Double Rex

[Good Karma]

Hi All,

Just wondering if anyone knows much about Double Rexes, babies born from 2 rex parents.

Are they different health- or coat-wise from normal rats?
I have heard that they will loose their coat and grow it back. Is this true? How often does it happen?
Do both parent have to be full rexes or partial rexes to see any abnormalities?
Are there any other health concerns with double rexes?

Thanks,

Tara

 

[Vanessa]

The same care and consideration needing to be given to hairless rats should be given to double rexes. Their metabolisms run higher because they are pretty much hairless, they are prone to sometimes serious skin issues and damage, they should always have plenty of warm places to hang out in the cage and having furred cagemates are always a plus.
Besides that I have found that they are small rats overall, and I have had respiratory issues with them that seem to be more frequent than haired rats, but that is something that I am only speculating on because it could have nothing to do with them not having fur. All my semi-hairless have come from shelters and probably don't have the best genetics.
They will lose fur in some areas and then grow it back in others. They tend to always have a bit of hair on the face and legs, even if they are almost completely hairless on the rest of their bodies.
Those are my experiences with them.

 

[jorats]

I agree with Vanessa. We've had our share cause they are mamarat's favourite type, or one of the many favourites. lol
Skin problems galore! for the bunch we had. And I found them a bit more sickly too. But not sure if it's their type of genetics.

 

[Bati]

My double-rexes have been big (and small), healthy as the standard-coated, no problems with them. They'll loose the fur and will remain more or less hairless all life, some get the fur back, and som have patches of fur wandering on the body. Congratulations on double-rex babies :wink:

 

[Fidget]

I've had 2.
One tiny girl (Breeze) adult From spca July'03. She got a tumor under her arm Aug'04. Passed May '05.
The other (Hara) was a medium sized girl, born about March'03, got tumor in front of back leg August'05, passed sept'05
Neither had any skin condition problems..

However, like I said in a previous post I expect most rescued kids in any area come from a same source directly or indirectly. Greys (even dumbos) are toss-aways around the RatShack area apparently, but forget it here in Victoria (or even BC judging by the rat rescue sites)
So the double rexes in Ontario might be prone to problems that the double rexes here are not? I'd have to assume it's largely genetic and largely determined by the breeders in the area?

Oh, btw, Breeze had just a slight bald patch behind her ear when she came (I didn't take her sister blaming her sister for overgroominng her)Over her lifetime she became sparser and the bald areas came and went and moved around.
Hara was pretty much nekked when someone else got her from a petstore as a baby, but grew patchy hair here and there which also moved around in her lifetime.