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My new pet rat has red eye crust. Is it normal or should I see a vet?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Small Animal | Unknown - Small Animal | Male | unneutered | 0.5 lbs

I just got 2 rats from the same litter last week. One of the 2 has red crusty stuff by his eye. Should I rush him to the vet or is this normal? I didn’t notice it last night, but when I held him this morning I saw it.

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2 Answers

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Penelope Graben, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on August 8th, 2018

Hello! The picture is a bit dark, but there are two main possible causes for this. The first cause is completely normal- rats have porphyrin pigment, which is red colored, in their tears and nasal secretions naturally. Seeing a small amount of red tinged tearing is completely normal in rats. The tearing often increases during times of stress and illness. Moving is a common cause of stress in rats, so may increase this normal tear production. If Nugget is completely normal otherwise, I would likely attribute this to the stress of moving. If the discharge is a bright frank red blood, associated with the eye being swollen or held shut, yellow/green discharge, sneezing, wheezing, lethargy, or disinterest in food, I would recommend a vet check to rule out an upper respiratory infection that may require antibiotics for both rats, as it is usually contagious. I hope this is helpful! Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! :)

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Other Answers

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    Answered By Ana M, DVM

    Veterinarian

    Published on April 30th, 2018

    Thank you for submitting your question regarding Pico. It would be best if he could see a veterinarian. Red tears can indicate stress or underlying illness in a rat. The red discharge is not actually blood, but a pigment called porphyrin. I hope this information helps!

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