Please Help, Nettie has Mites

My rat Nettie has a few black spots that have appeared on the edge of her ear. I assume these are mites. After doing some research I'm planning on using cat-safe flea and tick shampoo on both of my rats, thoroughly cleaning their cage and replacing all bedding. Am I on the right track? I've heard mites are pretty common. Should I be doing more? What do you guys suggest. I'm really worried and want to take care of this today. My other rat doesn't have any sign of mites but I plan on treating her as well.

Treat both the rats for sure. Never use flea treatment that you can buy from pet stores as a general rule because they do way more harm than good, and flea shampoos and collars rarely work anyway. Revolution is the only rat-safe treatment that also treats mites that I'm aware of. Flea treatment doesn't treat mites unless it specifically says it does. What you're seeing are actually ear mites, so make sure that Revolution treats those because it might just treat sarcoptic mange, the most common type of mites. In Canada, you have to go to a vet office to get Revolution, but I believe that you need a prescription for it in the US which is annoying. I would call your local vet or go in and ask, all vet offices should carry Revolution. Good luck with your treatment!

Thank you, glad I asked here before making any decision! I'll call my vet promptly.

Me too! Wouldn't want anything to happen to your new little girls!

Update: Scheduled an appointment with my local vet. Unfortunately they couldn't see her for a week and I hate to see her uncomfortable but I'm happy it's getting resolved thank you so much!

If you're getting them treated with Revolution, you'll likely have to go for the full course, which will be three visits over three months. We had to have that done with our current batch (when there were still five) when they were young, at the height of summer no less. Not a fun time for anyone. Still, better than itchy rats.

Best of luck helping your fuzzies get rid of their passengers!

I've read about giving rats an olive oil bath to suffocate the mites, so maybe you could try to put some olive oil on the tips of her ears to give her some relief in the meantime. Just make sure not to get any in her ears and gently dry them out with a Q-tip if you accidentally do because the ears need to stay dry inside to keep from getting infected.

If you can see them, they are not mites.
Great that you are taking Nellie and her rattie friends in to see the vet.
As others mentioned, revolution is the treatment for parasites in rats and the amount given is based on the strength and the weight of the rat. Usually only 1 treatment is needed.
btw, because all meds are based on weight and sometimes you will need to track and record your rat's weight, investing in a digital scale that weighs accurately to 1 gram and has a tare function, is a good investment
Here is some info you may find helpful http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/ectoparasites.php

That's true, of course the spots themselves are not mites, but the scabs will show up as dark raised dots lining the edge of the ear. You may also be seeing the feces and other debris that the mites leave behind (which is so gross!).

Update:
Took Nettie to the vet. They gave her Revolution and an antibiotic to help with the healing of her ear. I put one drop on both of my rats back once a month and that should clear it up. They only had Revolution packaged for dogs, so I have about a years worth if I should ever need it again before it expires Thank you guys for your help!

Great! I found out from experience that the liquid evaporates quickly once the tube is open so you probably will not be able to use the same tube again. If you have any other pets (as long as they're not not dogs, outdoor cats, or you don't live in a heartworm area), I would probably treat them just to make use of the tube. Although, putting the tube in an airtight container or plastic bag would probably help it last longer.