Mites? (maybe)

The Rat Shack Forum

Help Support The Rat Shack Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

bowen012

Member
Joined
May 18, 2011
Messages
9
Location
Virginia
My 2 albino girls occasionally have some blood in their fur. Not much, but since they're white I notice some brown (dried blood) staining on their shoulders. I can't feel any scabs and don't notice any significant cuts. They'll scratch but not often enough that it seems abnormal.

Just wondering what other tell-tales I should look for if it is a mite problem. I don't want to medicate if there isn't a real problem. It's difficult to trim their nails and it wouldn't be much of a stretch for them to have broken the skin during scratching. Added some lava ledge platforms and rock under their water but it isn't that much of a help. Ordering the insert for a wodent wheel this week to see if it works for rats.

Suggestions on how to proceed? Should I wait for the nail trimmer and see if it clears up? Order some revolution? Vet time?
 
You should look for scabs, generally that is a major sign. I have found with my white rats, you can see the staining on their shoulders from the Porphyrin, on their shoulders. It can be stress, getting sick, bedding, anything can flare up the staining, which probably what you are seeing. They lick their hand, put them on the back of their heads to clean it and it will leave the staining grooming from other rats could leave it there as well.

I see it more during intros, if they are new, they could be stressed which will make it more apparent. You could treat them for mites, you wont ever see the actual mites though, only the lice which is reddish orange specs in the fur.

I would start with bedding, if you have them on bedding make sure it is rat friendly. See if you can see scratches, if you don't see scratches it isn't blood it is staining. It looks worse on white rats, but most rats will get it...
 
One of my rats had a few scabs on his side and back, and the other was losing fur on his stomach. The vet said it was definitely mites, and all that we needed to do was get the nurse to apply 3 mite treatments on the back of their necks, one every 10 days. No more scabs now and fur has grown back.

I would definitely at least take your rats in to check if they have mites.
 
You can see a little of the staining here on Simcoe.

jun18Simcoe1.jpg
 
They're about 5 months old and going through an introduction currently. I use Yesterday's News for bedding. I hadn't even thought of it being porphyrin since I've been watching for physical injuries in case of mites, rough play, or the occasional rat boxing match turns into something more aggressive while I'm out of the room.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top