SOS! 15 day old rat won’t open one eye

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SillyGilly

Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2019
Messages
9
Location
El Paso, TX
Hello all! Just a worrying rat mommy here (you know how it is lol). I’m posting today about my baby rat who turned 15 days old today (January 4th), and well, we noticed that he keeps one eye closed. His other eye is fine, he has it wide open whenever he’s awake and exploring... I did some looking around and found that baby rats should have their eyes open at 15 days, yet he just sort of keeps his left eye shut…is this normal or could it mean that there’s an issue with his left eye? I don’t know if it’s my imagination or not but it seems like he rubs at it quite a bit. Apologies in advance if this seems like a ridiculous question. I just worry for my lil’ bRATS, ya know?

Thank you for taking time out of your day to whoever reads this, and many thanks more to those who can help me out! This is my first ever litter of kittens so I’m still new to the whole thing, I’d appreciate it greatly if somebody with a lot more experience could loan me some advice. Stay safe out there <3
 
Idk much about baby rats. But looking into it your right around their 3rd week they open their eyes. I would give it a few days before you panic, I know that in cats at least its common for one eye to open before the other. I have no experience so if anyone else says differently take their word above mine
 
Idk much about baby rats. But looking into it your right around their 3rd week they open their eyes. I would give it a few days before you panic, I know that in cats at least its common for one eye to open before the other. I have no experience so if anyone else says differently take their word above mine
Thank you so much for your reply! Even if there is a lack of experience, it helps to hear (read) such reassuring words <3 You also took the time to reply which means a lot to me also. I was actually going to give it a few more days before I posted here about this little issue we’ve noticed, but I was like “hey, rather be safe and hear out my fellow rat folk, than be sorry” haha! I actually just gently ran a q-tip I wetted with warm water over his eye since I read somewhere that it could just be eye boogers gluing his eye shut, and he’s groomed it but still no luck with opening his eye :/ Maybe I did something wrong? Idk. More replies would be appreciated but I still want to thank you for your response and wait a few more days :) Have a wonderful 2021!
 
Can you post a picture

and a history on him? A rescue? Feeder lines?

When did his other open? Some babies take longer than others to fully open their eyes, up to 17 days.
 
Can you post a picture

and a history on him? A rescue? Feeder lines?

When did his other open? Some babies take longer than others to fully open their eyes, up to 17 days.
Hmm, whenever I try to post the picture my phone freezes up? It looks like something is sticking off of the fur around his eye. We think it was eye gunk after all. After a bit of gentle wiping with a q-tip we managed to push it away enough for him to open his eye a little (yayyy). But just to be safe, I’ll give you his parents history :) I bought his mom from an exotics pet store when she was very young. She’ll be two years old at the end of June. I got his dad from a nice lady online. I believe she told me he was from a breeder. He’s a little over a year old. His other eye opened up the day he turned two weeks old. He was a day later than his brother and sister.
 
Usually the eyes are both fully open within 1-2 days. Mom being so old and pet store (mill or BYB stock) could cause birth defects like microphthalmia (micro-eye) or a completely missing eye, which is why i need pics.
Babies should not be exuding porphyrin at this young an age.
 
Here is the best picture I could get of his left eye (he’s a very active lil’ fella). The thing on his eye is like a yellowish color, I thought porphyrin was usually reddish? His eye is open but it looks really small…I can try and get another picture when I get home. I’m praying a birth defect isn’t the case :( Poor baby. I just love him to pieces. Thank you for all of your help lilspaz. I hope this picture is good enough to assist you, and if not then I’ll be sharing another one as fast as I can.
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see if you can get pics of both eyes so i can also see his normal. Can you sniff over the eye to see if it smells a bit nasty? That would mean infection.
Try gently wiping over the eye with warm water to remove the gunk.

If the eye is smaller, it just means he won't have sight in that eye, but they adapt well to that.
 
I've had a few rat litters where I had at least one rat who was a late opener. I had one who opened one eye around 12 days, and didn't open the other one until a few days later. It did seem to be "stuck", so I did the warm water qtip thing, until she finally opened it. I had another that was the runt (he was considerably smaller) who we thought was going to be blind (he took forever to open his eyes) then when he opened them, they were only slivers for a couple of days. He eventually opened them fully, and as far as we could tell, had full vision. He was the cutest thing, and eventually went with his brother to a good home that was super excited to get them and loved them so much. From what I know, he went on to have a normal, full life. I felt since he was a runt, that he was just a late bloomer. Check out your baby's eye like lilspaz suggested. It could be that he got scratched, or nicked on or around his eye, causing a little infection, causing junk to make his lids stick together. If so, it may be as simple as a little antibiotics. He is super cute though! Looks like maybe a Dumbo? 😍😍
 
We managed to get a picture of his left eye open, but we noticed that after opening it, he’ll squint it. His mother is ruby eyed, is it possible that he was born with one ruby eye or something? I know that ruby eyed rats tend to have more difficulties seeing versus black eyed rats, so perhaps this is just him being sensitive to the light? I sniffed the eye but it didn’t have any funky odors coming from it.
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I've had a few rat litters where I had at least one rat who was a late opener. I had one who opened one eye around 12 days, and didn't open the other one until a few days later. It did seem to be "stuck", so I did the warm water qtip thing, until she finally opened it. I had another that was the runt (he was considerably smaller) who we thought was going to be blind (he took forever to open his eyes) then when he opened them, they were only slivers for a couple of days. He eventually opened them fully, and as far as we could tell, had full vision. He was the cutest thing, and eventually went with his brother to a good home that was super excited to get them and loved them so much. From what I know, he went on to have a normal, full life. I felt since he was a runt, that he was just a late bloomer. Check out your baby's eye like lilspaz suggested. It could be that he got scratched, or nicked on or around his eye, causing a little infection, causing junk to make his lids stick together. If so, it may be as simple as a little antibiotics. He is super cute though! Looks like maybe a Dumbo? 😍😍
Aww how sweet ❤️ I’m so happy to hear that he and his brother not only went to such a wonderful home, but they also lived a long and fulfilling life! I actually do think that he was born the runt, just because he’s so much smaller than his brother and sister. Then again, his dad is a small fella himself haha! Yes!!! His parents are both dumbo’s 😍
 
Both of his eyes look possibly black to me. They both look bright and shiny. They also look same size to me. I'd venture to say he may have just been extra "sticky" on the left, or possibly his right eye was ready to open a little earlier than the left. I'm not an expert though, but like I said, I've always had at least one in each litter that was like this. In my experience, they have also turned out to be the more dramatic ones as well (all the ones I've kept at least). Cremé was a super shy, would dive off of people she didn't know to get away, screamer. Cookie was a screamer (they both would squeak or squeal if a rat wanted to play, and they weren't in the mood), but both were super loving and lived long full lives. Well, longish. Jellybean was also a vocal one. I don't know why mine that were late eye openers were such divas. I always said the late eye opening, or one eye opening was a sign of things to come with their personality. 😂😂
 
Aww how sweet ❤️ I’m so happy to hear that he and his brother not only went to such a wonderful home, but they also lived a long and fulfilling life! I actually do think that he was born the runt, just because he’s so much smaller than his brother and sister. Then again, his dad is a small fella himself haha! Yes!!! His parents are both dumbo’s 😍


Dumbos are my favorite! I have a thing with Dumbos (my first heart rat was a Dumbo) and with top eared black hooded! They remind me of little bears when they peek their heads up over things. I also love me some big, squishy boys! LOL
 
Both of his eyes look possibly black to me. They both look bright and shiny. They also look same size to me. I'd venture to say he may have just been extra "sticky" on the left, or possibly his right eye was ready to open a little earlier than the left. I'm not an expert though, but like I said, I've always had at least one in each litter that was like this. In my experience, they have also turned out to be the more dramatic ones as well (all the ones I've kept at least). Cremé was a super shy, would dive off of people she didn't know to get away, screamer. Cookie was a screamer (they both would squeak or squeal if a rat wanted to play, and they weren't in the mood), but both were super loving and lived long full lives. Well, longish. Jellybean was also a vocal one. I don't know why mine that were late eye openers were such divas. I always said the late eye opening, or one eye opening was a sign of things to come with their personality. 😂😂
Thank you so much for the encouraging words!! His eyes are very shiny and he’s brimming with life! It’s so adorable (but so unreal in a way) the way he zips around the cage 🤣 Oh gosh, if he’s going to be a diva I wouldn’t doubt it if he inherited it from his mama 🤦‍♀️ I’ve never had a screamer before! Now I’m hoping he can live up to the late eye openings name because I’d love to add a little drama king of my own into the mischief lol!
 
I just looked closer at his pictures, and the eye looks SLIGHTLY smaller than the other. It could be the angle though. Just for future reference, I'd make sure mama and daddy stay separated. Mama is way too old to have babies. It's really hard on their body, and even kills many females, even when they are young. But you CAN put the boys with daddy when they are around 5 weeks, and girls can stay with mama forever.

Yes, a drama king or queen is definitely a fun one to have in the mix. Cookie would lay on his back, and put his feet in the air and scream if one of the others bounced his way, and he didn't want to play. But he would also bounce and play with them when he wanted to. I have 2 girls right now who are super dramatic. Oreo will instigate play, then roll on her side UNDERNEATH whoever she's playing with, and squeal, roll on top, and squeak, then bounce around, repeat the process. Cotton, by far my smallest rat, holds others down, and squeals in their face. Haha! 😂
 
I just looked closer at his pictures, and the eye looks SLIGHTLY smaller than the other. It could be the angle though. Just for future reference, I'd make sure mama and daddy stay separated. Mama is way too old to have babies. It's really hard on their body, and even kills many females, even when they are young. But you CAN put the boys with daddy when they are around 5 weeks, and girls can stay with mama forever.

Yes, a drama king or queen is definitely a fun one to have in the mix. Cookie would lay on his back, and put his feet in the air and scream if one of the others bounced his way, and he didn't want to play. But he would also bounce and play with them when he wanted to. I have 2 girls right now who are super dramatic. Oreo will instigate play, then roll on her side UNDERNEATH whoever she's playing with, and squeal, roll on top, and squeak, then bounce around, repeat the process. Cotton, by far my smallest rat, holds others down, and squeals in their face. Haha! 😂
We are going to keep them separated for good that’s for sure haha! When their mama (my lil’ Higgins) was giving birth to them I was calling the vets office every five minutes to ask them if something she was doing was normal or not, and then I started panicking even more when I read that females could actually die in labor, so definitely no more babies for her. She’s my girl who I’ve raised since she was three weeks old <3 Thank you very much for the advice!! I’m sure the boys will fit right in with their dad and his cage mates, they’re all super loving 🥰

Oh my gosh that’s hilarious! When I read about your little bunches of drama I honestly laughed out loud 😂 especially when I read about Cotton, talk about adorable!! You have made me super excited about raising them up into the little balls of trouble (and drama) they were born to be 💕 What cuties you have!!! 😍

I’ve gotten a good front view picture of his eyes (both of which are open now) I was trying to capture my new phone wallpaper when I ended up snapping this little beauty on Snapchat (I hope the filter doesn’t get in the way lol)
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We managed to get a picture of his left eye open, but we noticed that after opening it, he’ll squint it. His mother is ruby eyed, is it possible that he was born with one ruby eye or something? I know that ruby eyed rats tend to have more difficulties seeing versus black eyed rats, so perhaps this is just him being sensitive to the light? I sniffed the eye but it didn’t have any funky odors coming from it. View attachment 14800View attachment 14801
He definitely does not have "Ruby eyes", or one Ruby eye. He'd need to have pink skin, (and therefore white, or light-colored hair) around the ruby eye, or at least very close by. As for his eye problem, looks like it has resolved itself, no?
 
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