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New to hairless rats

2K views 8 replies 7 participants last post by  Outspirit 
#1 ·
Hi, i got a hairless girl Just this thursday. She is still pretty calm, keeps to herself most of the time but started discovering her cage a little today, i think just stressed out but there's something bugging me. She sometimes has one eye closed. It doesnt look swollen or painfull, theres no dirty stuff around it. Its almost as if she's too lazy to open her eye sometimes. When i make some sounds she eventually opens it and uses it normally. Should i be worried? I know i have to keep her eyes clean but i wanted her to get settled in a little first... also i cant seem to find nippels on her.. she was sold to me as a lady and her parts are ladylike. Is this because she's hairless?? Im sorry lot of questions about my mystery girl:p
 
#2 ·
Post a photo of your girl's genitales so we can be sure she really is a she. As for thy eye, I'm not much use seeing as I've not had that problem :/
 
#5 ·
As far as the eyes goes, Gadget's eyes need cleaning once a week. I think it's because they don't have eye lashes, but I can tell when it's bothering her because there will be tiny scratches near her eyes where she's trying to groom them. Just a damp sponge, and problem solved.
 
#6 ·
I've notices that the hairless rats are a little more timid at first but slowly they start to come out of their shell and they are just loving. I make sure when I take mine out everyday that his skin color is always the same, I check for any dry spots if any and I also check for little cuts that his mate might have given him. You need to also make sure she is warm and has maybe a warm fleece in to cuddle with because they do get cold easily even with a furry mate in with them. Also make sure to have her nails cut at good length so she can't scratch herself badly when she is grooming herself. I can't wait to see some pictures when you post them up!:)
 
#7 ·
Yeah, she's not keeping her eye shut due to laziness :eek:

Animals don't typically fake things like that.

A general rule of thumb in veterinary medicine is--if it is only one eye affected, you look for injury or foreign object first.

If it's both eyes, you look for respiratory/viral type things.

Since she is hairless, a nick or scratch to the cornea or a foreign object are the first things I'd want ruled out.

You can rinse her eye out with either a sterile saline solution (no cleansers or thimerisol or any other ingredient, just saline) or an OTC boric acid eye wash.

Make sure you flush under the edges of the lid, too, as specks of bedding, hair, dust, etc can be caught in under there.

If you flush that eye out and the squinting/shutting persists, please do get her to a vet ASAP.

Eye things can be quite painful, and of course are time-sensitive, as far as getting tx and a good outcome.
 
#8 ·
You may want to check up with a vet anyway. I've recently heard from a few breeders of hairless/PW lines that entropion is becoming a thing in certain lines in certain places. It sounds like a scary disease from the name... but it's just the term for the eyelashes/a portion of the eyelid actually being inverted. It's a very irritating condition, but I'm not sure if it can only happen to one eye or not?
 
#9 ·
Thanks everyone for the comments! She is slowly getting used to used to us and is now always cuddling with her 3 sisters. So that is going well. I cleaned her eye 4 days ago and did it again today. She is not squinting her eye anymore. I think maybe the pet store didnt clean it as much as they should have. I checked if i could see any scratches around it or eyelashes growing inwards today also (didnt wanna do it the first time cause the cleaning stressed her out the first time) and i couldnt find any. I will definitely keep checking this ofcourse and if i see her pinching her eye again i will def go to the vet immediatly. I was planning on going for a check up anyway when i get paid just to be sure :) im so happy its going better! Where can i buy the eyewash stuff? At a pharmacy or drugstore? Thank you guys so much for the tips this forum is great!
 
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