Squinty Eyes? EDIT: Another abcess, joy

[fenshae]

Ahh Stock. He will be the death of me, I just know it.

He's successfully integrated with the boys...or, uh, mostly successfully, I guess. They do still scuffle from time to time, which usually involves Basil sidling him into a corner and Stock hissing and screaming his head off, but it doesn't last too-too long and then they're back to normal. It's weird because one minute they'll be snuggling together, eating next to each other, grooming each other, whatever...and then the next minute Stock will be going insane and hissing and shoving the others around until Basil puts him down. His haunch area is a little thin-furred from all the scars where he's been bitten back there and he still just refuses to submit. I don't get it.

But anyway. His new thing is that he squints all the time. He's the only one of the group that does as far as I can tell so I don't think it's environmental. But he never opens his eyes fully. they're not gooped up with porph or anything, just...half-lidded at all times. Is that a sign of something, or am I just paranoid about him now?

EDIT 2: Well, solved the mystery. Just gave him a thorough look-over and found a small abscess on his scrotum. I can imagine that's not overly pleasant. *sigh*

 

[jorats]

Wed need to see a pic but micro eye is not just squinting but it's a tiny eye. If your boy is squinting and has porphyrin then my first guess is stress and/or pain. Check him over thoroughly. This could also explain his bullying.
Rats don't rely on their eyes so blindness wouldn't affect them much.

 

[fenshae]

Just gave him a thorough look-over once I got home and found a small abscess on his scrotum. I gave him some baby motrin as I imagine he's in pain (hence the squinting)...I'm not even sure how to go about cleaning that abscess with where it's located. I don't think he'll be very happy with me squeezing his rat-bits. But I guess we'll try a sitz bath and go from there.

I separated him from the big boys and he's in a temp cage with Einstein right now. Einstein is super-subby and doesn't tend to fight with anybody, although Stock bullied him a little when they first moved in they seem to be getting along now....at last, I haven't heard any screaming/scuffling/hissing and every time I check in on them they're snuggled up together. *sigh* And I really thought Basil and Stock had pretty much worked things out.

 

[jorats]

I can't remember but was Stock neutered? That would explain the abscess at that spot. If that was caused by another rat, that could be cause for alarm OR it could be that Basil was sniffing him, holding on and Stock moved too fast.
My Gera has and abscess in the same spot. I didn't do warm compresses or soaking, it would have been too stressful on Gera so my vet put him on Clavamox, it immediately started to shrink. 2 weeks later, it was all gone.

 

[fenshae]

Nope, never neutered Stock, although I'm sure it would help. I'm just a bit gun-shy about it given the track record of his sisters dying under anaesthesia and Locke keeling over unexpectedly...but anyway. I'm guessing it was rat-related and *probably* Basil.

Clavamox is an antibiotic, right?

 

[jorats]

Oh right, I wouldn't get him neutered either with that history.
Yes, it's an antibiotic and great on abscesses.