Att: Lil Spaz or anyone with skin experience

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rainbowbrat23

Well-Known Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2007
Messages
337
Location
Wa
So I had noticed scabs on whitey about 2 weeks ago....none of the other rats had them except Dot had like 1 on her.
I thought it was just them scratching because I haven't had the brick in there to dull the nails down, or maybe from them playing around.
I took Whitey out and looked at her closer because her face seemed like the fur was thinner.

Her weight is fine, she breathes funny, but she has breathed funny since I brought them home. The only thing about her breathing I can think of is that it is squeekier, and she kinda twiches when she breathes.

The only change in diet I can think of is I added a trail mix that had soy beans in them, but not that much at all.

She does have a vet appointment, but my money situation is sticky this month, so I will not be able to afford the meds....only the exam for him to tell me what is wrong with her.

They MAY do payments, but last time I asked, they said no. I HATE these vets, I dunno why I am going, I know what they are gonna do...AND I am going to the vet that I blame Sammy's death on ONLY because I know he has experience with skin issues, and this vet doesn't tell me quarintining is pointless, and that rats are fine by themselves, and I could go on and on....I will save this for another rant...I just have issues with the moronic vets here....SO...ANYWAY....

What do you think I should do? What do you think it is? I do not have pics yet because the ones I did get came out fuzzy...

Thanks!
 
It sounds like they have mites is all. Rats also have naturally present parasites on them, which are mites. They can also get them from paper and wood products that have been exposed to other animals in warehouses and such. Normally their daily grooming keeps the mites' numbers in check and it's not a problem. As the rat gets stressed or ill, the mite population gets worse. Since Whitey has seemed to have gotten worse with her breathing, it would be perfectly reasonable to assume that it's just mites. Mites tend to hang out around the face and neck of rats, causing scabs on their cheeks, ears, and by their front legs. it is possible for only one rat to be having a problem because of their immune system being a bit off. I generally go ahead and treat everyone in the colony, but treating those with symptoms is fine, too.

You'll need to get something to treat the mites. Revolution is the best, easiest, and neatest way to do this. One drop between the shoulders and they're parasite free for a month. No major cleaning, no worries. It lasts long enough to kill all of the life cycles of the mites. You can sometimes purchase single tubes from your vet and you'll be wanting the kitten or puppy version.

If you can't afford Revolution, you can use Ivermectin Paste, which is available at most large animal type shops such as feed stores, places where they sell horse tack, etc.. It's a white paste, and you feed them a bit the size of an uncooked grain of rice. Absolutely no more than that. You have to treat them once a week for atleast 3 weeks. You *must* sanitize the cage, toys, their play area, and up to a 15ft radius around their areas within 24hrs of each treatment. All paper and wood products need to be either frozen for 48hrs or tossed out, vacuuming the baseboards and floor/carpeting, and scrubbing their cage with a bleach solution.

Here's a link to Ratguide's article on ivermectin: http://ratguide.com/meds/antiinfectives/ivermectin.php

And a link to their article on parasites in general:
http://ratguide.com/health/integumentar ... asites.php

She really does need medication, though, if her breathing has progressed like that. I understand your situation, but seeing if any vet would give you an option for either a payment plan or something would really be best.
 
My vets do not carry revolution, I asked when they all had lice before...they gave me the ivermectin stuff.

Thanks for hte advice!

I doubt they will let me do payments....they never did before...I HATE vets.
 
Should I just go to the petstore and get revelution then? What if they do not have it, what about that other flea stuff...kitten though right?
 
I believe Revolution is only available through a vet.
There is the ivermectin paste, a horse wormer. The problem with that is it can be tricky with the dosing. You have to give the size of an uncooked grain of rice, once a week for three weeks. It's easy to under dose and you have to be careful not to over dose. If you can find a vet to prescribe Revolution, it would be much better with the right dose.
 
ya, like I said before, they do not prescribe it here.....

I guess I will just have him gimmie ivermectin

UGGGG

See if you can find it first. You can also order it online. I have heard of Ivomec being the brand name. Its a horse and large animal de-wormer oral paste. Do not forget to take out a bunch of it and mix it thoroughly as its meant as one complete dose for a horse. Sometimes the actual Ivermectin is too concentrated in one area and not enough in another.
 
Call around to other vets and see if they prescribe it. Many dog/cat vets carry it, not just exotics vets. Revolution is only available by prescription at the vet's, not over the counter in a pet store.

You do not want to use any other flea/lice medication available over the counter at pet stores! Those medications have been linked to severe reactions in dogs and cats, and they contain more toxic chemicals than Revolution. Powders and sprays can cause severe respiratory distress in animals, especially rats. Again, they contain chemicals which can be highly toxic. Revolution has been tested and researched on rats, and has been determined to be safe.

If you cannot order the Revolution either online or through another vet, your best bet will be the Ivermectin. Any store that carries horse or large animal products will have it.
 
I didn't write :
See if you can find it first. You can also order it online. I have heard of Ivomec being the brand name. Its a horse and large animal de-wormer oral paste. Do not forget to take out a bunch of it and mix it thoroughly as its meant as one complete dose for a horse. Sometimes the actual Ivermectin is too concentrated in one area and not enough in another.
Click to expand...
Who did that? LOL

anyway...I am back from the vet, he said it is NOT mites, it is some kind of derm...something rather...an outbreak of the natural mites on her skin caused by EITHER Crimsons death (stress) or from the tumor she has developed on her left side of her belly by her back leg, or he was thinking it could be an allergic reaction too.....but I do not understand that...she has been on aspen or over a year now.

So she got a shot of ivermectin to sooth the itching, and he gave me advantage multi....he said it is a new one and works just as good as revolution, if not better than ....(ya, we'll see) ....and I give her 1 drop between the shoulders once a week.
 
Lilspaz accidentally modified your post instead of replying to the post.

Mites are naturally occurring on rats, but when they are stressed or ill, the mite population isn't kept in check because the rats aren't grooming properly. She could have also gotten an excess of mites from the Aspen you use for their bedding, unless you freeze it for 48hrs prior to putting it in the cage.

I really wouldn't suggest using the Advantage Multi. While it may be better than Revolution for dogs and cats, there's no research done for rats. Selamectin, the only ingredient in Revolution, has been extensively tested. At the very least, I would strongly suggest thoroughly researching the ingredients used in Advantage [imidacloprid and Moxidectin], and possibly even just calling a good exotics vet to ask their opinion on the Advantage. Phone calls are free, and most exotics vets I know will discuss something with you.
 
It is not advised that rats be given an injection of Ivermectin, it is not the safest way to administer it. Sometimes the injectable form is given topically, but injection of ivermectin is usually avoided.
I am a bit concerned about the instruction to give Advantage on a weekly basis - I would be concerned of an overdose as the medication builds up in the rats body at that frequency. Like Revolution, Advantage works long term in preventing and destroying parasites. It should only be administered on a monthly basis due to how it works. I have never used Advantage on the rats, only Revolution, but I have used it on my cats years ago when they first came to me.
Nowadays they are finding that products like Revolution and Advantage are effective even longer than they originally thought, closer to six weeks as opposed to the original four.
Personally, I would give them one dose of the Advantage and wait to see what happens before giving them another. I have never had to administer Revolution more than once and I have had some nasty cases of parasites with the rats.

Rat Guide information on Ivermectin:
http://ratguide.com/meds/antiinfectives/ivermectin.php
Webpage on how Advantage works, mentions to be given monthly:
http://advantage.petparents.com/howItWorks.cfm
More information on the active ingredient of Advantage, Imidacloprid, and how it works:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=0&cat=1463&articleid=1370
 
I have called all the vets in my area....I know you guys do not know my issues with vets, but ya...I do ot like them around here..and from what ya'll are saying, proves my point.

He said the advantage multi has a compound in it that makes it as good as the revolution.

This is why I do not go to vets, but what am I going to do, let her suffer??

I seriously give up...no more f*****g vets for me. :evil:
 
Sorry Rattielove, I clicked on edit not reply... :oops:

Blinding heachache here. :(

Once a week totally freaked me out when I saw it. This could lead to an overdose.

Let me check into it.
 
Once a week really sounds like too much. If it is a reaction to something, like an allergy, I don't see how a mite treatment will work. Cuz didn't you say the vet said it wasn't mites?
 
Advantage is the same as Revolution like Vanessa says and is a once a month treatment. Your vet gave your rats an Ivermectin injection (costly, can cause abscesses at injection site, and often doesn't work), but you should wait until 1 week has passed before using the Advantage.

Ivermectin is the only treatment that is once a week for 3 weeks.

If your vets don't understand much about rats, the onus is on you to research, or ask questions here and be able to inform these vets. :p You can always print off pages of the ratguide to bring in and let them know about its existence.
 
I remember asking Dr. Munn about Advantage a little while ago after reading about another rat owner being prescribed it. Her comment was something along the lines of it being an option with rats, but that her preference would always be Revolution as it has been prescribed more often and it's safety for rats is not in question. She also added that she has never given Advantage to rats herself.
I didn't go any further with my questioning, because that is basically how I feel about things too. If I can get Revolution, and it is trusted for safety, then that is the way I will go.
Just an fyi, though.
 
I have brought the papers in to the vet, highlighted important sections, and told him what others say and do.

he says, "They are not vets though are they"

I have come to the conclusion that after all these ratties are gone, I am done with rats and animals in general...I can't stand these vets, and this is also why I was hesitant to go in.

Atleast it only cost me $80 and not $120 like I thought....and I asked about payments, and they make you do a credit check for that.

I am done done done ....and frustrated beyond belief
 
I'm sorry it's not working out for you. I know what it's like to be frustrated with a vet who doesn't know much about rats. I hope things get better.
 
It is very frustrating to have a vet react that way, especially considering that vets only spend a fraction of their time in vet school (I have heard a total of two weeks only throughout the whole X number of years that they are in school) learning about all small animals and no time learning about rats specifically.
That is why I adore Dr. Munn as much as I do, you will never see her use the 'my way or the highway' attitude with the rats. Plus, she is constantly researching new medical treatments for them on the internet and discussing options with other vets around the world. I know that she doesn't limit her further education to rats either, she does it for other small animals as well.
Each time I read a post like this one, I always thank whoever is in charge for giving me access to Dr. Munn.
But that is why it is so important to have forums like this one where you have access to people who have access to good vets.
You have the drugs that you need, so you are good to go, you just need to take what you have learned from here and apply that knowledge in a way that you feel comfortable.
Forums can't replace vet care, but they sure can offer advice.
 

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