Major nail problem--Update and Mites questions!

[hprats]

So, one of my rats has a major nail problem. My ****s are totally scratched up from him climbing up to my shoulder whenever I try holding him. Yesterday he scratched my boyfriends face. And then today I noticed, worst of all, he's scratching himself. :sad3: I don't think it's mites because it's not that he's itchy, and he doesn't have any scabs or anything, just scratches. I just think he's hurting himself during normal grooming.

I feel so awful, I just haven't been able to cut more than one toenail on him. I'm using regular human clippers, and I know *how* to do it...I just can't keep him still.

Today I asked my boyfriend to help me try with one of our easier going rats. Ummm, I ended up promising him I'd never do it again. I was holding him still, trying to hold out a still paw for my boyfriend to clip a nail and before it could happen he just got too upset and shrieked. I'm going to start playing with their hands and feet more to get them used to it, but I could really use some tips on cutting nails on a difficult rat.

 

[Joanne]

One thing that helps is to put a rough-surfaced item, like a brick, somewhere where they have to walk or climb every day. That way the sharp pointy ends are smoothed off their toe nails. And best of all, you don't have to pin them down!

 

[hprats]

Okay, at the risk of sounding really dumb...can you BUY bricks? Like, in singles? Because I've heard that before, but I've always thought "but I don't have any bricks..."

 

[Kibble]

Have you tried looking around for heaps of builder's rubble? You can't go ten metres without tripping over a heap of broken bricks around here. Scrub it off, put it in the freezer, waa lah, a rat pedicure parlour. I use a big piece of granite I found on the beach.

 

[Spork]

I trimmed Crass's nails the other day by putting a dish of yogurt on my leg. Once she was happily pigging out, I was able to hold her feet long enough to trim the nails one or two at a time. I did have turn her around half way though so I could reach the other side. She did try to shake me off, but food was the higher priority, it kind of depends on how much of a pig your rat is.

 

[jorats]

Yes, you can buy bricks in singles at a home depot type place in the garden centre.

 

[Joanne]

And it doesn't have to be a *brick*, it can be a concrete stone, whatever, as long as the surface is hard and abrasive enough to wear toe nails.

 

[Unepuce]

I have just grabbed a large flat rock the other day. I soaked it in Javel for a whole afternoon and will be brushing it thoroughly with baking soda and vinegar before putting it in the cage. Cheaper than buying a brick...

 

[hprats]

Oh sweet. I think I'd rather buy one, just because...eh, disinfecting it seems harder. Well, we'll see how much bricks go for haha.

 

[Moon]

I don't know if I'd call this a major nail problem, so much as a major nail annoyance! Certainly a pain in the butt all the same.

Visible scratches are more like accidents from the other rats as opposed to him being too rough on himself or having nails that are too sharp.

I only ever cut nails if they are weirdly long/hard/curly.

 

[hprats]

^Hahaha, maybe! but anything hurting my babies is a major problem!

So, update: He does have mites or lice or something! Thank goodness I saw the wiggler in the light of the vets office, because she couldn't see any, and didn't find anything with the lice comb, but she took my word for it and they're all being treated with revo.

He doesn't really like me, and since he was already sick, I didn't want to stress him out, so I hadn't bothered him since Tuesday...but oh man, I felt/feel awful. He has so many little scratches...he had lice and/or mites before I adopted him, and he still has scars on his skin from it...blah, I just feel like I failed/disappointed him, and his old scars next to the new scratches make it look so much worse...his life is supposed to be great now!

Mites questions: Do mites look like tiny, skinny translucent brown worms? Because that's what I saw, and it was definitely moving.Also I've read you're supposed to freeze bedding to prevent mites...but how do mites get into the bedding in the first place? Do you have to freeze your fleece too? My freezer is currently broken so it's not an option...will the treatment not help if I can't freeze the bedding?

They clipped his nails for me, and Albus's too (I brought him along to comfort/support Neville), so that's great, now I just need to find a brick!
Also, they sent me home with tons of baytril, doxy, and metacam for his respiratory infection. I wish I knew how old he was...

 

[victoria]

Mites are microscopic, lice are the ones you can see.

You only have to freeze paper/wood based bedding because it can be a breeding ground for mites and lice and that's how they often make their way into your home. washing all of you bedding and hammocks and drying them in the dryer should be enough to get rid of any eggs on them. Wooden toys should be frozen or thrown out. (If you can't to freeze them but don't want to throw them out, put them in a sealed plastic bag out of reach of your rats until they can be frozen.) Everything else in the cage (and the cage itself) should be disinfected with bleach and water to kill any remaining louse or nits.

Edit: Were all your rats treated with Revo or just the ones brought to the vet?