Mites! Please help! :(

[jordy]

I am so upset. I’ve done everything I could to keep them and their cage clean. My two ratties have mites. I’ve looked all over and found that kitten revolution is what most people used to treat it. I don’t have the money to take them to a vet just be told what I already know. But every website I check to buy kitten revolution is asking for a prescription. Do I have to get a prescription to buy kitten revolution? Vets in my area are crazy expensive and charge near to and even some over $100 just to look at ONE of my rats. I don’t know what to do. I am a college student and don’t make a lot of money. I have enough to buy the kitten revolution but not for the vet fees. Is there anywhere that I can purchase kitten revolution without needing a prescription?

 

[Lookup]

Hi Jordy. My daughter is also a college student, so I understand about finances, though you do need to save up what you can so that you can afford to take your rats to a vet when they really need it. If you can't get Revolution, you can try ivermectin. Mites have developed some resistance to it, so it isn't as effective but hopefully will help. You can buy it as horse deworming paste in a tube, sold in tack shops and places like Tractor Supply for about $8. Make sure there's nothing else in it, just ivermectin. The dose is the size of a dry grain of white rice for a 1- lb rat,half for smaller rats. Clean the cage and everything in it very thoroughly. Throw away anything wooden. Repeat weekly, the dose of ivermectin and the thorough cleaning, for three weeks total. This is required to kill all the mites that hatch after the first 2 doses. There's plenty of info online about this treatment, and I'm sure others here will chime in. At least, until they do, you can relax a bit.

 

[AgitatedPelican]

Absolutely ivermectin. Push it all out into a bowl, mix it with a Q-tip, and then give them a blob the size of a grain of dry white rice.

 

[lilspaz68]

Ivermectin is a touch and go treatment, they may not get enough in the paste or too much and lead to an overdose which can be dangerous. There are places you can order Revolution from but it can take a while to arrive. I think about 10 days to the US?

this is the place I order from

The puppy kitten tubes will treat approximately 5 rats so you would end up having 2 more on hand for any future possible outbreaks.

Mites can happen to anyone, it can come in on infested paper or wood-based beddings, a new rat may bring them in, etc. if you use paper/wood based beddings you can freeze them for 48 hours before use to kill off any stowaways.

https://www.pets-megastore.com.au/d...evolution/revolution-pink-for-puppies-kittens

 

[Amber]

My rat had mites really bad, buy ivermectin on amazon!!!!! It saved her life!! I gave my rat half a grain of rice amount once a week for a month and after the first treatment she was already looking so much better it was truly amazing.

 

[SQ]

revolution is the safest thing you can use and the most effective
Please follow lilspaz68's advice

How old are your rats?
In case you do not have it, here in some info re dose etc on revolution from the vet approved site for rat owners, ratguide.com (please take note of what it says if they are under 5 weeks, under weight, or ill)
http://ratguide.com/meds/anti-infectives/selamectin_revolution.php