My rat has lots of little scabs on him.?
The most common skin problem in rats is caused by itching. The rat scratches herself which creates scabs, most often on the neck and shoulders, but sometimes also on the face, chin, or forehead. These scabs are sometimes mistaken for injuries caused by other rats. The causes of itching are fur mites, an allergy, excessive dietary protein (such as fish or cat food), eczema, and a fungus infection. A bacterial infection of the skin may also be involved, but it is rarely the primary cause. Itching also seems to be related to stress, common for eczema. It’s also possible that some rats infested with mites can keep them under control until their immune system is suppressed by stress. It’s also possible that some rats with mites eventually develop an allergy to them. If you have more than one rat with scabs, it's probable that mites are the cause. Regardless of the cause of the itching, when the rat scratches, her back toenails break the skin which can allow bacteria to enter. As the scratches heal, scabs form and can themselves itch which causes more scratching, resulting in a vicious cycle. The first step to breaking the itching cycle is to clip the rat's back toenails. Trimming off the sharp tips reduces the amount of damage the nails do to the skin. You might need to clip the nails as often as once or twice a week. You can also put a brick or concrete block in your rats’ cage to help her wear down their toenails. You might also apply a vitamin E cream or an antibiotic ointment to the scabs once or twice a day. Neosporin Plus contains a topical anesthetic which can be especially helpful. This treatment may be sufficient to clear up the scabs. If they recur, you need to look for another cause.
My rat has scabs from his cage mate, what can I do?
Ollie has scabs all over his neck, chin and now face. The proximity to his eye has me very concerned! I know they are about 6 months, so its prolly a dominance thing. I've read that separation is my only option, but they get along so well most of the time. They snuggle all day when they sleep and play together. They fight in front of me, but its usually power grooming and boxing. The boxing gets ugly especially if Ollie wins. it usually results in Walter nipping him. I stop all fights at the first signs of escalation and try to rub Walter's face into Ollie's scabs, saying "NO!" Ollie is usually the aggressor in these fights, so how bad could it be? I dont want to separate them or cut the mean ones nuts off. Please give me some options so i can keep my family together!!!
One of my rats has red 'scabs' all over his body?
Simply put, it's likely to be lice, mites, or allergies. The first two are more likely, but make sure you have not changed any sort of laundry detergent or started using any new perfumes/colognes/air fresheners in the house to rule out allergies. Also make sure that your rats are not on any sort of softwood bedding (pine, cedar, spruce, fir, hemlock) as this is very dangerous for your rat's skin and respiratory systems. Take him in to the vet and have him looked at. If it is mites or lice, you can ask for Kitten Revolution, and post on http://bruxnboggle.com/forum/ for dosage if the vet doesn't tell you. Ivermectin works very well for mites/lice, and the people over at bruxnboggle can give you proper dosage for this as well if your vet says it is in fact caused by mites/lice. If it is mites/lice you will have to medicate him and his cagemates, change all bedding, clean out cage with a diluted bleach solution, and vacuum the room where the cage is. You cannot get rat mites/lice as a human. Make sure that you freeze all paper based (carefresh, yesterdays news, mewsprint, etc) or wood based (aspen is the only "woodchip" product that is safe for rats) bedding in the freezer for at least 48 hours before using -- bedding can very easily carry mites and lice that can be transferred to your rats.
My rats have scabby ears?
Scabs are almost always caused by either mites or lice. Lice are visible to the human eye as small red dots, while mites are not. Both will cause scabs, usually shoulders, chin and neck are the worst hit areas. Many people mistake the scabs for war wounds from fighting so it's well worth treating any scratch marks and scabs as mites initially before resorting to separating what may well be perfectly happy companions. The treatment for mites or lice is best done with Ivermectin, although over the counter sprays or powders may work and some forms of 'drop on' for small animals which contains Ivermectin are now available over the counter. Ivermectin is generally available from the vets - your vet should put a small drop on the ear for the rat to clean off and absorb. DO NOT allow your vet to inject Ivermectin as it is very easy to overdose via the injected method. If one rat shows symptoms of mites, they all need to be treated. (Ivermectin is also available in horse wormers, but care should be taken to mix thoroughly if you wish to treat using a grain of rice sized dose as Ivermectin overdose can kill by breaking down the nervous system.) The treatment is one dose of Ivermectin per week for 3 doses to ensure all the eggs hatching are caught as well. Ensure also that the rats toenails are trimmed as they can do quite a bit of damage to themselves with long back feet toenails. Other causes of scabs may be dietary related; this seems to be more common in bucks than does and it seems to be related to the amount of protein the diet but is also usually associated with some sort of underlying stress or illness. The scabs tend to concentrate under the chin and around the face area. The treatment for this is to reduce the protein intake in the rats diet and treat with Ivermectin. Most cases of scabs are mites and the jury is out on whether there is a form of 'protein allergy' where the diet is actually weakening the immune system and causing mites to take hold as Ivermectin does treat it effectively in most cases. Many schools of thought are that mites are present at all times and it's only reduced immune systems that allow them to cause the scabs.
My hamster has a big bump under its chin!?
Hi, Check out this page http://www.hamster-club.com/health.asp tumour section - it also shows my hamster which had a tumour. A hamster with a tumour may live a normal and happy life but try to avoid any sharp objects as these could cause the tumour to burst.
Home remedy for rat lice?
I recently noticed that my rats have white waxy build up along their hair follicles. They scratch more than usual, and have started to get lesions over their bodies. By my knowledge, these are common symptoms of lice, right? I'm wondering if there is anything I can give them at home to cure them. I know things like garlic or tea tree oil can be used for a number of homeopathic treatments, like mites, worms, fleas, etc. Is there anything that can effectively get rid of lice that is safe for rats? I know Ivermectrin can be used for lice as well, and I will get it as a last resort. Where is it available and can I get it over-counter? And are there other medicines that can also work for lice on rats? Like Frontline maybe?