# Is this normal?



## rrats (Oct 14, 2007)

Hi well my rat has all these scratch marks on her and I'm getting alittle worried I have also given her a bath because well you never know and if anyone has any suggestions or comments please post I want to know that my rat is ok!


----------



## Brad (Nov 6, 2007)

Has she got a cage mate?


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Scratch marks or scabs? Is she furred or hairless (double rex)?

Where are most of the scabs or scratch marks?

And yes, does she have a cagemate?


----------



## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

the information you gave us is not enough for us to give you any suggestions. please answer the above questions so we can help you.


----------



## rrats (Oct 14, 2007)

No she does not have a cage mate and she has scabs..... sorry I meant scabs not scratch marks. 

She has furr. The scabs are all over he body except under he belly and sometimes her nose bleeds.


----------



## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Your rat has mites. They are invisible little bugs on her body. The red nose is porphyrin (a red fluid rats show when they are sick, stressed, etc.) and mites can stress out a rat a lot.

Your girl needs to be treated with either Revolution (from vet) or Ivermectin oral paste (horse/cattle dewormer paste) that you can buy online in tack shops, feed stores etc.

Its not hard to get rid of them but with Revolution you will need to put one drop on the back of her neck, and with Ivermectin you will need to give her a small piece (the size of an uncooked grain of rice) 3 times, every week for 3 weeks. Be very careful not to overdose as it can kill her or make her very ill. After dosing with Ivermectin you will need to clean/scrub/bleach the cage, throw out paper/wood products, clean the area near the cage, wash all fabrics in very hot water and freeze the bedding for 48 hours before using it.


----------



## A1APassion (Jul 29, 2007)

once weekly according to rat guide & the dosage is based on a rat that weighs one pound (453.6 grams)


----------



## twitch (Jan 4, 2007)

yep, sounds like mites. i have nothing to add about that that hasn't already been said. but after she is better you will want to consider getting a cagemate. rats do much better psychologically and physically when they have another rat to be with. there are the rare exceptions as there are exceptions to just about anything in life, but it is rare. 

i hope your girl is feeling better soon. please keep us updated.


----------



## FelineWolf (Nov 13, 2007)

That's probably what Asia has too, it sounds the same, except that Asia has a cage mate, and her cage mate has no signs of mites at all, so I thought it was more likely to be fighting?
(Sorry to hijack, just felt more appropriate to throw this question in here rather than start a new thread.)


----------



## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Not necessarily. Some rats are more resistant.


----------



## rrats (Oct 14, 2007)

Well see we went to petsmart and asked about getting a cage mate and she said that it wouldn't be a good idea because they might fight since there from two different breeds. But if we get another cage mate doesn't that mean that the cage mate might get mites too?


----------



## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

You would need to treat the mites BEFORE getting the new rat. Or treat both rats.

What did the pet store employee mean, different breeds?

All domesticated pet rats are the same breed, the Norway Rat.

And they get along fine whether they have curly fur, dumbo ear, no fur, etc. Just be sure they're the same gender.


----------



## madonnaswimmer (Jul 31, 2007)

You need to take her to the vet first and get treated for the mites.

Don't try to treat it on your own at home. I work in an emergency vet clinic and it's just the worst when people try flea/tick collars, medicated flea baths, and other skin treatments and it goes wrong. Some animals go into seizures, others will have temperatures so high that it's damaging to their brain cells.

So, just cough up the exam and treatment fee, and you'll feel much better.

Before you get another rat, make sure you clean down the cage really well. There could be eggs on any of the cracks or surfaces of your cage.


----------



## sonoma (May 26, 2007)

rrats said:


> Well see we went to petsmart and asked about getting a cage mate and she said that it wouldn't be a good idea because they might fight since there from two different breeds.


Pet store employees often don't know much about the animals they are selling. A Petsmart employee recently tried to tell me 10 week old rats were 'about a year old.' 

There's a nice thread about introducing new rats HERE.


----------



## Phobie (Jun 3, 2007)

Hm, my Addo has scabs on both sides of his neck but nowhere else. We have visited the vet many times recently concerning this, once he had antibiotics and today he had his SECOND mite treatment. 

The vet was very reluctant to put it down to mites, simply because it wasn't all over the body. Addo IS itching, however.

Is it possible mites are just on his neck? Seems strange to me. We have Edgar also (another male rat) but he is living in QT (AGAIN) since he has been ill since we rescued him.

Any thoughts?


----------



## Darksong17 (Feb 11, 2007)

As others have said it's very likely she has parasites. You can read more on rat parasites and treatment here: http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/ectoparasites.php

You will need to go to a vet to get either Ivermectin or Revolution (the cat or kitten/puppy version). Here is some information on dosing rats with either of those:

http://ratguide.com/meds/antiinfectives/ivermectin.php
http://ratguide.com/meds/antiinfectives/selamectin_revolution.php


If you get Ivermectin there are two kinds you might get, the horse wormer paste (the dose should be the size of an uncooked grain of rice) or Ivomec with is an liquid injectable cattle wormer that can be dosed orally (by mouth) to rats. Either kind is best dosed orally or topically (on skin). The article I linked to has more information on all that.


It's always a good idea to freeze small animal bedding 24 to 48 hours before using it to kill off any parasites living in it. I'm going to go ahead and assume that you know that pine and cedar bedding are both dangerous to animals and shouldn't be used either way even if some bags claim it keeps away parasites.

The "bloody nose" is most likely porphyrin. Rats will have an excess of this around their eyes and nose when they are stressed or ill. Here's more information on it: http://www.ratbehavior.org/porphyrin.htm

Once you have gotten rid of the parasites on your girly you'll want to get her a female friend. Rats are extremely social animals and should always be kept in same sex pairs or groups. You might look into a reputable rescue or breeder to find her a friend. Petfinder is great for finding homeless pets: http://www.petfinder.com/

Just make sure to quarantine any new rats before doing introductions slowly. Here's more information on quarantining and introducing rats:

http://www.petinfopackets.com/rats/rathealth.html#quarantine
http://ratguide.com/care/behavior/introducing_rats.php
http://www.ratfanclub.org/newrat.html
http://www.ratpalace.com/rat-articles/rat-introductions.php


Think that covers everything . Good luck!


----------



## rrats (Oct 14, 2007)

Well do you think that maybe a bath might help at all because I have given her a bath twice lately (as in the last week) and I was wondering if that might even help like itching alittle but we talked to our parents about taking my rat to see a vet.


----------



## Darksong17 (Feb 11, 2007)

The bath might help relieve itching a little but it's not going to do anything for the mites. You also don't want to overbathe her so if she's already gotten two baths I'd leave it at that.


----------



## Forensic (Apr 12, 2007)

Phobie said:


> Hm, my Addo has scabs on both sides of his neck but nowhere else. We have visited the vet many times recently concerning this, once he had antibiotics and today he had his SECOND mite treatment.
> 
> The vet was very reluctant to put it down to mites, simply because it wasn't all over the body. Addo IS itching, however.
> 
> ...


I think the neck/head area is where the scabs are most often seen (easiest to reach to scratch, I'd assume). So that doesn't meant they aren't elsewhere, that's just where he can get to them.


----------



## Matt (Jun 14, 2007)

Rokk had scabs on his neck/head area cause of mites but I treated it and they are gone.

It is amazing how fast rats heal. 
Open wound by night, sealed by morning.


----------



## rrats (Oct 14, 2007)

Wow thats amazing I didn't know that about rats! Well I am going to make an appointment for my rat and everything but I'm not sure if its still the best idea to get another female rat considering my rats age and stuff like that I'm still afraid that they might fight or something like that.


----------



## Darksong17 (Feb 11, 2007)

I think it's worth a try to get your female a friend. Rats are extremely social animals and it's really not fair to keep them alone. Just remember to quarantine any newcomers and do the introductions slowly. I provided you with some links on how to do both. Females are typically easier to introduce than males and I think you probably won't have a problem.


----------



## rrats (Oct 14, 2007)

Ya I guess so well then does this mean that when I do give her the medicine will it work right away or will it take time and so on?


----------



## Darksong17 (Feb 11, 2007)

Have a look at the links I provided, they will tell you the dosages and the length of treatment.


----------



## rrats (Oct 14, 2007)

Ok thanks a whole lot! I will be sure to update and tell all how it goes thanks a whole bunch!!


----------



## Darksong17 (Feb 11, 2007)

No problem! Definitely let us know how everything goes


----------



## rrats (Oct 14, 2007)

my rat has a two story cage and i take her outta her cage regularly is it possible that shes board? would it be possible that she cleans herself too much that she scrapes herself? or if her nail are to long?
talk back to me thanks!


----------

