Okay. Back to this. I'll try to make it short.
Previously my rats both had a musky smell, and one had an orange spot on her, in two places. The spots have left but both my rats still have the musk smell. Like a deep, stinky, perfumey smell.
Yesterday I bathed my rats. I use Johnson's baby head-to-toe on them, which is very lightly scented (and doesn't stink). When I brought them out I dried them off with a white towel. They still smell. But worse, on the towel were tiny red spots all over. Like bloodstains. I immediately picked up both rats and looked them completely over for a cut, or any spot of blood, ANYTHING suspicious. There was nothing on either rat. I picked them up one more time and pressed gently in places on the back and tummy and squeezed gently on their little legs and pulled the legs out to make sure nothing was injured. There was no struggling or squeaking like they'd do if they were hurt.
WHAT IS GOING ON! Do you think this was just mucus from their eyes and nose? Their heads did not get wet, I only clean them neck to tail. But the white one keeps getting these weird 'orange' spots on her (that wash off) and now there are suspicious marks on my towel.
Also why do they stink! I change their bedding once and sometimes twice a week. It never gets to the point where their cage stinks. They never used to smell weird when I first brought them home. This has happened within the last 2-3 months. Should I change bedding? I use corncob and have used it since about November.
AHHHH!!! Any suggestions are welcome!
Previously my rats both had a musky smell, and one had an orange spot on her, in two places. The spots have left but both my rats still have the musk smell. Like a deep, stinky, perfumey smell.
Yesterday I bathed my rats. I use Johnson's baby head-to-toe on them, which is very lightly scented (and doesn't stink). When I brought them out I dried them off with a white towel. They still smell. But worse, on the towel were tiny red spots all over. Like bloodstains. I immediately picked up both rats and looked them completely over for a cut, or any spot of blood, ANYTHING suspicious. There was nothing on either rat. I picked them up one more time and pressed gently in places on the back and tummy and squeezed gently on their little legs and pulled the legs out to make sure nothing was injured. There was no struggling or squeaking like they'd do if they were hurt.
WHAT IS GOING ON! Do you think this was just mucus from their eyes and nose? Their heads did not get wet, I only clean them neck to tail. But the white one keeps getting these weird 'orange' spots on her (that wash off) and now there are suspicious marks on my towel.
Also why do they stink! I change their bedding once and sometimes twice a week. It never gets to the point where their cage stinks. They never used to smell weird when I first brought them home. This has happened within the last 2-3 months. Should I change bedding? I use corncob and have used it since about November.
AHHHH!!! Any suggestions are welcome!