Is it dandruff? I can't take it to the vet, so don't suggest it please, and yes i regularly bathy my rat *~*
2007-01-27 13:35:01 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
the flakes do not move:)
2007-01-27 13:42:03 · update #1
It is very likely he has "buck grease". Buck grease is an orangy brownish flakey oil that forms on the skin of male rats. Rats are mature at around 5 to 6 months of age. As they mature the Buck's testosterone level rises. The more testosterone in the rat's system the more buck grease will form.
A change in diet can help to reduce it. You'll need to change the diet to include more omega-3 fatty acids. Giving them flaxseed oil or olive oil on wheat bread a couple of times a week is all that's needed. This not only reduces the buck grease, but also improves the condition of their coat, making it softer and shinier.
Hope i could help :]
2007-01-27 14:25:51 · answer #1 · answered by catieann 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
First of all, unless your rat is rolling in it's own waste, you should not bathe it more than once or twice a year. Rats are naturally clean animals.
If your rat is a male, there is really nothing you can do about it. It is a natural occurance. I give my rats a bath once every 6 months using Dawn, which will cut the buck grease.
Be sure you are not feeding him/her too many seeds, and I suggest using Harland Teklad blocks, which is a balanced diet.
Good luck!
2007-01-28 02:48:56 · answer #2 · answered by pisces_dreamer_dreaming 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I don't really have an answer to the flakes problem (though you could try AFRMA [American Fancy Rat and Mouse Assoc.]). However, it's not neccesary to bathe your rat on a schedule. Rats are fastidious cleaners and will clean themselves just fine. The only time you need to clean your rat is if they /really/ got themselves dirty, or right before a show.
2007-01-30 14:44:57 · answer #3 · answered by fortune_cell 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since the brown flakes are not moving, we can rule out lice. You can't see mites.
But just for future reference:
Pet rats are prone to mites and lice, but they rarely, if ever, get fleas.
http://www.rmca.org/Articles/bugs.htm
But it's more likely he has what we call "buck grease". Buck grease is an orangy brownish flakey oil that forms on the skin of male rats. Rats are mature at around 5 to 6 months of age. As they mature the Buck's testosterone level rises. The more testosterone in the rat's system the more buck grease will form. It's completely benign, albeit unsightly. If it bothers you you can bath him with the mildest form of Dawn dish detergent once a month.
More on Buck Grease
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Buck+grease+in+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DArgTEfODLmJNRz7pJOo1nm8azKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAnPnooqzOCMoA2R9jxDDoQUazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=Buck+grease+in+rats
spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com
Rat Slave at age 38
Specializing/Educating Others in the care of pet rats for 10 years
2007-01-30 05:19:36 · answer #4 · answered by spazrats 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Could be an allergy, could be scabs from too much protein in the rat's diet. He'll only live a few years, seems a pity not to take him to a vet and get expert treatment, but maybe try this website and see if it clears up.
Our dog was allergic to normal shampoo, and switching to baby shampoo helped him. Good luck with your pet. He sounds sweet.
2007-01-27 13:55:34 · answer #5 · answered by WomanWhoReads 5 · 3⤊ 2⤋
brown flakes, as in moving flakes? or just flakes as in dry skin flakes? If they don't move,
try after bathing him putting a little babyoil on his coat, rubbing the oil enough to penetrate the skin, its winter time, rats get dry skin too.
2007-01-27 13:41:00 · answer #6 · answered by emeralz_veneficus 3 · 2⤊ 2⤋
Rats get mites, lice, and bacterial infections. Could be just about anything. Good Luck!!
2007-01-27 14:04:07 · answer #7 · answered by Annie 4 · 2⤊ 3⤋
Sounds like it may be flea poop.
2007-01-27 13:38:59 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 4⤋
dry skin
next time you wash him, use a conditioner
2007-01-27 13:38:40 · answer #9 · answered by holeeycow 5 · 2⤊ 3⤋
hard to say - they harber all kinds of germs and bacteria - including salmonella.
2007-01-27 13:43:27 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 6⤋