# Mites?



## Raturday (May 26, 2012)

I was inspecting Zoey the other day and saw several small scabs above her left shoulder blade.
I'm guessing this is a sign of mites?

At first I thought it was bites from Florence because she's nippy but it's looking more like mites.
I checked my other rats and didn't notice any scabs..

I'm wondering how the heck Zoey got them.. I don't take them outside or anything like that.
I use fleece in my cage but also use Carefresh for their litter box. Could the mites have come from the Carefresh?

One more question, according to this site: http://www.ratdippityrattery.com/InStockMedicalItems.htm
They used this 8 in 1 Ultra Care Mite and Lice Spray (for birds) - has anyone used this for mites on their rats?
It looks like the Pyrethrins percentage is even lower than in some small animal specific sprays for fleas/ticks..
Would this be okay to treat my four rats?

Thanks for any help.


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## cagedbirdsinging (May 28, 2012)

Looks like mites to me, but I'm not an expert on them.They can absolutely come in on bedding. Do you freeze your Carefresh? It's good to get into the habit of sticking your bedding in the freezer for 24-48 hours before using it to kill any hitchhikers.As far as the spray, I have no clue.


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## Siringo (May 7, 2012)

I'm not entirely sure if Carefresh carries mites, but given your experience, I would start freezing it for a day or two before using.

I did a search on that 8 in 1 product on rats, and there are a lot of good reviews on this stuff killing mites pretty quickly, so I would try it. Here's one specifically for small animals, it's basically the same, but higher dose. I'm sure the bird one is fine too though.

Be sure to keep your rat from licking it off before it dries. Some suggest spraying it onto a cotton ball and applying it that way, to keep from getting it in their eyes and such. Good luck!


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Carefresh can definitely carry mites and you need to freeze for 48 hours to be effective at killing off stowaways.

RDPY rattery promoting that stuff makes me ill! Sprays and pet store treatments for buggies can be either ineffective, dangerous and I have known of rats that have died horribly from them!! There's only 2 recommended reatments for lice and mites and that is Ivermectin oral paste (or injectable ivermectin ifyou can get it) or Revolution for dogs/cats...dogs can be used you just use half as much. Revolution is my preference as its quick,no labour involved (weekly cage scrubbings for Ivermectin), much less toxic,so a LOT safter for your rat.


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## Raturday (May 26, 2012)

I'll definitely start freezing the Carefresh then!

Thanks lilspaz, I will definitely try to get a hold of some Revolution or Ivermectin. Most likely the feed store next to my house will have the latter.

Thanks everyone!


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