Rat Scabs.help?

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The others may be power grooming her then. It's basically when they pin her and groom her with some force. Generally they wind up 'clipping' the fur in the process, so it's almost like a haircut. You could try separating her out to be sure that this is indeed the problem, but if she seems happy with them and not too bothered by the scabs, then I wouldn't worry about it. The scabs most likely won't get infected, and rats are such fast little healers that they'll heal over before they really have a chance to even get infected. You can use a small dab of antibiotic ointment like polysporin or Neosporin on the worse of the scabs, but it's not really necessary.

It could also be that their playing is a little rough, and she's getting the brunt of it since she's the Low Man on the totem pole. Again, though, if she's happy, it's not bothering her all that much. If she was avoiding her cagemates, hiding from them, or seemed genuinely afraid, it'd be different.

ETA : itching and scratching is more of a constant, start/stop type of thing when it's related to mites. Just like when you get a bug bite, the itch can be so bad that you'll stop in mid conversation in order to really scratch it. She would be showing signs like running around then coming to a dead halt just to scratch. Normal grooming is different.
 
Good advice.Thank you:)

I'm going to try putting her in my other cage (which is smaller so more out time for her!) but keeping it next to the main cage to keep her stress down.


If this does end up being the problem, will she always be my scabby one?
I mean how long to do they keep this behaviour going?

also why do they do it?

-Thanks for helping.I really appreciate it.
 
If they only seem to be scuffling and that at night, you can leave her in the Main Cage during the day and remove her at night. This way she still gets to sleep with her buddies but isn't involved in the rough play.

If it does end up being the problem... Well, there's not a whole lot you can do. It's a dominance thing that's taken just a bit too far. Pinning and force grooming a cagemate is to show they're the Bigger, Badder Rat. Power grooming is like the OCD version of that. Some rats do it solely for the dominance, and I've seen others that do it almost like a nervous habit. It could slack off some as they all get older and more laid back about things, but it could continue on for the rest of their lives. If the cage dynamic changes any, it's possible that shy little Genevieve will move up on the totem pole and the behavior could stop then.
 
i really hope that she does. poor girl.

I'll take her out at night and see how it goes.that was an excellent idea.

The eldest is audrey at about 1.5 years the other 2 girls would be around a year old now. I hope things get sorted.she's looking rather worse for wear. her nickname is sometimes "scabbers" she's really pretty though -when she doesnt have scabs.I know she's hooded but am unsure exactly of what the colour is called.my mum calls her the "beige" rat and she kind of is a sandy colour but with this very slight purplish tinge to her.its hard to explain without sounding silly.I should post pictures so people can educate me.

I cant thank you enough for all of your help. :)
 
This is my girl Penn, she's a beige berkshire, so she's beige on top with a white belly.

IM001535.jpg
 
awww how cute! That is almost the colour of her "hood" but hers is lighter. i will have to get some good photos and learn to post them so i can show you the strange but pretty lavender tinge i am talking about.
 
She might be lilac :)

About the scabs, it can take a few weeks before they are really going. You might also want to consider trimming her hind claws as healing scabs can itch and she may be opening them up herself. It does sound like pinning and powergrooming though.

Is the cage big enough? This can cause normally peaceful rats to assert their authority more than usual.
 
I have been keeping her claws trimmed especially lately.

oohh lilac sounds pretty!

I really must learn how to upload photos to show you how big their cage is.

It's three full levels. 33 inches long,18 wide, and 30 across.(just measured quickly with a measuring tape) so i hope i did it right.

I'm thinking of getting something as big as our ferret cage for them though- even though that cage allows them all their on sleeping places,heaps of places to hide food and they can poop far away from everything.More space is fun.
 
Does she have any that actually look like scratches or are they all tiny round scabs like they get with mites?
I had a couple girls with little scabs mostly around their shoulders, head & face that didn't get better with mite treatment. I used some expensive lotion from the vet but what seemed to work best was bathing twice a week with antibacterial dog shampoo, the owies cleared up really quickly I think it was some type of bacterial infection.
 
Using any kind of product designed for other animals, especially much larger animals, has alot of risks. The chemical ingredients used are to the proportions of the animal stated, and could be potentially toxic to a much smaller animal. It's also not suggested to bathe a rat unless absolutely needed, since it could make the problem that much worse from drying out their skin. I'm glad it all worked out fine in your case, Fidget, but I would strongly suggest anyone planning on trying that method to speak with their vet about what products would be safest and a routine to follow.
 
fidget- none are scratches theyre all scabs,the ones on the face look to be healing and are tiny and round. the ones on her shoulders and back of the head are larger and this is where the clipped/missing hair is. If it doesnt end up being from the "grooming" i'll have her at the vet and see if it could be some other kind of skin irritation(annoying..it took more than a year to figure out what my dogs ear skin problems are,so hoping if that is the case it will be easier with genevieve)

-lilspaz- yes,just three girls and thanks for the info!

javakittie- i agree.definitely i'd speak to my vet before using anything on them.-especially since learning that even those sprays are toxic to them.

UPDATE- Genevieve's first night in her own cage- in the morning no scabs seemed to be torn open and there appeared to be no new wounds. She seemed stressed by being alone and so had toput her back in the main cage. She started sneezing and making those wheezing noises.grr Really,when is someone going to cure these repiRATory illnesses.SOMEONE. I phoned vet and she told me to watch her and put her back on doxy if it keeps up.
 
Well, it sounds like it was a power grooming thing if the scabs were lessened and there were no new ones. The sneezing and that was most likely just because of the brief change. Rats are creatures of habit, so even small changed can sometimes stress them out enough to have some noises. The sniffles may even go away after a day or two of being back with her cagemates.
 
benzin.fox said:
Now,should I keep her with her cage mates and hope eventually they stop scabbing her up OR keep her alone at nights?


Poor scaberella.
Click to expand...

I would leave her with her cagemates since she is soo unhappy without them. You could put neosporin on the worst of the scabs to help them heal.

I found it was 2 weeks plus before I really noticed a difference with the mites scabs and my foster boys.
 
Since she's obviously upset about being away from her cagemates, I'd just leave her in the main cage. Some rats do better with an Off/On schedule than others, but if she started sneezing and being worrisome the first day, I don't think it would bode well for the future.
 
Then it is settled. The 'vieve will stay in the main cage with the girls and be a bit scabby until they get over it.

Grrrs. I will investigate this neosporin stuff and keep some on hand just incase. (cant be too careful with the ratsons)
 
We use polysporin here in Canada, Neosporin is in the US. Its a wound ointment with a little bit of abs usually. :)
I have used Polysporin for Kids on my ratkids :D
 
Triple antibiotic ointment is it's generic name. I do believe Neotopic is roughly the same stuff, from what I've been reading.
 

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