my rat keeps on chewing the fur off her right or left leg and i dont understand why this is happing to her please explian to me why this is happing
2007-02-16 04:53:04 · 6 answers · asked by Green Eyes 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
This behavior in rats is called "Barbering".
From our favorite Rat Biologist:
http://www.ratbehavior.org/Glossary.htm#Barbering
As you can see Barbering stems from many causes.
More on Barbering:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Barbering+in+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAscYqL80.x8jy71l3_Mj6BgazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAsuRZXHyX3jz_HHQlFel4xgazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=Barbering+in+rats
More often then not Barbering starts from boredom and lack of stimulation, or anxiety.
Here's a few things to think about to find out why she has been doing this mild form of self-mutilation.
When did this behavior start?
Did anything change in her life around the time that this started? New location of the cage, new pet, the time you spend with her, etc.
Is she bored? Rats are very intelligent and curious and therefore need more stimulation and activity then other rodents.
Keep in mind that if the behaviour has become neurotic it might be difficult to stop her. She will do no more harm to herself then making her coat unsightly. Rat keepers have used nasty tasting stuff that works on cats and dogs to stop fur-chewing, but it doesn't seem to work for rats. They seem to like the taste of Bitter Apple, Bitter Grape, Bitty Orange, and I've found they even like the taste of Fooey!
Anti-anxiety drugs do not work for rats like they work for dogs.
Rarely have we come across Barbering caused by mites, but here is the info anyway.
Mites and Lice in rats:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=Mites+and+Lice+in+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAscYqL80.x8jy71l3_Mj6BgazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAsuRZXHyX3jz_HHQlFel4xgazKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=Mites+and+Lice+in+rats
Have more fun learning how to care for rats at Holistarat, a Yahoo Forum. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/holistarat.
Sandra Beasley and the Spaz Rats
(Rattery, Rescue, and Rat-care Expert)
http://spazrats.tripod.com
Slave to over 200 pet rats in 11 years, and member/owner of 12+ rat-only forums in the last 11 years
2007-02-17 07:58:29 · answer #1 · answered by spazrats 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You rat's leg probably is fractured, but don't worry. Normally, a rat would not die from a fracture, but it will slow them down. Call your vet and ask them what they think. Do not tell them that you are going to come in, just ask them for advice. Put your rat in a small cage with a heating pad put on low on one side so he can get away from the heat. Have a little water and some food, and just let your rat rest. make sure that the leg is not sticking out in a strange way or bleeding. The leg may just be bruised. if all your vet wants you to do is come in to take a look at it, try other vets first, just to get information, because vet visits can be really expensive! even just for a check up! however, since the rat is not showing much pain, that does not necessarily mean that it does not hurt, because rats almost never show that they are in pain, because that would make them vulnerable in the wild. however, if your rat goes into shock (kind of limp, but still awake) take it to the vet immediately! good luck!! <3 also, is the rat an albino, because this sort of thing happened to a rat that i had that was an albino.
2016-03-28 22:44:32 · answer #2 · answered by Elizabeth 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have had LOTS of pet rats and they are like dogs and cats in many ways. It sounds to me like anxiety. Does your rat have a new cage mate or a new home altogether? If she is only chewing the one spot(her leg)it is very likely she may need an anti-anxiety medication. My sister's cat was doing the same thing and she had to get meds for her from the vet. Even if you have changed her diet, put something new in her home, or moved her cage to a different part of the room,it could trigger anxiousness/depression.
2007-02-16 05:28:45 · answer #3 · answered by Lulu 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
There might be a few reasons for it's behavior.It could have mites, an abscess or some sort of tumor or maybe it's just an excessive groomer. Either way you should take it to the vet to find out if there's something to be worried about. Many animals bite themselves excessively when there's an underlying condition.
2007-02-16 05:00:54 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
she may have mits or a rash or just be itchy. i would talk to the vet.
2007-02-16 04:59:27 · answer #5 · answered by B 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
beacause its hungry
2007-02-16 04:58:25 · answer #6 · answered by kandy girl 2 · 0⤊ 3⤋