Einstein's Rat-Pattern Baldness?

[fenshae]

OK. So I left the boys in the care of a friend for about two weeks while I went on vacation. To make things easy on him, I put Einstein in an escape-proof cage with a buddy (Socrates) since he sometimes gets out of the big cage. (I chose Socrates because he's the least prone to picking fights). I left the other 3 in the big cage. When I left, I noticed there was a patch of fur missing on his haunch near a bite mark he had received presumably from Basil (they still scuffle sometimes about who gets to be the boss).

When I came back, I discovered that he's missing a LOT more fur. I'll try to get a picture up later. But he's missing fur on his haunches, chest, and underbelly, all the way down to his skin. There's only one bite mark/scab on him anywhere, that being the healing bite he had when I left. I checked him over for signs of buggies and he doesn't seem itchy at all, no dandruff, no lice. He's the only rat affected.

Is this barbering? Would he be doing it to himself, or is Socrates doing it to him? I'd never seen the two of them fight before, but they got into a scuffle yesterday so it's possible that they're having some dominance issues. But I'm concerned there might be something else at play. I 've got home alone right now until I can decide what's best to do with him if he's being bullied.

Einstein is 25 months old and standard-furred (so no rexy baldness)

 

[Dazzle87]

My rat Missy can even reach her neck. A picture would help, but they're apparently very adept at reaching themselves, I was sure someone else was doing it to Missy until I caught her in the act pulling the skin so she could reach the fur.

 

[fenshae]

I'm wondering if it's self-inflicted due to boredom. He's in the habit of sneaking out of his cage at night into his "bachelor pad" (a nest he's built in a box of fabric next to the cage, where he's stockpiled food) and then sneaking back into the cage when he's done. I'm wondering now that he's not able to escape if he's bored.

 

[Moon]

If it is right down to the skin I'd have to wonder if it is something else, although barbering is the most likely culprit. Could also be due to stress and boredom combined. It would be interesting to see if it starts to grow in now that you are home.

 

[fenshae]

Well, I've found the culprit. Einstein's doing it to himself...and has now moved on to his friends. Such a generous soul, he is. He gets out-time with the crowd and gets to share the cage with them in evenings or whenever I'm around to keep an eye on them, but when I'm at work or asleep he has to go into the more escape-proof cage (which he's still found a way out of a few times) with a roommate. Lately the roomie's been Normoth as Normy's very laid back and doesn't mind being pushed around by a pipsqueak half his size. Nor, does it, seem, does he mind being barbered. Last night Einstein had him pinned down and he was nipping away big chunks of fur off Normoth's shoulders, not a squeak out of him. Ayyy boys.

Einstein's hair is starting to grow back in patches. It's kind of weird actually because the new fur is much blacker than his existing fur, and in odd clumps rather than all over his body.

And one of the cats seems to have taken off with my cameras upload cord. I can't find it anywhere

 

[jorats]

Some barbers take their job very seriously. lol

 

[fenshae]

Aside from making them look awful, does it hurt them at all? I certainly seemed to be the most fussed about it compared with them.

 

[jorats]

Aside from making them look awful, does it hurt them at all? I certainly seemed to be the most fussed about it compared with them.

It may annoy them but I don't think it hurts them.
My mom did have a hard groomer once, he groomed his brother so bad that his skin was becoming raw. She had to resort to spraying bitter apple on the bro and it worked.

 

[*Rebel_Angel*]

Two simple word's : O rat's!
The trouble they give us sometime's!