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What should I do to get my rat to knaw2007-11-24 22:17:25

My pet rat only likes to chew things outside of the cage. She won't chew on the natural wood toys I get her. Her teeth are getting LONG! I am worried about this. Also, she is all white but sometimes gets a patch of reddish tinged dirt on her fur on her back. I can wipe this away with a damp cloth, but it always comes back. What is this?

Answers:

Are you sure your rat's teeth are too long?

http://www.ratballs.com/rattails/tails08...

Rats who's teeth are too long are usually sick from something else and the long teeth are a secondary result.

Rats do not need to chew to keep their teeth trim, they Brux to accomplish this task.

http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=br...

Rats chew for the sheer pleasure of it.

If the teeth are indeed too long, then before you do anything else you need to get her to the vet to have those teeth trimmed. She will starve to death if she can't eat properly.

However, if she's not bruxing, grinding her teeth together, then she's going to need some hard foods in her diet to do this for her. Add some large dog biscuits and nuts in the shell, and cooked meat bones to her cage. These are food, which will encourage her to gnaw on them. Chewing on wood is Blahhhh!, chewing on food is goooood.

The "reddish-tinged dirt" is Porphyrin.

http://www.ratbehavior.org/porphyrin.htm...

Porphyrin is a clear liquid that is produced in the Harderian gland which is located behind the rat's eyes. Tiny ducts allow the secretion to ooze from the tear ducts, nostrils and saliva. When it hits the air it oxidizes, turns red. These secretions are smeared and deposited on the rat's coat during self grooming.