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Seeing white droppings in your pet rat’s cage can be alarming, especially if it is the first time that you notice it. This is usually not something to worry about, but it can sometimes be an indication that there is an underlying problem.
So, Why Is My Pet Rat’s Poop White? White stool in rats is usually a sign that the stool itself is very old, but it can also be due to the rat ingesting its own bedding, having very high calcium content in its diet, and in rare cases, it could be a sign of maldigestion, malabsorption, and parasites.
Monitoring the color of your pet rat’s stool actually forms a very important part of taking care of them, so let’s explore what the stool usually looks like, which different colors it can become and how to know when it is serious enough that you need to take your pet rat to the vet.
What Are The Causes Of White Stool In Pet Rats?
Age
The most common cause of white stool in rats is due to the droppings being old. As the droppings dry, they become hard and turn white from the inside out. It is thus important to know how old the droppings are by determining when last their cage was cleaned. If this was a long time ago, then it is just part of a natural process and not something to really worry about.
Ingested Bedding
Rats will chew on everything, so if you use tissue paper, toilet paper, or other types of whitish shavings as bedding, it is highly possible that the rat might have eaten some of it and passed it along with the stool. This is not necessarily a problem, as long as it is not printed paper as the ink can be toxic to pet rats and should therefore rather be avoided.
You can change its bedding to paper pellet bedding (such as Carefresh), straw pellet bedding, shredded cardboard bedding, and cloth bedding, but should rather avoid using cedar and pine bedding, cat litter, and corn cob bedding.
High Calcium In Diet
White stool in pet rats can also be due to a very high calcium concentration in the diet. Make sure that you are feeding them food that is specifically designed and formulated for pet rats (such as Oxbow) as these are well-balanced and do not need any extra supplements.
What Does Normal Rat Poop Looks Like?
Fresh pet rat stool is usually dark brown/black, moderately firm and not too dry nor squishy, and round about the size of a grain of rice. Most rat droppings will have a sausage shape to them and some are pill-shaped with a noticeable pinch to either end where the dropping will look somewhat pointed. You should be able to easily pick up the individual droppings with a tissue, gloves, or litter shovel.
What Does Abnormal Rat Poop Look Like?
If your rat has been exposed to a food they never had before, it could cause a bit of digestive upset where you will notice that their poop’s consistency will appear to be a bit more liquid/squishy. Raw veggies, especially carrots, are known for causing runny droppings. If the rat is not showing any other clinical signs, it is usually not something to worry too much about and will usually resolve when given in smaller quantities and less often, as this will allow their digestive system to adapt and thus become more equipped to digest the food as time goes by.
Why Is My Pet Rat’s Poop Orange?
If your pet rat ate some carrots or pumpkin, it is quite normal for their droppings to appear orange.
Why is My Pet Rat’s Poop Green?
If your pet rat is fed green veggies, you might notice a darkish green tinge to their droppings.
What To Do If Your Pet Rat Has Diarrhea?
If your pet rat has soft, liquid stool for a day or so, there are a couple of things you can try and do to see if it will resolve, but if it remains loose for more than 48 hours despite implementing these steps, it is best to take him to the vet to see if there is something serious going on.
Change The Diet
The first thing you could try is to remove any possible source of food that could cause dietary indiscretion. Switch them to commercial pelleted food that is specifically formulated for pet rats. They should be kept on this bland diet until their stool returns to a normal color and consistency.
It is also important to ensure that they have constant access to a supply of clean, freshwater. One of the biggest dangers of diarrhea is that your pet may become dehydrated and this can very easily become life-threatening.
Clean Everything
Apart from dietary indiscretion, rats can also develop diarrhea due to bacterial or fungal infections. You should therefore ensure to empty all their food and water bowls and give them a thorough scrub, rinse and dry in order to remove any potential sources of contamination.
Clean the soiled bedding daily and give the cage a deep clean once a week as well. Remember that rats can transmit some diseases to humans, so make sure to wear gloves when cleaning the cage and wash your hands thoroughly with water and soap for at least 30 seconds after handling the rat, the bedding, the cage, its food, and its water supply.
Observe The Rat For Any Other Issues
If you notice that your pet’s rat behavior changed drastically (such as being more lethargic than usual or inappetent), you feel any unusual growths on the rat’s body, you find blood in their stools or urine or they seem to be extra sensitive when handled, then there is most likely a serious underlying problem and the rat will require veterinary attention.
Supplement Electrolytes
If the skin around your pet rats shoulders and on top of its neck does not snap back into place when given a gentle pinch and you notice that your rat does not pee for hours at a time or the pee is particularly dark in color, you should become very concerned as these are all warning signs that your pet rat is severely dehydrated.
The problem with diarrhea is that not only does the rat lose fluids, but also electrolytes, and it is therefore often necessary to supplement electrolytes together with water to help rehydrate him.
You can supplement electrolytes by adding a bit of Pedialyte to a second water bowl. The electrolyte solution should be replaced at least every 24 hours until his diarrhea resolves.
When Should You Be Worried About Your Pet Rat’s Poop?
If your pet rats stool constantly remains white, even when it is fresh, if their dropping’s consistency is liquid for an extended period of time or if your pet rat starts to show any other signs of illness, such as lethargy, inappetence, or hypersensitivity, it is best to take him to the vet to be examined.
Make sure to take a stool sample so that the vet can examine it under a microscope in order to determine if there are any bacteria, virus, or fungal infections or if there are any toxins present.
If your vet is able to accurately diagnose the problem and prescribes a treatment plan, make sure to ask him how the medication needs to be administered so that you are able to ensure that you can give your pet rat the best chance of recovery.
Be aware that it can, unfortunately, be possible that your pet rat is suffering from an incurable disease, which often requires you to make the difficult decision to put him to sleep. Your vet should be able to advise you accordingly and together you can decide what will be best for your beloved rodent friend.
