Coat Quality

[Cityratt]

Smeezer has a really poor coat...I dont know what im doing wrong....
He has lost weight since coming to us and looks physically alot healthier (moves around, is a climby happy boy), he is being fed HT and oxbow and has been recently dosed with revolution....

so what gives? his coat is thin, seems patchy, and his skin seems itchy....like he likes to rub himself like a cat itchy ...

could it be because he is still intact? he does have a good amount of buck grease but not insanely overbearing....
just general "dry skin" maybe?

I was thinking about adding olive oil on some bread for him - but how often should i do that?

His skin looks healthy, not irritated or red - he's on aspen and his breathing is good, but i had him on fleece prior to switching to aspen and his coat was in similar condition....

what gives? :?

 

[jorats]

Could he be very old? I'd do the olive oil on toast once daily. That should help.

 

[Cityratt]

He doesnt look really old to me Jo - but being from the rattie train who knows?
I think Clark had Cap'n and Smee pegged at around 8 months but they always seemed older to me (but with the stress of whereever they came from to go to clarks to come to ontario who knows how that makes you look right?)

With the loss of cap'n soon after i assumed they were maybe a little older but he is still as active as all get out....

Will try the olive oil and see...
so just a square 2cm? dipped in oil?

 

[mamarat]

Could he be a double rex?

 

[Bronwyn]

He doesn't seem like it - the fur does seem slightly shorter on his back than it should be and there are small patches as Anne mentioned. Maybe I'm nuts but it seems worse to me now than when I first met him a few months ago (though his weight is so good now!). I honestly wonder if he's older than Clark said. He's such a sweet guy and is so bright and alert but doesn't look to be only a year when you factor in the coat. Itching makes me think of skin but I know zip of rattie skin conditions. Perhaps an oatmeal bath and an avocado mask would help there. :giggle: Do you think rats can get eczema? Mine flares up in the dryer cold weather and if I had cage bars to rub against I would.

 

[lilspaz68]

I think a LOT of the Train rats were older than Clark guessed. Pea and Calla both had rough fur and scabs and dry skin for awhile.

I would definitely add the olive oil daily and think also about humidity. Do you have a humidifier near the rats?

 

[mamarat]

My vet suggested Aveeno (sp?) hand cream for my double rexes. Their skin got rough as they got older. I think it has oatmeal in it, but can't remember now.

 

[Cityratt]

Ok i'll add olive oil - i was thinking about an oatmeal shampoo too Bron - I have a good Vet Solutions one here that i was thinking about trying

I dont have a humidifier but it isnt dry in the house .... we keep it pretty moist in here....

maybe ill try the shampoo/oilve oil and if that doesn't help him see about a humidifier...

 

[mercurydust]

Have you ever tried giving them Missing Link? A friend had a dog with the same problem until she started giving him the Missing Link Supplement and it cleared up his itchy skin and his coat was very shiney and soft afterwards. I know a few people who give it to their rats, the bird kind I think.

 

[Bronwyn]

Ok i'll add olive oil - i was thinking about an oatmeal shampoo too Bron - I have a good Vet Solutions one here that i was thinking about trying

ooo I think we used that on Indy, she had super sensitive skin. We also use those omega-3's I was telling you about last night, haha, it's good stuff! Fingers crossed Smee likes the spa concept.

 

[lilratsy43]

Most of the rats that I have had with poor coat quality were just old. My girl Brain started to get all patchy as she aged and her skin was rather red. The vet gave us some shampoo for it and it helped a little but I didn't like putting her through the stress of a bath too often as she was rather weak and rundown from her age...