What to do when rats get hurt while grooming?

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Tworats

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Hi,
I have two rats Carlos and Mr.Podolzky (brothers ,4 months old). My problem is that Carlos hurts Podolzky when grooming. Giving him lots of little scabs. I went to vet they are all healthy and both of them were also dewarming. So I'm sure it's not fleas and beside Carlos would get it as well. The vet said the skin looks fine as well. They dont seem fighting and they are living in peace. Their teeth looks good too. I honestly dont know what to do and I dont think separating them for a while will help. I tried to put a little sweater on podolzky but he hates it. Do you have any ideas ...I would be grateful for any help.
 

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Can you wet the rat down a little bit, and take a pic of where the scabs are? Are they mostly on the shoulders, head and neck of the rat? You may also wet down your other rat, and check for scabs (they are often well hidden in dry fur). It may be mites. It's very common, and you can't visibly see them like you can in rabbits, cats and dogs. So many vets misdiagnose it. If it is, a simple treatment of salemectin can get rid of the buggies. You'll just need to freeze bedding, any wooden toys, and clean plastic with hot soapy water. Mites are extremely itchy, and even a sock or sweater will be useless. Not to mention, most rats don't love having clothes on them.
 
Please post a picture as mentioned above
and follow the instructions - bedding and wooden things are frozen for 72 hours to kill any parasites
but if the scabs are only around the head and shoulders it is likely mites
 
Thank you for your help. Where can I get the the medication for mites? Should I go back to vet again and tell her its mites or can I get it in the pet shop? Carlos have no scabs on him at all.
 

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Looks like mites to me. You can just tell your vet you need the kitten revolution. They have to prescribe it, and Lilspaz or SQ can give you the dosage. You'll need both rat's weight in grams, and a ml syringe. Also an airtight container to dispense the revolution in. Then you'll draw up the revolution in the syringe, and put it on each rat's back between the shoulder blades, wait for it to dry, and keep them from grooming for a few mins (while it sort of dries, but it's greasy, so doesn't dry all the way), then you can put them back in their cage. :)
 
But you'll need to treat both rat's, and freeze bedding and wooden parts or toys from the cage. Bedding can be seperated into gallon or quart ziploc bags, and frozen individually.
 
And one more question. Do I have to freeze blankets and my bed cover that they were walking on or just a wash in high temp will be enough?thank you
 
Actually when you use Revolution you don't need to wash anything (especially blankets) as the medication stays in the bloodstream longer than the full lifecycle of the parasite. If you use paper or wood based beddings it's best to freeze it for 48 hrs before using. As mentioned before you can freeze it in small portions and keep adding the "treated" bedding to a sealed bag or container.
Where are you located?
 
Hi , just an update. Thank you for all your help really appreciate. I did what you've said and the boys got better. Scabs disappeared which made me so relieved. I'm living in Ireland. I have a little question for future reference. How does the rats get the mites from ? And how often do I have to deworm them?
 
They can get them from bedding, wooden toys, and I'm not sure what else. Just freeze bedding for a few days before use, then once it has been taken out of the freezer, put it in a tub with a lid on it. Wood toys is the same I think. All this BEFORE you give them to your rats. Also, if you see the scabs on them again, just give them a dose of the revolution. As long as it's been a month since the last dose. :)
 
It's really not that common. But yeah, bedding and toys, just going into a pet store, you could bring some home. You could do revo every 6 months as a preventative.
 
Rats often have mites but they keep them in check by grooming. They get out of control when their cage is dirty, or they are ill, old, depressed (hence the reason why only 1 of your guys has them, he may be more susceptible to them cuz he may be a little out of sorts or have a minor immune deficiency). And btw, Dena is mistaken, Im pretty sure I'm UK Revolution is called Stronghold, which I'm also pretty sure you do not need a prescription for in UK. I get Stronghold myself cuz it's cheaper and I don't need a prescription. But I don't use it because I'm still using my tube of Ivermectin I've had forever, but many people say it's too toxic. That's BS. Use it correctly and it's fine. JS
 
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They can get them from bedding, wooden toys, and I'm not sure what else. Just freeze bedding for a few days before use, then once it has been taken out of the freezer, put it in a tub with a lid on it. Wood toys is the same I think. All this BEFORE you give them to your rats. Also, if you see the scabs on them again, just give them a dose of the revolution. As long as it's been a month since the last dose. :)
Stop telling her to get Revolution. It's called Stronghold in the UK. And you don't need a prescription. either on many websites.
 
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