Rat Mites?

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rattietatties - How did it go with your vet appointment?

Rocket - are the scabs more like lesions? If so you might be dealing with pyoderma (bacterial skin infection that can show up after they are scratching at the mites and open the skin and infect themselves.
 
rattietatties - How did it go with your vet appointment?

Rocket - are the scabs more like lesions? If so you might be dealing with pyoderma (bacterial skin infection that can show up after they are scratching at the mites and open the skin and infect themselves.
I would have to say yes, the scabs are more like lesions, they weep clear fluid rather than bleed when removed, and they seem to spread, or appear, in rapid succession, usually in asprrading out formation starting most often in his lower back area, NOT the upper back and shoulders, like mites scabs do. And I have administered bacitracin every breakout, usually once a day in the evening and immediately after I comb out all his loose or flaky scabs. I also have tried putting him on oral antibiotics concurrently while giving topical treatment. Every time I also gave either Stronghold or Ivermectin ( I prefer the latter) but this time I am not so that I might see if there's any difference. I have thoroughly cleaned ALL cages after his 2nd bout, and moved him to a smaller cage by himself during his 3rd affliction. I originally noticed his scabs shortly after he arrived, assumed he had them prior to his arrival, but I'm not entirely sure. I attributed them originally to his cage mate because after his first treatment I started to observe his mate was aggressively grooming his back area. Both he and especially his cage mate have buck grease issues, with his cagemates the worst I've ever seen. He requires intensive Dawn scrubbing baths about once a month, just to refreshen his skin and fur, which are both so badly mired in buck grease that his fur is stuck to his back and one rubbing down of his back leaves my hand sticky. But the scabby rat is not at all as bad, serious yes, but addressable. Anyway, if you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. I've repeatedly tried everything. No other rats have any mites symptoms at this time, but....when I did the whole damn community cleanouts, I did find some tiny cardboard bugs, as I call them. They are those tiny crawling bugs that appear in old books, paper, cardboard, etc. And eat the glue in the book bindings and in the paper itself I think. Anyway, they were mostly in the older cage that I have had longer, and the cardboard and paper bags covering the wire floors had them in between the layers, but not really anywhere else, and I don't believe the rats were even affected by them. But I was of course disgusted with them, and myself for allowing them to be present at all, and so I discarded everything not steel or plastic, and scrubbed down the cages, removing the floor panels and all. I even sprayed toxic but killer and then hosed the cages down to rinse it off. No rats were subjected to any poisons of course, they were all housed in temporary enclosures or left to free range awhile. So, I am pretty sure there are no mites, and only this one male agouti has the scabbing issue. It absolutely seems to be bacterial in nature, but how? I have treated him repeatedly!?!? Is he just a dirty rat who doesn't clean himself well and scratches with infected claws??? I am getting pretty exasperated, almost to the point of giving up. So any help is much appreciated. Ty
 
lilspaz - The vet appoint went good. Both rats got treated with kitten revolution as well as receiving a checkup. The one who actually had signs of mites was a little stressed out and spent most of the time trying to hide on my shoulder (getting his weight was a pain) hopefully all the scabs clear up! I haven’t been home since yesterday but my dad says he’s stopped itching which is good
 
I would have to say yes, the scabs are more like lesions, they weep clear fluid rather than bleed when removed, and they seem to spread, or appear, in rapid succession, usually in asprrading out formation starting most often in his lower back area, NOT the upper back and shoulders, like mites scabs do. And I have administered bacitracin every breakout, usually once a day in the evening and immediately after I comb out all his loose or flaky scabs. I also have tried putting him on oral antibiotics concurrently while giving topical treatment. Every time I also gave either Stronghold or Ivermectin ( I prefer the latter) but this time I am not so that I might see if there's any difference. I have thoroughly cleaned ALL cages after his 2nd bout, and moved him to a smaller cage by himself during his 3rd affliction. I originally noticed his scabs shortly after he arrived, assumed he had them prior to his arrival, but I'm not entirely sure. I attributed them originally to his cage mate because after his first treatment I started to observe his mate was aggressively grooming his back area. Both he and especially his cage mate have buck grease issues, with his cagemates the worst I've ever seen. He requires intensive Dawn scrubbing baths about once a month, just to refreshen his skin and fur, which are both so badly mired in buck grease that his fur is stuck to his back and one rubbing down of his back leaves my hand sticky. But the scabby rat is not at all as bad, serious yes, but addressable. Anyway, if you have any suggestions, I'm all ears. I've repeatedly tried everything. No other rats have any mites symptoms at this time, but....when I did the whole damn community cleanouts, I did find some tiny cardboard bugs, as I call them. They are those tiny crawling bugs that appear in old books, paper, cardboard, etc. And eat the glue in the book bindings and in the paper itself I think. Anyway, they were mostly in the older cage that I have had longer, and the cardboard and paper bags covering the wire floors had them in between the layers, but not really anywhere else, and I don't believe the rats were even affected by them. But I was of course disgusted with them, and myself for allowing them to be present at all, and so I discarded everything not steel or plastic, and scrubbed down the cages, removing the floor panels and all. I even sprayed toxic but killer and then hosed the cages down to rinse it off. No rats were subjected to any poisons of course, they were all housed in temporary enclosures or left to free range awhile. So, I am pretty sure there are no mites, and only this one male agouti has the scabbing issue. It absolutely seems to be bacterial in nature, but how? I have treated him repeatedly!?!? Is he just a dirty rat who doesn't clean himself well and scratches with infected claws??? I am getting pretty exasperated, almost to the point of giving up. So any help is much appreciated. Ty

http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/pyoderma.php
 
Rocket have you got your own thread on this matter? If not, can you start one, and post pics of your baby? If you can't get pics I have several of classic surface pyoderma that you might be able to identify with.

For Pyoderma, I did baytril and Metacam (meloxicam). The baytril cured the bacterial infection slowly and the metacam stopped them from scratching themselves bloody, while its hurting and then when its healing, pulling, drying and itchy. You have to give really decent doses of metacam for this to help. I have pics of a huge lesion on the back of one girl and the same girl/lesion later on showing the start of real healing. Pyoderma is a long-haul treatment though, months of care.
 
Rocket have you got your own thread on this matter? If not, can you start one, and post pics of your baby? If you can't get pics I have several of classic surface pyoderma that you might be able to identify with.

For Pyoderma, I did baytril and Metacam (meloxicam). The baytril cured the bacterial infection slowly and the metacam stopped them from scratching themselves bloody, while its hurting and then when its healing, pulling, drying and itchy. You have to give really decent doses of metacam for this to help. I have pics of a huge lesion on the back of one girl and the same girl/lesion later on showing the start of real healing. Pyoderma is a long-haul treatment though, months of care.
Ok, I will do that tonight, he is just starting to recuperate and heal once again, so the scabs/lesions are not weeping any longer, but still look fresh. Will start a new post tonight. Ty
 
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