Scabs

[Willow Bean]

I'll call back on Wednesday (they are closed for New Years Day) and see if they will let me get a prescription for Revolution for the rats. I'll just tell them it's lice again and that I didn't see the buggies **EDIT: the first time I checked them over, but that I see them now**. I'll also let them know that the dosage wouldn't change just because they have been on it before. Maybe even print out some information and let them know about the rat guide. I think they need to know about it!

...it really sucks that this vet office is the only one in town with a multiple pet discount... however it is a blessing because it it also the only one that has any knowledge what-so-ever on how to treat rats!

 

[Fidget]

I'm surprised to hear that if I used Revolution I wouldn't have to do the thorough cage clean?

I've always used Ivermectin, you get it with no prescription from a wildstock supply place. Any place that deals with horses? I just go to a feedstore here and buy it, all I do is check the expiration date since there's no way the kids will use the whole tube before it gets outdated.
Easiest meds I ever gave, a bit the size of rice on my finger, use a toothpick to mix in a squirt of CoolWhip or peanut butter (or whatever) and they eagerly lick it off. Once a week for 3 weeks. It's a pleasure :tongue: not a pain

 

[Willow Bean]

If I can't get Revolution I will have to make a trip to the feed and tackle store in town. I'd really like to try the Revolution though for the ease of Once per month. That sounds great!! I wonder if it just works so well that you don't have to do the all out cleaning? I don't think I'll be using this bedding again though, I want to switch to all fleece and get something else for the litter boxes.

Thanks for the Ivermectin info, Fidget!

 

[Fidget]

Unless I'm wrong you still have to do a a good cage cleaning with either. And if you have anything in there that is wood you need to put it in the freezer for a while (can't remember, a couple weeks to a month)
Good Luck, those mites come from nowhere anyone can figure out. Could be divine retribution for throwing a recyclable in the garbage......

 

[Dewi]

I wonder if it just works so well that you don't have to do the all out cleaning?

In regards to revolution, it kills fleas in the bedding of the animal. So this may also apply to other bugs.

Dewi

 

[user 78]

Revolution kills lice, mites, and fleas on your rats for 30 days, with one application. There's no need to do the sort of cleaning that you would have to do with Ivermectin. When my girls got mites, I dosed them with Revolution and did a regular cage cleaning. No scrubbing or anything.

Mites and lice come from paper or wood products purchased at pet stores. They hide in paper/wood bedding, and when we bring the bags into our nice climate controlled homes they hatch.

 

[lilspaz68]

The Revolution is effective for he 30 days as java mentions but this is longer than the lice cycle of the mites or lice so thru all the life cycles it continuously kills them.

If you are going to use Ivermectin, get it yourself. Often vets will have you come in and they will inject ivermectin into your rat 3 times...cost you a fortune, be uncomfortable for the rat and often injecting just doesn't work, so then you have to start again. DO NOT let your vet inject ivermectin.

Btw Willow, you see lice, you do not see mites.

 

[Willow Bean]

I know that you see lice but not mites, but when I called in to the vet, they said that I would have to bring everyone in to be checked by the vet to be sure that they did have mites. I figured that if I told them it was lice, maybe they would give me the meds without a check up since we've had lice before but not mites.

 

[lilspaz68]

I just wanted to make sure you had the story straight before calling the vets . I figured it was a typo but just in case.

 

[Willow Bean]

hehe, no worries! I don't even know if my vet would know the difference without looking it up. I really, really wish that they had more rat experience and not just pts-ing them...

 

[Willow Bean]

DO NOT, I repeat, DO NOT microwave Carefresh bedding. It starts on fire and smells terrible! :roll: LOL! I wonder if the smell will ever fade, LOL!!

 

[jorats]

Poor you!! Now we know to never microwave Carefresh.

 

[mamarat]

Oh no! thanks for the tip. lol

 

[lilspaz68]

smelly!!! good thing I don't use the stuff often and usually freeze the little i use.

Sorry you are having to go thru that. :shock: