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

As long as she's not showing other signs of sickness ie. sneezing, clicking, etc. a little porphyrin from the nose is normal!


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

Just to echo what Jaguar said and add that porphiryn is actually found in perfectly normal nasal discharge and tears, so you'd expect to see some staning on a white rat. The reason a lot is a problem is because it either says that the rat isn't grooming itself as well as normal, or that something is making it produce more than normal. Both of which indicate a possible health issue. Your girl sounds a normal PEW to me


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## Bobby&Robby (Jan 25, 2013)

*URI or just normal porphyrin?*

Hi, I adopted two rats from the lab on campus (don't worry. Nothing harmful was done). I adopted mine, Robby, and then his brother, Bobby, two weeks later. Bobby was sneezing and had some red stuff around his nose so I took him to the vet. The vet said it was the aspen bedding and told me to give him doxysyln for 10 days. He was better for a week but then last week, the red stuff came back. Both of the rats sneeze but only bobby has red on his nose. I have tried so many different beddings and right now, it's fleece, care fresh crinkle paper for nesting, and recycled paper for litter (I think the brand is fresh n comfy or somethig like that). There aren't any perfumes, other than when I come in my room after a shower..The question is, do you think he still has the infection? I just don't know wht to do and I'm gettin really stressed out about it. I don't want them to die


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