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My rat has a brown scab on its eye. Should I be worried about this?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Other | Unknown - Other | Male | unneutered

I noticed just an hour ago that my two-year-old albino rat has something on his eye on the pupil area which appears to be some sort of brownish scab. There isn't a visible injury around his eye, and he doesn't seem bothered by it currently. I would like to know if he does need help, and if it is hurting him.

2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Jeffrey Milner

Veterinarian

Published on August 8th, 2017

If you could re post this question with a picture of the lesion, it would be helpful in determining a possible diagnosis. While whatever it is may not be bothering him, it is typically better to verify there is no ulceration to the corneal surface or holes on the eye. The vet will be able to do a simple staining diagnostic to see if this is occurring. This would be my advise as a good place to start.

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    Answered By David Darvishian

    Veterinarian

    Published on August 8th, 2017

    Hi and thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Sorry to hear that Emmett is having a problem. It's very hard to tell what is going on with his eye without a picture or seeing it in person. If you have some saline or some eye wash around, you can try to flush the area and see if what you describe as a scab comes off. If he is squinting, pawing at the eye a lot or washing the eye a lot, if there is any kind of discharge, those are signs that the eye is bothering him and you would want to have him seen immediately by your vet. Eye problems are always considered serious because the eyes are very important sense organs and they can deteriorate rather quickly. Your vet would examine the eye and then advise some treatment to address what is going on. It's possible this is a foreign body, infection, injury/ulcer, etc. So watch for signs of discomfort and the signs above. If those occur, I would advise an appointment right away. Good luck with Emmett.

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