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Blood?

2K views 5 replies 3 participants last post by  cupids_cuties 
#1 ·
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!
 
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Discussion starter · #3 ·
One is white and that's the only one that gets a spot on her. She has a spot between her shoulderblades and did have one on her right leg, which rubbed off in the bath. The one on her back is much lighter now after the bath.

There were no changes when the smell started happening. Have not changed cages, bedding, I changed the food only this week and as I said the smell has been going on at least a couple of months.

I just went out today and bought a big bag of Carefresh and I'm going to change out their bedding to see if their weird smell goes away but I'm still concerned about them leaving red spots on my towel.
 
Discussion starter · #4 ·
Took out the white one again just now and it distinctly looks like blood or poryphrin (sp) splotches all over her back and a bold spot on her left side, also with the coloring still on her shoulderblades. In the light it looks almost pinkish but I can't tell if that's the light bulb cause during the day it looks more orange. Could it be that she's just getting sneezed on?
I ruffled the fur under the spot on her left side and it looks normal, cant see any cuts or anything weird. I wonder if Shebaz is just sneezing on her? She doesn't sneeze a lot, just at dust or sometimes when she's digging in their food bowls.
 
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