Unwell rat....? Help?!?

Question

My rat has a sort of orange liquid stuck around his 'privates' it looks like it could be pee, but I don't want to take any chances, I've been away on holiday for a week (someone was looking after them for me) but I've just noticed it. I don't know if it's anything serious or just an indication that he needs a bath (lol) Should I isolate him from my other 3 rats? The others all seem to be fine..

Answer 1

I think you should give him a bath and if it comes back when he is all clean then take him to the vet.

Answer 2

He could be dehydrated, which will cause urea to be darker in color than normal (although then one would expect them all to have dark urine), or it could be something much more significant such as blood in the urine. In my experience, buck grease does not accumulate around the genitals. It tends to build up along the back where a rat has more difficulty cleaning. You should take him to the vet as soon as possible so that the vet can eliminate the more serious causes.

It would be a good idea to isolate him until you get the all clear from the vet. While cage-mates can easily share illnesses, some things like bacterial infections are not as communicable and you may be able to prevent the spread.

If I were you, I would not waste time bathing him, which could stress him further and exacerbate the problem and make it harder for the vet to see what you have observed. Just get to the vet.

Answer 3

Is your rat a male rat?  Male rats can get this orange "goo" that's buck grease.

I'd try giving your rat a bath.  If you're really worried about it you can take him/her to the vet.  Another option I would try is posting the question on a rat forum, like goosemoose.com (go to rat section).  Someone might have had this problem before.

You might also want to check out rat guide http://ratguide.com/health/ to see if you can figure out what symptoms your rat has.

Hope that helps and good luck!

Answer 4

Take him to the vet!!!!!! It could be serious.

Answer 5

Give him a bath or wipe the area with a wet (soft) cloth. Sounds like it's just urine build-up, but if it's not cleaned up, it could cause an infection, and that's not a very fun place for that to occur.

Keep an eye on him after you clean him up. If he's not properly grooming himself, he'll need to be seen by a vet.