my pet rat is scratching himself a lot lately,and as a result not only is he breaking skin but losing fur.help

Question

Sneezy is just over a year old. While he has a 2X2X4 foot cage which is always open, he has comandeered one of our dresser drawers which has his own bedding, both material and sawdust which are changed regularly. the problem is that lately he has been itching and scratching so much that he now has loads of little scratches which have broken the skin. he now has lots of little scabby nicks. also around the cuts his fur seems to be falling out.Any help would be really appreciated. Waiting hopefully.Thanks!

Answer 1

I've had many rats, and I usually go by the advice of Debbie Ducommen, an expert on rats that lives in California. Look up "The Rat Fan Club" on the internet, and there is a lot of info on care and health. This is a common problem. I would take him to a vet who can do a skin scrape to see if he can find any mites, but mites are under the skin and its difficult to get a sample of them. It's such a common problem that I just went ahead and treated all my rats and guinea pigs with ivermectin a couple times a year whether they showed signs or not. The treatment is not approved for use in small pets, but so many people use it that even my paranoid vet said I could use it (at my own risk). This is it:
Buy some horse paste wormer at a farm store. Make sure it is plain ivermectin (Zimecterin, Rotectin 1, Equimectrin). It should be under $10. Squeeze the syringefull into a small container, like an empty film canister, stir it really well, and spread a dose the size of an uncooked grain of rice on a tiny piece of peanut butter bread. Make sure he eats it all, and repeat once a week for 3 treatments. It's very important you don't overdose, but I've never had a problem with my 60 rats or 15 guinea pigs over the years.
If someone had symptoms of mites like yours, I would also bathe them with oatmeal dog shampoo once a week and thin a small layer of triple antibiotic on the worst cuts to help them heal. Just a tiny, tiny amount or it will make them greasy and more miserable, and they may lick it off and get the runs! Also enlist a lucky friend to help clip the sharp points off his back nails once or twice a week so he doesn't hurt himself as bad. I never used anything except newspaper and old towels in my rats cage because their skin and nose is so sensitive. Too much protien (dog food, nuts, etc) can cause itchy skin, too so I would give him lab blocks and total cereal, supplemented with veggies here and there. Hope this helps!

Answer 2

Mites. Our little rat had the same problem. You cannot see mites without a microscope, and they live under the surface of the skin. Called the vet, and was told to bathe him with flea shampoo. Get the kind made for ferrets or cats or rabbits, all those are OK for animals that clean themselves. Do NOT use dog shampoo. Rinse completely. You will also need to clean out his cage with bleach water, rinsing thouroughly. Repeat everything weekly for 3-5 weeks, until 1 week after he stops getting new sores. His skin will heal, and his hair will grow back. On the worst sores, you can use neosporin, rubbed in well, applied 2 times a day. Licking it off will not poison him. good luck!

Answer 3

Could be allergies, mites, fleas or just about anything. I recently purchased a bag of cedar shavings and my dogs all came down with ringworm--it was in the shavings.

I don't know anything about rats but if it were a dog, I'd suggest buying a new bag of shavings (even if it is the same kind, just buy a different bag). Give him a bath, anything to make him comfortable at this point.

If in a few days you don't notice a change, take him to the vet.

Answer 4

Sneezy probably has mites, pet rodents are very susceptible to get them, especially if you have wood or wood products in the animal's housing. They can also be hard to get rid of. First, I would recommend getting rid of anything with wood in it, and disinfecting the dresser drawer with some strong disinfectant (ie kennel disinfectant, bleach water, etc.) Your vet or your local pet store could probably sell you a mite shampoo to bath your rat in, or something to treat the irritation. They even have some good dry shampoos that don't use any water and are a lot easier.

Answer 5

Could be mites, if you look really closely at Sneezy or if you put him on a white towel and pet him, you will see them, they are really tiny, just leiitle black dots that move. You can get a spray from most pet shops to treat it. You could also try cutting his nails, I used to cut my rats nails with a pair of normal nail clippers then file them with a fine emery board!! They loved all the attention and would sit really still while I did it. Awww bless. Good Luck.

Answer 6

It could be an allergy, fleas or mites. Go to a vet. On the other hand, many pets do this when they are bored or stressed out. Take him outside for some exercise in the sun every day. Let him explore.

Answer 7

He might be reacting to the sawdust. Maybe try a different kind of bedding for a while, like carefresh. If it's not getting better, take him to the vet. Also, if you are using pine or cedar wood shavings, you should be aware that they have been shown to cause respiratory problems in rats/

Answer 8

He could have a skin complaint which will need treating by your vet or he may be suffering from boredom-rats are very intelligent little animals and need things to do-what about giving him new toys to play with. The toys dont have to cost you a fortune at all. my pet rats enjoyed exploring tunnels, boxes. What about tying rope from one end of cage to other so he can climb across it and you could also have a box for him to rummage in containing pieces of material and wooden cotton bobbins -hide little choc drops and fruit inside for him to find. Try vet first ok! put yourself in your rats shoes so to speak-keep him amused.

Answer 9

I raise rats and it sounds like your rat is infested with mites.
You will need to remove Sneezy from his cage, clean the cage and all contents thouroughly with hot soapy water, wash your rat in DAWN dish detergent. It will kill the mites. If this doesn't work, he might have a skin disease, which you should have treated by the vet. Hope this helps.

Answer 10

Yeah, my dog does that - allergies. Check his fur and make sure there are no mites first, though. Then, have you changed the type of wood you use for bedding? If so, change it to what it used to be. If not, change it to something else - nothing with cedar or pine. The organic stuff is best, but more expensive. If that still doesn't help, then take him to the vet.