Whats that red stuff around my rats eyes and nose?
The red stuff sometimes seen around a rat’s eyes and nose is called porphyrin. It is produced by a gland behind the eyeball and helps lubricate the eye. Porphyrin naturally drains from the eye down into the nose through a small tear duct. Small amounts of porphyrin seen every now and then are normal. However, when a rat is stressed, it may overproduce porphyrin, which may overflow the eyelids and form a red crust around the eye. Porphyrin may also overflow the nose, creating a red crust around the nostrils. This condition is called chromodacryorrhea and is a sign of illness or stress.
