# What's wrong with my rats tail?



## bluedragon312 (Sep 12, 2015)

So I have three rats and I've had them a year. Basically two of them have smooth normal tails, and one has a clumpy not smooth tail. I saw a loose scale/ flake and slowly pealed it off and she had no reaction. And underneath was what her tail should look like. Anyone know what it is and how to fix it? Should I maybe soak her tail in warm water and try to peal them off? She doesn't have any problems with it and it isn't dragging... Yet. Also I clean their tails twice a week with a wet wipe. Also the tail thing has devolved over two month I think. Here's a pic


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## Kchilson02 (Jan 20, 2016)

I am not an expert so could be wrong but I persobally would assume it could be a health issue and I would set up an appointment with your vet or if your lucky you can talk to your vet over the phone and they can have general idea if its something to come in for. I had a scare of mange mites cuz I recieved two girls off craigslist and a local breeder told me to watch for it as a newbie i went to the vet and she cleared both well a week later i saw bumps and little marks so called and talked with her personally she said if they arent itching they probably don't have mites but if I would feel better that I could come in which I did and it was just dry skin and power grooming. Anyways best option is vet its always better safe then sorry


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## lilspaz68 (Feb 24, 2007)

Dirty tail. The dirt and debris gets under the scales and lifts them. For health's sake you will need to gently scrub that tail. wear a long sleeved shirt, have a towel ready, dish soap and a soft toothbrush. Fill up the sink with a few inches of warm water. Then get dirty tail rat. Try to keep his tail soaking for about a minute in the sink water. Then you can put a little dish soap on your fingers and work it into the tail in a sideways downwards motion, always going towards the tip. Then you take the soft toothbrush and gently in short strokes try to brush the tail towards the tip again. By now you are chasing your rat around trying to hold onto the tail and clean it while they try to get out of the water and away, hence long sleeves for scratches, and towel for mess LOL. If its too stressful just do a little even if its just the dish soap and your fingers. Then try again in a day or so.


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## Isamurat (Jul 27, 2012)

It is often just muck, but it can also be dietary linked too, so if the rat in question is a bit deficient on protein or isn't getting enough or the right kind of fats in their diet it can contribute to the issue. What do you feed?


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