Mites?

[Janean Van Beckum]

So, I have read the previous posts on mites, but still have a couple of questions. I am pretty sure one of our two rats (the dumbo agouti named Spots) is being affected as he has scabs on his shoulders and I occasionally find a tuft of fur with a scab at the base he has scratched off. He is acting normally except for itching a bit more than usual.

Is it recommend he sees a vet? From what I am seeing, they can't usually find anything anyway and treat as a preventative. Can I just treat him and take him in if it doesn't clear or gets worse? How long does it take to see results?

Second, I see that kitten Revolution is a recommended product. I also saw this: http://www.ratfanclub.org/skin.html
" An easy treatment for lice, rat fur mites or mange mites is moxidectin (a relative of ivermectin) which is available from feed stores or websites as Quest brand horse wormer."

Any thoughts on which would work better?

I am also wondering about cleaning etc. during treatment and what recommendations are. I have seen several different things on other sites and nothing matches up!

It is nearly impossible to get a picture of the scabs since they are all below the fur, so I thought I would just give you a cute picture.

Thank you so much!

 

[SQ]

It sounds like mites.
It is important to treat all rats with kitten revolution, not just the rat with the scabs
There is no reliable test for mites and skin scrapings are both painful and useless,
so just treat for mites.
In Canada we need to buy revolution from a vet thus unless you have a good relationship established with a vet, it may require a vet appointment to purchase it and the vet will apply it
The dose is 6 mg of revolution for each kg of rat so you need to know the strength of the med (mg/ml) and the weight of the rat (a digital scale that weighs accurately to 1 gram and has a tare function is an important resource for rat owners) - basically it is tiny drop on the back of the neck measured out using a 1 ml syringe
cleaning the cage, washing things, and freezing wood is often done but many feel it is not necessary because revolution kills mites for 30 days

http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/ectoparasites.php
http://ratguide.com/meds/anti-infectives/selamectin_revolution.php

 

[Janean Van Beckum]

Thanks! I ordered some kitten Revolution and we have a scale so hopefully that is all they need.

 

[dspch911]

Make sure you treat them all. Freeze all bedding 48-72 hours before use.