Red-eyed rat!

[Ormirian]

I have 2 female rats. One is white with red eyes. She does the usual head-weaving thing as she doesn't see that well. The other one is white and grey and had black eyes. One of her eyes has gone red now. She is otherwise fine and lively and doesn't see to be having trouble seeing.

What is it? Any ideas?

Red eyed white rat is an Albino. I used to breed Albino rats as a child.

White and grey one could be a x-breed, but if the eyes have suddenly changed I'd get it checked by a vet just incase. Mine were born with red eyes. I have never experienced eyes changing colour and I have owned many, many rats. Luckily any health problems are often fairly cheap to treat.

Albino rat

Thanks dooin - I realised the white one is an albino but just didn't know if a coloured eye could go albino. I will try the vet I think - I have this horrible memory of some sort of worm infestation that can affect the eye. I am hoping it is my imagination or a defective memory.

Hi there, I would be interested to hear what the outcome is once you have been to the vet. As far as I know, rats eyes don't usually change colour without a medical cause. I could be wrong.

Please update when you have a moment :) I'm not a human mummy yet but I am a rat mummy (to 7 ratties, had 7 others in the past as I take in the unwanted/abused ones).

Get it checked by the vet, one of my agouti hooded rats got a red eye like an albino rat and it wasn't a great outcome :(

(sorry)

I thought it could be a pink eyed white. Fancy rats website has a great part identifying types of rats.

She may have actually always been red eyed. Ruby eyed rats as opposed to pink eyes can look black. Red eyed rats can develop retinal problems later in life and maybe that has caused a lightening of one eye.

Most pinks eyes are not actually albinos in the truest sense of the word. Most face with light marking on the face will have pink or ruby eyes. As your rat is white and grey (could be blue) then I would guess she is ruby eyed.

Loss of sight does not effect a rat much, as they generally don't use their vision all that much but in my blind boy I try not to move the furnishings around too much and he can have issues with judging height.

If she is well in herself and there is no inflammation or discharge I wouldn't worry. If you notice any other symptoms then take her straight to a vets asap.