albino rat?

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raticus

Well-Known Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2014
Messages
253
hello I was wondering if an albino rat had more issues seeing than a regular rat? one of my girls is albino (I didn't even know until the vet told me) and she gets around great accept she'll do this thing where she'll sway her head side to side when she try's and focuses on me. that's the only time I've noticed it. like today when I came to say hello to everyone I opened the top cage doors and she was at the bottom so she ran up to the stop and looked at me and started to move her head back and fourth. is this normal for a lovely "albino" rat? I dont know what makes a rat albino however... my girl is white with a little peach fuz and red eyes c: she's only about 8 weeks old
 
hello I was wondering if an albino rat had more issues seeing than a regular rat? one of my girls is albino (I didn't even know until the vet told me) and she gets around great accept she'll do this thing where she'll sway her head side to side when she try's and focuses on me. that's the only time I've noticed it. like today when I came to say hello to everyone I opened the top cage doors and she was at the bottom so she ran up to the stop and looked at me and started to move her head back and fourth. is this normal for a lovely "albino" rat? I dont know what makes a rat albino however... my girl is white with a little peach fuz and red eyes c: she's only about 8 weeks old

She actually is not albino (that's a genetic thing) but probably a PEW or pink-eyed white :) They are different genetically than a true albino. And yes pink and ruby/red eyed rats have much worse vision than a black-eyed rat. The sway is her trying to focus on something in the distance. :)
 
alright thankyou! I didn't think she was albino but my vet thought otherwise! thankyou for clearing things up:)
 
I have a pink eyed nakie who does the sway. When he's sure I have food! Its worse when he's looking through the bars as I am sure its harder to focus!
 
My Ratatouille did this all the time, it's normal for that kind of rat. Like said above she is just trying to focus with movement.
 
okay thankyou to everyone for telling me, i was worried that she might be a bit dizzy...
 
We had a champagne (beige) colored boy with ruby eyes, he "danced" all the time trying to see better.
 
it seems like she might be blind.. today while everyone was having play time i was holding her and was talking to my mom about how she has a spot on her nose that always looks dirty.. so my mom went to pet her nose and she had no reaction until my mom actually touched her... then we tried waving our fingers in front of her eyes and still no reaction.. when we got her we were concerned cause she never seemed to drink.. also she is always very shy and tries to always be under the fleece, she also always hides under the cage during play time. does she sound blind? lol that was a mess of words
 
Mine hid a lot too, during play time if she came out she would scurry under the towel I had covering one side of the cage and when I called her she would come out a little ways but rarely came on the bed with her cagemates. She felt most comfortable hiding or on my shoulder. I know my Touille wasn't blind, I'm guessing their poor eyesight makes them more skittish. It sounds like your girls eyesight is very poor but doesn't seem like she is acting out of the norm for a PEW.
 
I forgot to add, PEWs do not like being in lighted places. They prefer the dark because bright lights hurt their eyes as well as damage their eyesight after a while.
 
alright thankyou! I keep their cage covered on the top and sides because of drafts but I'll try and keep that in mind when having play time and have less lights on.
 
One of my girls is blind. She is always the first to the cage door, and is always taking off, climbing the sides of the DCN like a monkey. It is personality, not visual acuity that makes a difference.
 
One of my girls is blind. She is always the first to the cage door, and is always taking off, climbing the sides of the DCN like a monkey. It is personality, not visual acuity that makes a difference.
alright thanks for letting me know!
 
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