Keeping their tails clean

[purinpurin]

Sooo the rats that I used to have, never seemed to groom their tails. Their fur was always clean and tidy (not to mention they were all young, fit, and did not have hind leg degeneration), so it wasn't like they had problems reaching their tails to groom.

They just never did.

And the tails got all gross. :S After about a month of raising them, I noticed that there'd be black 'scab-like', smooth things that gathered on their tails. I didn't know what it was, so I tried washing it off, and sure enough, it was just accumulated dirt.

From that point on, I washed just their tails for them once a week (I'd put a little bit of water in a paint tray, then dip their tails in and gently wipe off the dirt with a cloth). Is this common in rats? And if not, what was wrong with mine?

 

[Godmother]

I don't know why some rats keep their tails clean and others don't bother. Hey, you could do a survey of Rat Shack rats!

 

[KatTheHippie]

I noticed that my boys tended to let their tails get dirtier than my girls ever did. I used to take a soft bristle toothbrush and gently scrub the boys tails clean, because it irked me so much. I'm sure a baby wipe would be a better option though.

 

[purinpurin]

Ohhh, a baby wipe is a good idea.

So this isn't abnormal behaviour or anything then?? It just differs from rat to rat?

 

[RattusNorvegicus]

I'd say it's normal. A lot of my girls' tails are so icky and flaky. I don't keep up with it, and neither do they. A tooth brush with warm water is what I do when I do clean them up, and if you can get them to hold still, if you are a little rough to get the scales off it doesn't seem to hurt them. Afterward I put olive oil on them. On their tails I mean. You could always just try putting olive oil on them to see if they will then groom it.

I need to clean their tails tonight. Everyone's tails are all bloody when Owl still had her uterus. :giggle: Poor little ratties aren't even aware because they ignore their tails so much!

 

[purinpurin]

lol!!