Scabs on one rat, not on other?

[Boo<3]

I need quick advice here.

I use aspen bedding, I froze it in a deepfreeze for 24 hours before using it....
one of my boys has scabs, the other does not....

the scabs are around his neck and head, not sure what it could be, I would imagine if he had mites, they would both have scabs? I looked in their fur
it is very clear, they are both white in colour.
It isnt to much protein, I am feeding them extrusion and have been ever since they were babies. They get veggies and baby food once every couple days.

vet is expensive, if I can avoid it I have to, Money is tight this month, just able to get by at the moment.

Please no judgement, I just need advice.

Thank you.

 

[victoria]

Not all rats are affected by mites in the same way or at all. It does sound like mites so try treating for mites first (you have to treat both of them even though only one is showing symptoms) and see what happens.

You can get Revolution from http://www.pets-megastore.com.au/ but with the post office strike, it will be a while before you get it. If you know someone that has a cat or a dog and uses it, they may be able to spare a tube. (You'll also need a scale to weigh your rats - digital kitchen scales work well and can be as cheap as $15-20.)

If you can't get Revolution, you can use horse de-worming paste. People usually use the 1.87% Invermectin kind, but I can't remember what it's called. Be very careful with Invermectin, it's easy to overdose. Hopefully someone who has experience using it will post more detailed directions. (I seem to remember that you're supposed to use a drop half the size of a grain of rice (?), but I'm not sure.)

Good luck!

 

[Petunia]

I agree with Victoria, it's most likely mites which are not uncommon and not difficult to get rid of.

I just discovered that if you catch an infestation early, you MIGHT be able to get rid of them, or at least get the number of them down to a tolerable level by cleaning out the cage every day.
I don't know about with aspen, I use fleece, but I noticed one of my girls with the scabs on the shoulders that are so typical of mites, and I noticed that the other girls were scratching a bit more than usual, so I ordered some revolution and while I'm waiting for it, I clean out the cage every day,
Not the hammocks, I take those out every 3 days, but with just cleaning the liners out and keeping the cage super clean,
all of my girls have stopped scratching and there are NO new scabs and today I couldn't find any scabs on the girl who had them.

They believe mites are always present, but it's only when there's an influx from a new rat, or other source or when the rats get stressed out or ill (even good or neutral stress, like a change in their routine, etc) that is when the mites take over and make the rats miserable

so reducing stress, when possible and keeping the cage super clean can help a lot

I am not sure but I think even with a deep freezer they recommend freezing bedding for 48 hrs?
I freeze any thing that comes from a pet store for 48 hrs as well as all food, etc

Do you freeze their extrusion?

 

[Petunia]

here's a link to another thread with good info:
[url="http://www.ratshackforum.com...t=22744&p=312652&hilit=mites+freezing#p312652[/url]

how old are the boys? I'm not 100% sure that Revolution is safe for baby rats, I'd ask someone about that before you use it, if you decide that's what you want to do.

 

[victoria]

how old are the boys? I'm not 100% sure that Revolution is safe for baby rats, I'd ask someone about that before you use it, if you decide that's what you want to do.

Revo is safe for babies, Shelagh posted something about it a while back. I also want to add that although mites can seem more like a nuisance and not a serious health threat, left untreated they can be. They take their toll on the immune system and make a rat more susceptible to other infections and can cause dermatitis (pyoderma). I learned this the hard way with my mice when I attributed the scabs and scratches to fighting and separated them instead of treating for mites right away.

 

[jorats]

Hi Alex, get the horse wormer for now... It does sound like mites.

 

[Boo<3]

Hi Alex, get the horse wormer for now... It does sound like mites.

Thanks everyone for the good advice. Where do I find the ivermectin? I am not even sure where to go to get it, and what the dose of it is. I can order some revolution online, I have a visa now.

 

[victoria]

Hi Alex, get the horse wormer for now... It does sound like mites.

Thanks everyone for the good advice. Where do I find the ivermectin? I am not even sure where to go to get it, and what the dose of it is. I can order some revolution online, I have a visa now.

The only problem with ordering online is the post office strike. Do you have any tack shops in your area? They will likely sell the horse de-wormer.

 

[Boo<3]

Hi Alex, get the horse wormer for now... It does sound like mites.

Thanks everyone for the good advice. Where do I find the ivermectin? I am not even sure where to go to get it, and what the dose of it is. I can order some revolution online, I have a visa now.

The only problem with ordering online is the post office strike. Do you have any tack shops in your area? They will likely sell the horse de-wormer.

not sure what a tack shop is?

 

[victoria]

I *think* it's called a tack shop... a store that sells horse/horseback riding supplies.

 

[Joanne]

I *think* it's called a tack shop... a store that sells horse/horseback riding supplies.

Yes. Try looking in the yellow pages under Riding Apparel & Equipment. (That's what they're under in my phone book.)

 

[jorats]

Some farm feed stores might have it as well. You give a dose the size of a grain of uncooked rice. You do this once a week for three weeks.

 

[Boo<3]

Okay I will go pick some up tomorrow