I bought a rodent shampoo from the pet store and it does nothing to eliminate their smelly odour ( they go back to smelling yucky again)! Is dog shampoo safe to use on a rat or not?
2007-03-16 14:42:50 · 13 answers · asked by Anonymous in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
I have male rats, I clean their cage every day ( change the newspaper and replace it with new newspaper, scrub and wash the tray and wipe it) I wash the cage twice a week and they still manage to smell it up, I read somewhere that rats do their business in one corner of the cage, well NOT my rats!! I go in there to clean it and they have poo in their hammocks, which in case you don’t know is were they sleep!
2007-03-17 21:05:11 · update #1
They also have poo on their sitting bench and basically in ever nook and cranky of the cage, which I then must then resort to picking the poo out with a very small tooth pick or it wont come out. What is worse is that they poo in mid air! Yup you’ve heard it all flying pigs and rats that poo in air. Now the poo lands on the floor and my dog eats it….. I suspect they even roll in their own poo. Now I love my rats to bits which is why I’m putting up with their nasty habits and cleaning their cage so often. Thanks to all your answers and I’ll and look into some dog shampoos :).
2007-03-17 21:05:39 · update #2
Do you have male rats or female rats? Female rats have a sweet smell something like grape soda. Male rats have a smell like warm taco chips. This is the male's natural musky scent and you shouldn't be trying to get rid of it. If your rats smell like urine or feces then it means their cage needs to be kept cleaner. Male rats may need their cage to be cleaned out as often as every day. Some males are lazy and they pee in the same bedding they sleep in.
Some male rats,depending on their level of testosterone, have an orangy, oily skin, which we have come to call, "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%3DAqFmYLsucJ9Ju1A_wytuo5cazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAjrR1DDgyctRMOV346dKZz4azKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=Buck+Grease+in+rats
This is the only time we use Dawn Dishwashing Detergent is to clean off Buck Grease because it's the only soap that will do the job.
A rat's skin pH is similar to a dog's skin pH so if you use anything other then a dog shampoo or a shampoo made specifically for rodents, you will be unintentionally changing the pH of the rat's skin. This sets up an irritated skin condition (doesn't mean you can see this condition) that will make the rat smell even more. In other words your attempt for a fresh-smelling rat will have backfired as you end up in a vicious cycle that will stop only when you stop bathing the rat. The baby shampoo and the kitten/cat shampoos are not proper shampoos for rats. Don't bathe your rat too often, as you are stripping oils out of the coat.
Yes, you can use a puppy shampoo or an oatmeal based dog shampoo to bathe your rats. It's still contraversial among rat-keepers as to whether or not cat/kitten shampoos are ok. Use them if you will.
Bathing rats:
http://search.yahoo.com/search?search=bathing+rats&ei=UTF-8&fr=ks-ans&ico-yahoo-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAqFmYLsucJ9Ju1A_wytuo5cazKIX%2FSIG%3D111gjvvgj%2F*-http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch&ico-wikipedia-search-value=http%3A%2F%2Frds.yahoo.com%2F_ylt%3DAjrR1DDgyctRMOV346dKZz4azKIX%2FSIG%3D11ia1qo58%2F**http%253a%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FSpecial%253aSearch&p=bathing+rats
spazrats
"my life has gone to the rats"
2007-03-17 20:34:09 · answer #1 · answered by spazrats 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Just keep the cage clean. Maybe you need to use a different litter. Rats don't normally smell bad unless the nest does.
Of course their poop and pee smell, but if you keep the cage clean the rat should be okay.
Yes you can wash the rat with puppy shampoo, baby shampoo, or other gentle cleaner; but I wouldn't do it too often; it might become irritating.
2007-03-16 19:15:55 · answer #2 · answered by The First Dragon 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Dog shampoo is a little strong for rats. I would recommend using puppy, kitten, or rodent shampoo.
2016-03-29 02:16:10 · answer #3 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Generally yes. My vet actually prescribed a dogs medicated shampoo for my ratty. Are they pretty oily? I used to use a dishwashing soap on him (BE CAREFUL AROUND NOSE AND EYES) and then a tearless baby shampoo. Rats are always going to be kind of stinky, but these ideas should help.
Oh and for all the users out there insulting this gal for having rats, do your research!! A study was done on the best animals for kids and rats are the number one! They are so smart, go potty in one area of their cage, are trainable, rarely bite, give kisses, and truly luv their owners. Rats rock!!
2007-03-16 14:55:16 · answer #4 · answered by emmalinesweets 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
I had a rat named Roo who was allergic to everything and had awfull dandruff from the allergy--the vet suggested Johnson's baby shampoo for humans to wash away the skin. It didnt work all that well. Dog shampoo might be too harsh.
2007-03-17 05:47:04 · answer #5 · answered by Wicked Little Lady 3 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I have many years experience with rats and I can honestly say that the best thing to use to wash them if they get smelly (which they shouldnt be getting THAT smelly if they are being taken care of properly) is Dawn Dishwashing liquid. It doesnt irritate their skin, and leaves them clean and non-smelly. The only thing is, as with any shampoo dont get it in their eyes, nose mouth or ears :)
2007-03-16 15:38:57 · answer #6 · answered by Allie 1 · 1⤊ 2⤋
I use a kitten shampoo on my rats. It's a lot milder than other shampoos and doesn't burn their skin.
My boys only get a bath if they are really dirty, most times they clean themselves. If your rats are males, you can expect a musky type odour but not a nasty stink.
One Sexy Jeep Girl ... great joke. It made me laugh.
2007-03-16 16:27:58 · answer #7 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 2⤋
NO if you have to use something other than the rodents shampoo try a baby shampoo or puppy and kitten shamppo.
2007-03-17 07:12:41 · answer #8 · answered by MommyCaleb 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I've used dog shampoo on my cats before and other than the fact that they now bark like crazy whenever someone knocks on the door I've had no problems.
Sorry bad joke. I think it would be fine.
2007-03-16 14:51:54 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
Well im not sure about your type of shampoo but i would say if you dont know for sure if u can use it then to use something els because you never know if it really is
Better safe than sorry
kealty
2007-03-16 14:51:22 · answer #10 · answered by Kealty 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋