# do my rats have mites?



## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

i have two male rats: kurt and eddie. both have had the itchies for some time now. eddie has a couple red scabs but kurt doesn't.

i started out rubbing olive oil on them and when it didn't seem to work, i went out and got this thing called Ultra Care for small animals. i sprayed it on them a couple times but it didn't help either.

i thought maybe it wasn't mites, maybe it has something to do with their diet. the food they have now has way too much protein, but i'm working on getting them something different soon. but even if it was their diet is causing their itchiness, how would that explain eddie's scabs?

just recently, i tried olive oil again but guess what. doesn't work and my poor babies won't stop scratching. i feel so bad.

i might be able to get some sort of treatment for them but i certainly cannot afford a vet's visit. and i'm not even sure if they have mites. would it be okay to use it on them even if they didn't have mites?

if you think they have mites, what type of treatment should i get and what would be the right dosage for my rats?


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

This is simple, over the counter products don't work on mites and save the olive oil for salad dressing.

You get "revolution". Rat vets charge for a visit, but some dog and cat vets sell it outright. It's applied to cats and dogs monthly to *prevent* fleas and ticks. Dogs and cats don't need to be sick to use it, so they don't need a diagnosis and a vet visit. It does no harm if applied properly so there's nothing to lose by trying it. It costs between $17.00 and $24.00 depending on the vet.

There are lots of other threads here on how to use it.

Nooooo, don't overthink it... forget the other options..... don't spray the over the counter poison on your rats.... and most of all no more home remedies. Just start calling around for someone that will sell you revolution or maybe find it on line. Otherwise you will waste your money, poison your rats and run up a huge emergency vet bill anyway.

Not to sound harsh, but seriously I've been where you are and I've got a cabinet full of useless home remedies and bottles of poisons I can give you for free. I'm saving you lots of pain and expense. 

I'm sure somewhere there's someone still growing their own molds, or chugging magic honey, but for the most parts its just way easier and safer to just get a shot of pre-made penicillin if you are sick, and revolution is the right treatment for rat mites. A drop (more or less) on the back of their necks and the mites are gone within about a week. And the rats will vacuum up all of the mites in your home and poison them too as they are toxic to mites for a full month. It so doesn't get better than this.


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## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

so, you wouldn't recommend ivermectin?


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

No, some rats can have bad reactions to ivermectin, it's harder to dose, easier to overdose, generally not much cheaper, some mites are reportedly resistant, it's sometimes harder to come by and doesn't give you a month of protection.

It was the best thing around before revolution and before that there were cedar chips. The Lenape Indians shaved their heads with fire and most likely it worked a treat, but I wouldn't use a cigarette lighter to trim my mustache in the 21st century. By today's gasoline prices you are likely to spend as much on gas in your SUV to go to some rural Agway that stocks ivermectin as you are going to spend on the revolution at the corner vet. 

You don't need to have mites to buy revolution. My rat is a shoulder rat, she goes outdoors all summer, I might treat her every thirty days to prevent mites, like cat and dog owners do, so why would I need a vet visit? And as my rat has been known to go swimming, once revolution is applied it's even water proof.

If you have any trouble getting the vet to believe you, show your vet these photos:


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## BlackBirdSeesYou (Nov 4, 2012)

actually, the tractor supply store i'd planned on going to is only 5 minutes away, but still. i'll try to see if i can get some revolution.


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

I've seen ivermectin used in rats as young as 6 weeks with no problems. I've seen it used in adult rats with no problems. My daughter's roommate used it on her rats. One of them had no problems. The other had a slight reaction, but it recovered. She dosed them both a second and third time and neither of them had a problem. I thought it was crazy to give it to the one that had a problem the first time, but she said she was pretty sure she gave that one too much. She was more careful on the rest of the doses. 

If you decide to use ivermectin then you should measure out the suggested amount. Then cut it in half. The suggested amount is a piece the size of a grain of uncooked rice. 

Revolution only needs to be used once and the problem is gone. Ivermectin has to be used 3 to 4 times over a 3 to 4 week period. Just use the one you feel most comfortable with.


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## Rat Daddy (Sep 25, 2011)

I'm not sure I'd recommend a half dose of the ivermectin, that might just not do the job, and if the rat really is "sensitive to it " it might kill the rat anyway. So all of the risk without the benefits?


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## Kaliloca (Jan 24, 2013)

The reason I'd only use a half dose is... 

Each syringe of Ivermectin has enough in it to treat a 1500 pound horse. So, technically, there's enough for 1500, 1 pound rats. That's a "really small" amount. I've actually had to treat a few horses with it. You can't always get the horse to take the entire syringe. They spit out some of it and it's still enough to do the job. It's very powerful stuff. 

I figure, since a rat need 3 to 4 doses over 3 to 4 weeks... They'll get plenty if you only use half a dose each time. 

I don't know how many rats are sensitive to Ivermectin, but if you over dose them, you'll get the same end result.


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