My rat has a reddish-looking discharge coming from his eyes. It looks bloody. What is this?
Chromodacryorrhea, or "red tears," occurs normally in rats. A rat's tears contain porphyrins (pigments) which impart the reddish color. These porphyrins are secreted by the Harderian glands, which are located behind the eyes.
When a rat is sick or under stressful conditions, the Harderian glands will secrete an increased amount of porphyrins, making the tears look redder, even bloody. The tears may also appear around the nostrils. As the tears dry, they may resemble dried or crusted blood. A veterinarian may distinguish between tears and actual blood with a Wood's lamp, or black light. Porphyrins have a characteristic fluorescence under the Wood's lamp.
If your rat seems to have tears that dry around the eyes and nostrils that look like crusts, or if you have noticed a moderate-to-large amount of reddish discharge, then this may be an indication that your rat is sick or experiencing stress. A number of infectious diseases and other disorders may cause excessive chromodacryorrhea. I would recommend that you have your pet checked by a veterinarian experienced in caring for rodents.
If it is a slight tearing, then it is probably just normal.
01/29/09
