Rat Health: Skin Problems

Fleas, mites and lice, oh my! These are the big three that all of us dread. Rats can get these little unwanted visitors from other animals (always quarantine new rats!) or infected bedding or food products. Beware of buying bedding or food that may have rips or tears in the packaging. Sometimes whole pet shops can be affected - so look carefully at their animals before buying any food, cages, bedding, toys or anything. (Most of these guys show up really well on white mice, so look into the mouse cages and check if you see little things moving around on them. If the mice are crawling with little bugs, tell the staff, then leave and don't go back!)

Fleas, despite their reputation in carrying the plague, are very rare to find on rats. They are little long-legged bugs that jump around like crazy when you try to catch them. If you do find fleas on your rat, they're most likely the more common dog or cat fleas, so your whole animal family will need to be treated. Dog or cat fleas can't live off rat's blood, but may bite them when they get hungry just as they bite people. Rat fleas do exist, but are extremely rare on pet rats. If you've adopted any wild rats, your chances of finding them are a bit better. For treatment, check with your vet. Make sure the medicine and dosages are at safe levels for rats. Pyrethrin, which is also used on birds, is probably the safest.

Mites and lice are more common rat pests. They can be hard to spot, though. If you suspect them, take your rat outside in the sun or look through his fur under a very bright light. If you riffle the fur, mites show up as small reddish or brownish dots that move very slowly on the skin surface, and lice are more elongated, brownish and have 6 legs. Also, there will be small, round or elongated milky-white eggs stuck to the base of the hairs. You may see both, as lice often accompany mites. Mites and lice itch a great deal, so there will also be small abrasions on the rat's skin from all the scratching. Again, check with your vet for the safest method of getting rid of these guys. Ivermectin is the usual treatment, although pyrethrin can also be used.

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Mites, Lice,

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