Glossary · 🩺 Health

Red tears (porphyrin)

Also called: chromodacryorrhoea

Red tears are a reddish-brown porphyrin secretion around a rat’s (or mouse’s) eyes and nose that looks like blood but isn’t — a sign of stress or illness, not injury.

A little can follow a stressful event, but a lot, or a recurring amount, points to a health problem (often respiratory) and is worth a vet check. Healthy rats groom it away.

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