Porphyrin is something most of us haven’t heard of until keeping pet rats! But you’ll probably come across it at some point in your adventures as a rat fancier.
Porphyrin is best known as an orangey-red or brown stain around your rat’s eyes and nose. It can be alarming the first time you see it, but rest assured, your rat isn’t actually bleeding from the eyes! It’s a normal secretion that rats produce.
Finding a little porphyrin around your rats’ eyes and nose is normal, especially as they get older. With that said, too much porphyrin can tell you that your rat might be suffering from stress, a change in their environment, or a health issue.
Porphyrin contains iron, so when it hits the air, it oxidizes into a reddish-orange color. You could think of it a little bit like tears and mucous in humans, though it isn’t exactly the same thing.
Causes of excessive porphyrin production
While you might notice a little porphyrin from time to time, excessive porphyrin building up around their face can tip you off to an underlying health issue.
Rats try to hide any signs of sickness or weakness, because in the wild this would probably get them eaten! So it can be really helpful to notice excess porphyrin around their eyes and nose.
These are some common causes for increased porphyrin in pet rats:
- Stress: Rats are quite prone to stress and anxiety when something in their environment changes or isn’t right! Introductions to new rats, being bullied by other rats, or the loss of a cage mate can be particularly stressful for rats. Being handled by humans can be stressful if your rat is fearful of people. Stress can trigger the release of excess porphyrin, leading to noticeable staining around the eyes, nose, and mouth. You may notice other signs of stress, like puffed out fur.
- Poor living conditions: things like living in a cage that’s too small, or with too many cage mates, inappropriate bedding, etc. can stress rats out a lot.
- Respiratory infections, like mycoplasma or pneumonia, are very common in rats. Alongside porphyrin discharge, rats with respiratory infections may show other symptoms like sneezing, wheezing, and labored breathing. For more on respiratory infections, see: Respiratory Problems in Pet Rats
- Eye infections: these will usually come with other signs, like squinting, swelling around the eyes, and changes in the way their eyeball looks.
- Allergies and irritants: Just like humans, rats can have allergies or sensitivities to things in their environment: dust, bedding materials, cleaning agents, or other scented things in your house can trigger an allergic reaction, leading to excessive porphyrin production.
- Pain or illness: many other medical problems can cause stress and reduced grooming in rats, leading to excess porphyrin.
- Genetics: Some individual rats are more prone to excess porphyrin than others. Because some porphyrin is normal, you’ll have to look out for other signs of illness, like agitation, lethargy, or behaviour changes.
- Aging: As rats age, they produce more porphyrin. They can also sometimes have trouble grooming themselves, so excess porphyrin builds up around their face. You can help them out by gently wiping it away with a soft, damp wash cloth or a Q-tip.
Can porphyrin be harmful to rats?
Porphyrin by itself is not harmful to rats, but it can be a sign that they’re stressed out or suffering from a health problem if you notice them producing a lot of it. If there’s an obvious source of stress, see if your rats calm down after a few days. If you suspect it might be allergies, try switching out their bedding, or close the window. If they don’t improve, consider taking them to the vet for a checkup.
When to go to the vet for porphyrin
Porphyrin can be a sign of infection and other underlying health issues. If you notice any other symptoms alongside the porphyrin, you should book a vet appointment as soon as possible. Many common illnesses in rats are treatable with the right medications and treatment plan.
Porphyrin vs. blood
Porphyrin only happens around the eyes and nose, but rats will sometimes wipe it on their paws and fur while they’re grooming themselves (or each other).
Try to figure out where the stain is coming from – is there a wound anywhere? Typically if there’s a wound, there will be a significant amount of blood.
Porphyrin and blood can both turn a brownish color after they dry. Try to determine whether your rat is actually bleeding (fresh red blood) or if it’s a secretion coming from their face. Fresh porphyrin will be more of a reddish-orange or rusty color.
Conclusion
I hope this helped to make porphyrin a bit less of a mystery! While it may not be an emergency in and of itself, it’s good to pay close attention to your furry friends when you find a lot of it. Too much can mean that they’re stressed out or ill, but there’s often a fix for it.