I have no where else to go so I went here. I have a very sweet, loving rat who I am very close to. A few months ago, she developed scabs around her neck and ears. Our vet said it was mites and we gave her medication and cleaned her cage with bleach. That seemed to help and they went away but the scabs are back. Again, the vet gave her treatment but she did not respond to it and is getting worse. They said it could be fleas which is untreatable. Is there anything I can do to save her? It would break my heart to watch her die.
Thanks,
Jenn
2007-04-19 13:39:24 · 10 answers · asked by Jenn 3 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
Fleas can be treated, just like mites...fleas are usually easier to treat.
You can usually figure out if your rat has fleas by looking for them, you can usually see them in their fur......if your rat does have fleas...NEVER use a dog or cat shampoo to treat them!!!! These are way to strong for your rat!!!
They sell small animal shampoo, used for rats, hamsters, guinea pigs...ect. It is safe for rats, it's the safest way to go.
Like somone befor me said...it may be the type of bedding you are using...If it's a type of recylcled newspaper, you really should change it...the best type is Aspen. If you are using Aspen, you can try a corn based bedding.
Also, if you cleaned out her cage and it helped, then it could be fleas or mites that are coming in the house from another source. If you have anyother animals that go outside, they might be giving it to her.....
Hope this helps...GOOD LUCK!!!
2007-04-19 13:58:58 · answer #1 · answered by KaylaByrd 5 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I had a boy rat (that recently passed away) and he had fur mites as well, that kept coming back. This is what I did. First I gave him a bath, which he really seemed to enjoy, I then dried him thouroughly so he didn't get a cold, and used a black comb (can be one that a person would use) and gently combed through his fur to get all of the dead bugs and filth off of him. When a rat has mites, you have to clean the house out often (about 3-4 times a week), clean it with bleach, that will ensure that any mites or eggs will be killed. Give it a week or two and you should start seeing a major difference. Also I gave my baby a small dab of flea medicine on the back of his neck where he couldn't reach it and I think that helped too. Hope your baby gets better! Good Luck!
2007-04-19 14:08:36 · answer #2 · answered by Squeakers 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
First, I'm not sure why fleas is untreatable. You may not be able to give her medications but you should be able to reduce or get rid of the fleas if you keep her cage extremely clean and rid your house of the fleas before they become a problem. Anyway, my mom's dog gets scabs on her neck and upper back area as a reaction to a wheat allergy. Maybe your rat has an allergy to wheat or some other food. If it is this, it's not directly deadly, but it is just very irritating to the animal. I suppose that if your rat were to scratch the area excessively, an irritation and infection could result which then may cause a life threatening situation. But, try changing its diet to one without wheat gluten and see if that helps. Also, nuts are a big food that causes allergies too. Keep looking at different foods and see if anything works.
2007-04-19 14:07:19 · answer #3 · answered by Venice Girl 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Mites are very hard to get rid of they hide in your clothes, carpets, furniture, etc. Is this a hairless rat? or regular. You can give the rat a bath in liquid dish soap and let it set for a few minutes this will kill any fleas on her. You sould be able to see the mites or the fleas on her/him. There is not enough information here to give a good answer. You need to include bedding, substrate etc. Then you can start changing or eliminating items. She may be allergic to something.
Need more info, put the rat in a bare cage with the food and water and see if that helps. Without more info no one can give a good answer on this.
2007-04-19 14:30:02 · answer #4 · answered by nadreptilesru 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bathe her once every week or two. It could be neither of what the vet has determined. Could just be skin irritation. What bedding are you using? Try to switch to a corn cob bedding, to see if it was your bedding that is causing the irritation. ((This will also help, if it is mites, by removing any wood materials. Mites will hide in wood for a long time. They're easy to see if they're on your rat. They'll be tiny red specks that move, and you'll have noticed, because you would've been bitten by them, when you handle your rat).
My male rat gets irritated skin & scabs often, and bathing him in Dawn original soap (safe for animal use! You could use Johnson's baby shampoo instead) helps relieve the irritation, and the sores heal up quickly.
Try to do this anytime the sores reoccur, and/or whenever you clean the cage (which is what I do. Clean cage, clean rat).
My male rat was in pretty tough condition when I first got him (scabs all around his neck/ears due to him scratching his irritated skin). Look at him now:
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/PureMuttz/HPIM0721.jpg
2007-04-19 13:47:12 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
How can fleas be untreatable in a rat? Hmmm... one thing you might do is take your rat and comb her with a flea comb which is dipped in a mixture of Ivory Liquid Dish Soap and warm water. Then keep re-dipping it every time with each comb through. Thoroughly clean her entire house using WHITE VINEGAR... this is a natural and safe antiseptic/cleaner... I have rabbits which are incredibly sensitive and this remedy is prescribed for them. Also, you might try dipping a Q-tip in the tiniest amount of tea tree oil mixed with water and swabbing it in between the shoulder blades of your rat... again this is a non-toxic way to rid your little guy of fleas... just remember to mix the tea tree with warm water (like an half an eyedropper full of tree tree and five droppers full of warm water... this is a good ratio). Good luck....
2007-04-19 13:51:33 · answer #6 · answered by luvlychk2000 1 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I am not a rat expert//by why are fleas untreatable? with a dog bathing with Murphy's oil soap suffucates the fleas. I am told dawn lemon dishsoap will.kill fleas....ask your vet?..also what about a salve like panalog just to calm its skin down? again not a rat person....but try another vet!!
2007-04-19 13:55:04 · answer #7 · answered by d d 2 · 2⤊ 0⤋
One thought - the bedding may have the fleas/mites in it when you open the bag. I can't remember what you might need to do to sterilize the bedding before you use it. Maybe you'll want to ask that in a separate question. (freeze it? put it in the oven?)
2007-04-19 21:03:26 · answer #8 · answered by Tina Goody-Two-Shoes 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
My dog has mites (dimidex i believe) she receives cattle medicine in small dosage....ask ur doctor about Ivomec ( i hope that is what its called) she used to get scabs all over her b4 this treatment...talk to him and if thats not the right name tell him it is cattle medicine given orally
2007-04-19 13:46:18 · answer #9 · answered by Cash--Rescue, Foster, Adopt! 6 · 0⤊ 2⤋
I'm so sorry, I love rats but my hubby won't let me get one :(
Anyway you might try using a flea soap made for dogs, and dilute it. I would think it would be better to try that than to just watch her suffer. Other that that, I'm not sure.
2007-04-19 13:45:40 · answer #10 · answered by DeAnna 5 · 0⤊ 3⤋