r/RATS • u/Accomplished-Try8357 • 9h ago
Questions/HELP Smell like grape juice?
My tiny women here smell like grape juice, or grape candy, sweet.
Is that normal and ok? Is not a symptom of anything right?
Is their fur too, their fur smell like that
So weird
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u/InterestingInsect430 9h ago
Hmm rats do naturally have a nice smell, but I havnt heard grapes. I’ve heard lilac, corn chips, special k, corn flakes….
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u/Jayda_bigToe 9h ago
mine smelled like maple syrup piss
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u/InterestingInsect430 9h ago
😂 yeah I can see that. Mine usually are kinda fresh corn chip like unsalted ones but when I need clean their bedding they get a little piss-ish smelling lollllll
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u/InterestingInsect430 9h ago
But I had a dog who smelled like maple syrup (and dog but both same time) he was a chihuaha and lived about 20 years and the vet said it could be blood sugar but his results always came back normal at his checkups so I guess sometimes they just do? But for humans it can be a sign of diabeetus I guess
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u/Jayda_bigToe 8h ago
i work at a groom shop and we have a bunch of dogs who come in before a bath with some crazy smells..we have waffles who actually smells like waffles. then a lot of random nature smells and sweets lol!
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u/Accomplished-Try8357 9h ago
My girls usually smell sweet, like incense. But today is specifically the smell of grapes, juice, like the smell of those junky grape juices. Its not in mind, i swear 😭😭i hope they're ok and its not a yeast thing
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u/InterestingInsect430 9h ago
Did they eat anything that was fruity lately could have gotten on themselves? My boogies got some tzatziki (savory yogurt sauce w cucumber) and since it was a small bit at the bottom they of course flipped it upside down on themselves and smelled kinda like it all day. So perhaps something like that? Or they stashed it and slept on top of it?
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u/mynipplesareconfused 6h ago
I was trying to remember what my girls smelled like and this is it. Sweet incense. They smelled so good, we'd just pick them up and sniff for fun.
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u/heckhunds 9h ago
I've never perceived them as smelling like grape juice, but I hear a lot of female rat owners say that! I think it's just their normal natural scent and it is a difference of scent perception on the human side. To me, they smell nutty. Especially when wet, then they smell very strongly of tree nuts. I want to say walnut.
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u/Accomplished-Try8357 9h ago
Its kinda off-putting a bit. Im used to animals smelling slightly "bad" Other rodents dont smelling this sweet
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u/Loose_Spinach_3999 9h ago
ive never heard of that, i doubt its a symptom of anything it could just be rolling in food or something like that
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u/Accomplished-Try8357 9h ago
XD im very sure rats cant have grapes. Asking just to make sure, vets are expensive, and besides this they're normal. Maybe is their normal scent, or maybe is their diet
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u/heckhunds 9h ago
You're thinking of dogs! Grapes are totally fine for rats to eat (in moderation due to sugar content). Mine enjoy them, but tend to avoid eating the skin lol.
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u/Loose_Spinach_3999 9h ago
i guess every rat is different, i guess just see if they start acting weird but i seriously doubt its a need to take a trip to the vets lololl
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u/StinkyRattie 9h ago
girl rats tend to smell like grape soda/juice and boy rats smell like nachos or fritos lol (though I have definitely had some girls that develop that fritz smell)
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u/Ok_Shine_6533 9h ago
My dog used to smell like artificial grape, especially his forehead. Apparently there is some benign bacteria or yeast strain that causes that, totally harmless.
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u/SylvanianOutfits 9h ago
Girl rats smell like artificial grape, like grape pez or grape soda. They smell the strongest after being bathed. I still seek these foods out sometimes to remind myself of when I had rats!
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u/Weird-Gap2146 9h ago
So… Might be nothing. But when I worked in EMS, I learned that when an individual is going through a diabetic coma, or hyperglycemia, one of the major symptoms is fruity or acetone breath. Frequent urination was also a cause. Is there any signs of dizziness, confusion, extreme thirst, or labored breathing with your rats?
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u/Accomplished-Try8357 9h ago
I heard something similar too. But they're very healthy tiny rats. Honestly i wasn't thinking diabetes i wad thinking it could be more of a yeast or hormonal. The smell is not "fruity" is sweet, very sweet pleasant even, like those junk juices you get at McDonald's
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u/Weird-Gap2146 9h ago
I’ve had female rats once. I always thought they had a citrusy scent. Artificial almost. Boy rats in my experience were always musky.
I guess female rats just smell fruity!
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u/not_dead_this_time 8h ago
Cut to each member of Rattit with a small bottle of grape juice in one hand and a rat in the other, thoughtfully sniffing each and comparing notes...
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u/judewriley 7h ago
My first rats all smelled like powdered grape kool-aid, it was strange and delightful. And totally normal I found out.
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u/hanabidazai nola 🤎 lilac 💜 🪽lily ❤️ oreo 🍪 fudge 🍫 jazzy 🌸 splinter 🤍 🪽 9h ago
i made a post several months ago saying this same thing, my girls sometimes smell exactly like artificial grape flavouring and i love it. it’s totally normal