My 1.5 year old rat has been itching himself quite often for awhile now. Thinking it was mites, I scheduled a vet appointment. Unfortunately there are no rat specialists where I live, and the vet gave him some oral medication which did not help.I also made sure I thoroughly cleaned his cage with vinegar to get rid of them as well. I then got anti-itch shampoo. It did not work. I eliminated protein from his diet except for the necessary amount that he gets through his pellets. It did not work. I got a kitten dose of revolution, hearing that was better for treating mites for rats and cleaned his cage again. It did not work. I use forti-diet pellets and carefresh ultra bedding, both very good brands for rats. His cage is cleaned regularly as well. The vet said the only other thing they could think of is something with the salivary glands, but then he would only be itchy around his neck, and he is itchy everywhere. His skin isn't dry or anything like that, I really see no reason for him to be itching. He's a laid back guy so I doubt it would be stress related. Is there anything I might be missing here? Sorry this is so long.
There's quite a few excellent articles on the internet that provide information on treatment of specific skin problems in rats (relevant links are included below). But more often than not, you're uncertain as to exactly what's causing the problem. This article provides a step-by-step guide to dealing with an itchy rat when you're uncertain of the cause. If at any time you're unsure of your diagnosis or treatment, or if the skin problem is causing your rat excessive stress, you should consult a qualified vet.
Itching and/or scabs (and often resulting hair loss) is the most common skin problem in rats. This can be caused by a number of factors:
External parasites - lice, mites and fleas
Diet - excess protein, lack of essential fatty acids, food allergies
Contact allergies - to bedding, cleaning products, etc.
Injuries - from long claws, barbering, fights with cagemates
Dry skin and dandruff
Skin infections - bacterial, fungal, etc.
However, it's often difficult to determine which of these is causing your rat's problem (it may even be several of them). So here's a step-by-step plan of action for treatment of scabs and itching in rats:
1. Examination
Skin problems in rats are quite common, so you should inspect your rat's skin regularly. Some things you might find and what they indicate:
Bugs moving about, or their eggs attached to the base of hairs - parasite infestation
Scabs, cuts or other sores
Excessive itching
Hair loss
Dandruff and dry skin - dry air in your rat's living area, over bathing, lack of EFAs in your rat's diet
Rash, lesions, redness, offensive smell, skin infection, etc. - consult a vet for examination and treatment
Orange oily discharge and/or dandruff - this is normal for hormonal males and is not a medical concern
Obviously if you see parasites, you've found the main cause of your rat's itching. But scabs, itching and hair loss alone are non-specific signs. If you don't find any particular reason for your rat's itching, then you need to work through the following steps to determine the cause.
2. Clip your rat's claws
If your rat has long, sharp claws, they can cause cuts and scratches to their skin during normal grooming. Likewise, if your rat is being barbered (over groomed) by a cagemate or fighting often, he may end up with scratches. In turn, the scratches will become inflamed and itchy, causing subsequent injury.
Clipping your rats claws regularly can prevent further injury. See Claw Clipping (previous article) for information and tips. You can apply antiseptic cream (preferably also containing anaesthetic) to any cuts to help with healing.
This may well solve your rat's itching problem, but if he continues to scratch then you need to move on to the next step. Even if it doesn't solve the problem, clipped claws will prevent further injury while you determine the underlying cause.
3. Treat for external parasites
Rats can get mites, lice and fleas, all of which can cause itching and scabs on the skin, particularly around the neck and shoulders. Information on identifying and treating these can be found here:
What's bugging your rats and mice?
Ecto-parasites
This is probably the most common reason for itching and scabs in rats. Don't rule out this possibility simply because:
(a) you can't see any bugs moving about - mites are tiny!
(b) you haven't introduced any new rats - parasites can arrive via contaminated bedding or food, wild rats having access to your rat's play area, or on your clothing after interaction with a friend's or pet shop's rats
(c) your other rats aren't scabby too - sometimes mites can overrun just one of your rats if his immune system is lowered.
It's often wise to treat for parasites before considering the other possible causes of itching and scabs. Determining dietary problems and allergies can take weeks of trial and error, while the possibility of parasites can be solved after one week of treatment.
No matter what the bugs are, ivermectin is usually prescribed. You can either take your rat to the vet for an injection (Ivomec), or better yet, dose him and all his cagemates orally with ivermectin yourself. You can get it from most pet or tack shops, sold as horse worming paste. [Equimec in Australia, Equimectrin in the U.S., active ingredient ivermectin - 18.7g/kg]. Adult rats (300-500g) get a small amount equivalent to a grain of uncooked rice. You should split the dose for younger rats, depending on their weight. Dose once a week, for at least 3 weeks. The paste isn't mixed well, and since you're giving such a small dose, it's safest to decant all the paste into a small container (like a film canister or baby food jar) and mix it well before taking the rat dose out.
I recommend Fido's Concentrate used along with ivermectin. Diluted to the strength used for birds, you can bathe your rat in it to kill the bugs and immediately ease itching while the ivermectin breaks the parasite life cycle. You can also make th
Itching and/or scabs (and often resulting hair loss) is the most common skin problem in rats. This can be caused by a number of factors:
External parasites - lice, mites and fleas
Diet - excess protein, lack of essential fatty acids, food allergies
Contact allergies - to bedding, cleaning products, etc.
Injuries - from long claws, barbering, fights with cagemates
Dry skin and dandruff
Skin infections - bacterial, fungal, etc.
However, it's often difficult to determine which of these is causing your rat's problem (it may even be several of them). So here's a step-by-step plan of action for treatment of scabs and itching in rats:
1. Examination
Skin problems in rats are quite common, so you should inspect your rat's skin regularly. Some things you might find and what they indicate:
Bugs moving about, or their eggs attached to the base of hairs - parasite infestation
Scabs, cuts or other sores
Excessive itching
Hair loss
Dandruff and dry skin - dry air in your rat's living area, over bathing, lack of EFAs in your rat's diet
Rash, lesions, redness, offensive smell, skin infection, etc. - consult a vet for examination and treatment
Orange oily discharge and/or dandruff - this is normal for hormonal males and is not a medical concern
Obviously if you see parasites, you've found the main cause of your rat's itching. But scabs, itching and hair loss alone are non-specific signs. If you don't find any particular reason for your rat's itching, then you need to work through the following steps to determine the cause.
2. Clip your rat's claws
If your rat has long, sharp claws, they can cause cuts and scratches to their skin during normal grooming. Likewise, if your rat is being barbered (over groomed) by a cagemate or fighting often, he may end up with scratches. In turn, the scratches will become inflamed and itchy, causing subsequent injury.
Clipping your rats claws regularly can prevent further injury. See Claw Clipping (previous article) for information and tips. You can apply antiseptic cream (preferably also containing anaesthetic) to any cuts to help with healing.
This may well solve your rat's itching problem, but if he continues to scratch then you need to move on to the next step. Even if it doesn't solve the problem, clipped claws will prevent further injury while you determine the underlying cause.
3. Treat for external parasites
Rats can get mites, lice and fleas, all of which can cause itching and scabs on the skin, particularly around the neck and shoulders. Information on identifying and treating these can be found here:
What's bugging your rats and mice?
Ecto-parasites
This is probably the most common reason for itching and scabs in rats. Don't rule out this possibility simply because:
(a) you can't see any bugs moving about - mites are tiny!
(b) you haven't introduced any new rats - parasites can arrive via contaminated bedding or food, wild rats having access to your rat's play area, or on your clothing after interaction with a friend's or pet shop's rats
(c) your other rats aren't scabby too - sometimes mites can overrun just one of your rats if his immune system is lowered.
It's often wise to treat for parasites before considering the other possible causes of itching and scabs. Determining dietary problems and allergies can take weeks of trial and error, while the possibility of parasites can be solved after one week of treatment.
No matter what the bugs are, ivermectin is usually prescribed. You can either take your rat to the vet for an injection (Ivomec), or better yet, dose him and all his cagemates orally with ivermectin yourself. You can get it from most pet or tack shops, sold as horse worming paste. [Equimec in Australia, Equimectrin in the U.S., active ingredient ivermectin - 18.7g/kg]. Adult rats (300-500g) get a small amount equivalent to a grain of uncooked rice. You should split the dose for younger rats, depending on their weight. Dose once a week, for at least 3 weeks. The paste isn't mixed well, and since you're giving such a small dose, it's safest to decant all the paste into a small container (like a film canister or baby food jar) and mix it well before taking the rat dose out.
I recommend Fido's Concentrate used along with ivermectin. Diluted to the strength used for birds, you can bathe your rat in it to kill the bugs and immediately ease itching while the ivermectin breaks the parasite life cycle. You can also make th
If his skin looks okay, he may just be grooming himself. As long as no other symptoms accompany the scratching, I wouldn't worry. My oldest rat scratches everytime someone touches her because she's trying to keep herself clean. And about the Forti-Diet... I'm assuming it's the Kaytee brand food? Kaytee brand foods contain a cancer-causing preservative. I suggest you switch to either Mazuri (found in pet stores) or Harlan Teklad (found online). Harlan Teklad is one of the healthiest foods and it's also the cheapest. And even though Carefresh Ultra is a very good brand bedding, this does not mean it's suitable for every rat. Try switching to aspen or use fleece fabric.