# Rat losing fur on belly



## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Ok, so I'm starting to get concern.

A while ago my rats had mites, and Storm started to loose fur on his belly from itching. When they were treated his fur started to grow back, but now its starting to happen again, and worse. He's missing almost all his hair on his lower belly on at lease half of the hair on the inside of his legs and the rest of his stomach and chest, he's even seeming to loose hair on his back.

The only thing is that I'm not sure if it is mites, because Soda is showing no signs of it,but I'm not sure if it is mites. A week ago we found bugs in our cat's food (we got them from our grandma for cheap since she worked at a grocery store, they had to throw out 42 boxes of cat food because it) So would it be possible that they might be affecting Storm and Soda as well? they feed mainly on cardboard, and I'm going to clean out their cage tonight so I can put up their hammocks to see if throwing out the cardboard boxes will help. (I'm not sure what bugs they are either)

He's been grooming his belly a lot more, Should I be concerned at all? He is a satin so his hair has always been thin so I don't think he's been losing that much hair as I think. Could it be a food issue or allergy? Any other conditions? I can't take him to a vet since we're basically broke at the moment, and I don't think my rat funds will be able to handle the cost of a vet bill plus medicine at the moment, would rubbing Olive oil on his stomach help? Any other home remedies?

Also he does suffer from barbering, well actually its more of he likes to tug on ears, so could he be barbering himself? I know rats barber other rats but I've never heard of them doing it to themselves? He did loose Charles, who was like a father to him, a few weeks ago so if it barbering could it be caused by Charles's death?

I'm just super worried cause I've never had a rat have anything like this, and he's the healthiest of my rats, he's never shown Any signs of myco (never seen mucus on his nose or eyes) and he maybe sneezes at Max once a month. So I guess you can see why it is something like this would worry me.

I'll try to get some good pictures of it up, they've been out for a while so He's finally willing to hold still for a picture.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

Ok here are the pictures of him I just caught, he didn't want to hold still so I had to push him up against my blankets for when I was taking his belly pictures, don't worry I didn't hurt him.

Here is his belly


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And his back, you can kind of see his fur lost, its not too noticeable.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

Could be an allergy (maybe bedding/detergent, or even food) or too much protein, missing nutrients in the diet, etc. I'm pretty sure I've heard of a parasite that causes similar hair loss like this, maybe someone else will know. What do you use for bedding and what do you feed your boys? Do you ever bathe them? What medication were the mites treated with?


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

They are currently, well kind of, on a fresh foods diet. We're going to be getting some Oxbox lab blocks this weekend since their last lab blocks we had to throw out (Yeah, I hated them, but my parents wanted me to keep them just in case we needed them, the bugs from my cat's food was a perfect excuse to throw them away) since we'll be needing them for future rats, and since school has been a little bit more hectic this year then normal we haven't been able to keep up their regular feeding schedual to make sure they are getting proper nutritent. Those this diet has never been an issue, minus when I had little protein in it, but they've been on it for a long time and I haven't added any new foods to their diet. Wait, actually, could he be allergic to peas? we just got a thing of frozen peas and carrots and they almost never eat peas (I don't like peas so I never buy them). Though they only started eatting them a few days ago, and I don't think this would happen that quickly since last month I did notice some fur lost, but it wasn't at this stage yet.

They are currently on Aspen, Yesterday's news, and sometimes I'll put in Kaytee Clean and Comfy. I always freeze the bedding the day or two before cage cleaning, and with the Aspen due to the bugs that were in our cat's food bowl being able to survive the cold we've been baking the aspen on a low heat in the oven to kill any bugs. I used Aspen a long time, then I though I was allergic to Aspen but found out it was Rat urine, and they love playing in the aspen so I switched back, but Storm never had this issue before, at lease I don't remember if so.

I almost never bathe them, mainly because I still need to clip their nails and I'm tired of getting the rat rash And scratch marks, I actually have a few that are now scars. I'm going to see if we can get some Plumith stones since their lava ledges are broken or maybe some bricks for them to climb and play on to hopefully ware down their nails again (Storm liked it when I kept rubbing his nails with the plumith stone, in till Soda though it tasted good and took it from me and tried to eat it). I've never had any issues with bedding.

We've been using Tea tree oil with kitten shampoo made for kittens under 6 weeks (we always dilute with around 2/3 water). We can't find Ivermite (is that what its called?) since its hard to actually find a feed store in Austin Texas, I know hard to believe but its true, most stores either only have dog and cat supplies or Exotic animal supplies for reptiles and rodents. I think most of my friends who ride horses have to drive over an hour to get stuff. I might have to order some online if this is mites or a parasite.

What your talking about is a type of Lice, and I think he could have it too, it causes them to loose fur on their belly area, its only odd because Soda isn't having any hair lost at all, if anything I think he's gained more hair. The only thing is that type of lice can only be treated with medicine so I'm hoping its not that. That's my biggest concern that this is some type of parasite that I can't treat.

That's whats making this hard to figure out is that Soda is showing no signs, at lease the same signs, as Storm. That's whats confusing me.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

I feel very terrible now.

I just gave them a bath since I was doing a full clean out of their cage and if it is some type of mite I was hoping to get them off before putting them into the cage. (this happened before I read Jaguars post). Storm was just fine, he wasn't very happy, but he did Ok. I rubbed him with water, some tea tree oil, then rubbed him with some olive oil and vitamin E. He was happy, he actually tried to fall asleep in the towel I was drying him off in. He even let me kiss him, which is something Storm doesn't let me do most days.

Well then I got Soda out, and as soon as I rubbed him down in water I felt like the worst person in the world. his Whole back was covered in red dots, I'm not talking about scattered I mean at lease 20 or 30 different red scratch wounds, some that were open or scabbed over, all along his shoulders and back. I had noticed he had some on his shoulder a little over 2 months ago, but thought it was because his nails needed to be trimmed. I feel so bad that I didn't notice this. I rubbed him down with some tea tree oil, the kitten shampoo, more tea tree oil, more water, you get the picture. He kept squirming and trying to get off the counter, I also feel some what bad cause I have to do what you do with rabbits where you completely cover their heads and for their shoulders down just so he would calm down (which he did thank god)

I feel so bad. I was going to put all their hammocks back in their cage but I decided that I was just going to layer their cage with newspaper and put in One hammock (after a few minutes in the dryer). I gave Soda and Storm some fruit loops, Yeah I go its has D-l something (i can't spell it), and its bad for them but after all the screaming Soda did, and all the fighting he put up, I think he deserved it. (I only put in maybe like 6 pieces along with some cheerios and sunflower seeds).

I'm hoping that their cage being clean and having no items to infect them, along with getting the new lab blocks, and maybe getting some bricks to help with their nails that this can easily be solved. If not I have $100 saved up and I will use it for a vet trip for both of them. I'm guessing Soda has been like this for at lease a few months and I feel horrible that I didn't notice it before. 

I'm gonna see if I can find anything on stuff like this, I'm still hoping its going to be an easy fix, but at this point I know that its not likely.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

My parents think it could be because of their cardboard boxes, and low fat. So we're only going to be using boxes coated (oatmeal containers) and plastic containers. When we get the supplies we're going to get some plastic tubs/bins and cut hole or two in them to make huts.


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## Jaguar (Nov 15, 2009)

You need to get them a proper treatment for whatever parasite they have. Ivermectin (horse deworming paste) or Revolution (for dogs/cats from the vet) are our recommendations. It's hard to treat bugs with bathing because they infest everything including bedding, wooden toys, anything the rats have come in contact with, really. If you wash them off they will just keep coming back.


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## LightningWolf (Jun 8, 2012)

I know, and we don't think its mites since I never see anything on them. We completely Wash out their cage and only put in things that had been in the freeze for a few days or had been through the washing machine, or through boiling water. it took a little over 2 hours to do but unless we're dealing with some type of bug that can withstand high temperatures And under freezing I don't think they are coming back for a while. If its not the cardboard that's causing it (we'll know in a week or two) My dad is going to get some Revolution for them, its just that in our stores it is so hard to find them made for kittens. they seem to be doing better today, Soda's spazzing out cause there is basically nothing in his cage (only their food dish, a hammock, and a box that is coated with wax so shouldn't cause them dry skin) and he keeps trapping Storm in the only box with his butt  I know he's a normal size for a male rat but he is a jelly belly. They are still itching, but even in 12 hours they are starting to look a tad bit better.

We actually do think it is cardboard and low fat (and/or protein) since when I was on vacation my parents didn't put much in their cage minus two or three hammocks and an oatmeal container box (which is coated with wax) and they completely stopped itching, Storm even gained back some hair on his belly, along with the fat that they got yogurt almost every day (of coarse as soon as I get home they don't buy yogurt for over 2 months, it always happens). We got some more yogurt, along with shelled sunflower seeds (they were cheaper, I'm going to mix them with their other sunflower seeds) and also going to cook up an egg for them. If they get better by next week I know that once again I measured nutrient in their diet wrong (oh well, you learn through trial and error). We're hoping to get some whole milk yogurt for them since all we can find is made with 1% milk and basically has no fat.


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