What is on my baby’s back?

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Savanna Chavez

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Joined
Mar 6, 2019
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This my girl Remi. She is about 3 years old now. She was a normal, happy and healthy pet rat. Then all of a sudden her health started going down hill...I’m a photographer and I took her pictures for Christmas. She was normal, not losing hair. No mites, no lice, no tumor, nothing...

Then all of a sudden this happened to her...she has a benign tumor on her back leg? She can walk, but takes her longer...and she is losing her hair, and she has these weird scabs. I just took her to the vet before this happened and they said she was fine. They checked her for lice and mites...

She’s eating and drinking fine. She isn’t as active as she was in January.

I’ve also been afraid to take her back to the vet because she’s my baby girl...my best friend. I’m afraid to know what is wrong with her.

What can this be?
 

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If Remi is scratching around her head and shoulders she likely has mites - mites can not be seen as they are so small and skin tests are both painful and unreliable.
I would strongly suggest treating Remi with revolution
http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/ectoparasites.php
http://ratguide.com/meds/anti-infectives/selamectin_revolution.php

Remi may have pyoderma (a skin infection).
This link will give you information on it, how it is treated and things you can do to care for her
http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/pyoderma.php

Please print out these links (rat guide is a vet approved site) and take them with you to a good vet that hopefully has the knowledge and experience to treat rats - or else likes rats and is willing to learn
he needs to see the vet for medication

I hope that Remi will soon be feeling better

btw Welcome to the forum :) ....... you may find the reference thread to be helpful https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/
 
If Remi is scratching around her head and shoulders she likely has mites - mites can not be seen as they are so small and skin tests are both painful and unreliable.
I would strongly suggest treating Remi with revolution
http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/ectoparasites.php
http://ratguide.com/meds/anti-infectives/selamectin_revolution.php

Remi may have pyoderma (a skin infection).
This link will give you information on it, how it is treated and things you can do to care for her
http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/pyoderma.php

Please print out these links (rat guide is a vet approved site) and take them with you to a good vet that hopefully has the knowledge and experience to treat rats - or else likes rats and is willing to learn
he needs to see the vet for medication

I hope that Remi will soon be feeling better

btw Welcome to the forum :) ....... you may find the reference thread to be helpful https://www.ratshackforum.com/threads/reference-thread-read-only.35894/



I had her checked for mites and lice..she was cleared...doctor said she has severe dandruff...but that could still cause her to itch right?
 
As I explained, tests for mites are not accurate so she may have mites (please see the link I provided)
and it looks like she has pyoderma (see the link I provided)

Imo, the pictures of her back are not from severe dandruff ……. since her skin is not white and her hair is not full of white flecks of skin (dandruff) - imo dandruff is not the problem

I would strongly suggest that you find a good vet with the knowledge and experience to treat rats and take her there,
or if that is impossible and you must use this vet, go back with the links I provided printed out.
Remi is suffering and her condition is going to get a lot worse without proper treatment

Lilspaz68 is familiar with pyoderma in rats and can provide a better opinion
you can also post on the facebook group Real rat Lovers Want To Know as one of their medical contributors is a vet
 
Last edited:
As I explained, tests for mites are not accurate so she may have mites (please see the link I provided)
and it looks like she has pyoderma (see the link I provided)

Imo, the pictures of her back are not from severe dandruff ……. since her skin is not white and her hair is not full of white flecks of skin (dandruff) - imo dandruff is not the problem?

I would strongly suggest that you find a good vet with the knowledge and experience to treat rats and take her there,
or if that is impossible and you must use this vet, go back with the links I provided printed out.
Remi is suffering and her condition is going to get a lot worse without proper treatment

Lilspaz68 is familiar with pyoderma in rats and can provide a better opinion
you can also post on the facebook group Real rat Lovers Want To Know as one of their medical contributors is a vet
Thank you very much
 
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