Frederich - skin issues - any thoughts?

[mamarat2]

Posting this for my friend Jamie, she should be in later today after she joins the forum but she wanted me to get the ball rolling to see if anyone has any ideas. Not sure myself.

Message:

I've got a rat fur challenge for you. If you have a sec, could you
possibly bend your mind in this direction? Or maybe PLEASE tell me
again what the name of your current forum is? Let me start from the
beginning --

Friederich's breathing issues have been worsening so we raised his
antibiotics dose. Between feeling sick and, thus, not grooming to his
usual standard and struggling against his medicine which, also thus,
gets all over his neck and chin, Friederich got a bath yesterday. He
seems to really enjoy a bath when he isn't feeling well and he came
out, I thought, squeaky clean.

After his bath, Kat was giving Friederich his medicine when I noticed
some sort of substance around his eye. At first I thought maybe
porphyrin (he's black so sometimes it is hard to tell if it isn't
right next to his eyes or nose). But no, when I touched the patch I
realised it was sticky and actually covered most of that side of his
face. His meds are mixed into nutrical so I thought it might somehow
have gotten away from us and gotten on his face. I tried wiping at the
area with a hot, wet paper towel. Got nowhere. I tried a baby wipe. No
improvement. I thought it might be that it is a sticky substance and
needed removing with a fat the way tree sap does so I tried buttering
Friederich's little head. He was quite enthusiastic about that idea
but it didn't really help.

This was last night. This morning, his little face is still all spiky
and gross but not sticky anymore. I'm reluctant to give Friederich
another bath because I don't want to dry his skin and, besides, I
never wash his face in the bath because I don't want his ears to get
water in them. Friederich keeps fussing at it so it's clearly
annoying him but I have no idea what else to do. Do you have any idea
what on earth he could have gotten into? Or what in Gods name I should
do about it?

Thanks,
-Jamie

 

[jorats]

Is there a colour when trying to wipe the icky stuff?
Does it look like it's coming from the eye?

 

[lilspaz68]

You could try gentle baby wipes to remove it possibly?

 

[mamarat2]

Is there a colour when trying to wipe the icky stuff?
Does it look like it's coming from the eye?

Not sure about the color.

You could try gentle baby wipes to remove it possibly?

She tried baby wipes that didn't work either

I sent Jamie this thread link so hopefully she will be getting on later and adding some more info.

 

[Beth]

Hi Y'all!

I am the mommy of sticky little Friederich. Thanks very much for trying to help with this. I can't imagine what Friederich could have gotten in to which would resist both fatty acids and bases as cleaning agents.

Jorats: there was a pale brownish color in the beginning which is why I thought it might have been nutrical from his medicine but there is no color either coming off or visible now and the patch is more spiky and stiff than sticky.

Lilspaz68: alas, tried the baby wipes. no effect.

And, no, it is definitely not coming from the eye nor does it have any smell I can discern. Well, Friederich smells rather of baby wipe right now but I think I would be able to smell the foulness of infection over the scent of baby wipe. *shudder* And both eyes look fine. Would a picture of his wretched little face help?

What in God's name is this? And what do I do? Friederich can't seem to clean it off, his cagemates don't wish to and I am worried about whatever this is not being something I want them to ingest in any case.

Oy.

 

[jorats]

A picture might very well help!

 

[jorats]

Here's an icky thought... could he have been cleaning his "plug" and got it on his face? It is a waxy clear stuff?

 

[lilspaz68]

pics are definitely worth it

Can I just say Ewwww to Jo's suggestion?

 

[Melissa's ZOO]

Maybe you could just trim the hair off his face, I don't know maybe this would be a last resort since other cleaning agents won't get it off. What about Dawn dish soap? Might be tricky trying to keep it from getting in his eyes, but it is the grease remover?

 

[mamarat2]

I wouldn't go with the dawn near the eyes.....I'd be afraid I would get it in his eyes.

 

[Beth]

I'm afraid the fur on Friederich's face is too short to cut the grossness out unless I shave him and I don't think going at his eye with a safety razor is going to win me any points with him.

Horribly, I did give this a moment's consideration.

 

[mamarat]

Just an idea but my patchwork had gotten glue from a box in the cage. It looked like a black stripe. I was lucky when I figured out what it was and it came off with peanut butter.

 

[Beth]

Glue...that's an idea...Friederich is forever gnawing on the joins of various boxes...and glue would definitely resist all kinds of solvents...

I may try that peanut butter idea. At the very least, Friederich will love it.

Though, I admit, I am trying to think of some way to try the dish soap concept, too. If only they would close their eyes on command :roll:

 

[Beth]

Hey! I just picked Friederich up and noticed that this same stuff extends all under his chin and down his chest towards his tummy!

Okay, someone is getting a bath! And it isn't me.....

I think maybe we're going to have a peanut buttering and a good wash. I'll let you all know what happens after the bathing.

 

[Ratgirl@RatRitz]

Heard of one other case which sounds like this. Vets conclusion was that it was stress related, and that excess natural steroids had caused a flood of this secetion! It cleared up naturally within a few days.

Here's the story - http://www.fancy-rats.co.uk/community/v ... hp?t=65515

 

[jorats]

Wow... that was very interesting. I knew that male rats would sometimes secrete an excess of sebum (buck grease) when threatened.
Cortisol is a hormone which is usually triggered by stress. I've seen a secretion on the sides of my guys but it wasn't a "goo". That is so interesting that it can happen.

 

[Beth]

Well I still have no idea what that goo was but I did finally get Friederich clean. It took a full head olive oiling and and a tub bath where I actually washed his face with soap. Poor baby was so displeased about the whole "wet face" idea.

I don't think Friederich had that hormonal exudate on his face but I do think he gets that on his midback. Thank you so much for mentioning that because I kept worrying one of his brothers had been weeing on him or some such. It always happens in times of stress and it is this light brown colour.

I really appreciate everyone trying to help with this!