Tails...

[Chevalrose]

Ok...my boy's tails are TERRIBLE! Especially the 2 younger ones. I clean my cage every week, but it seems they get constant build up and dry scales! Is there anything I can do to prevent their tails from getting so dirty!?

 

[jorats]

Hi!
I've heard of a lot of people using a toothbrush and Dawn dish washing liquid to clean rat tails.
What type of bedding do you use in your cage? When I used newspaper, it seemed to keep the rats fairly ucky especially the tails. Also, any kind of wet food like baby cereal would get on the tails and get them all ucky.

 

[Chevalrose]

I have laminate flooring on the shelves and fleece on the drop pan (R-695). I clean their tails every few weeks by soaking them in the tub and using a toothbrush, but it doesn't seem to get all the dead scales off...it gets some of them off and gets the dirt off, but they still have dead raised scales. Maybe I should be cleaning their tails more often? Or at least, what daily, until all the dead scales are gone?

Like I said, my older ones are ok...I don't know why the younger ones tails get SO terrible (they're in the same cage).

 

[jorats]

I'm not sure I know what you mean by the raised dead scales. Are you sure these are indeed removable? Could you get us a picture?
Your older rats probably keep their tails clean themselves but the babies might not have an interest in cleaning their own tails.

 

[Chevalrose]

It's like there's a fresh new layer of healthy scales underneath dead ones, so they are bumped up a bit.

This is an old picture, but Gus's tail shows it the most. This is when Tobi's tail was still nice and babyish. The younger ones are 10 months.

 

[pinkies_mama]

We have had this problem also, I don't think its actually preventable, and I think it builds up with age (from what we've noticed).
We use the puppy shampoo we use to bath them with to clean their tails and we use a toothbrush to get the dirt off. We really only clean their tails when we are having people over who don't like rats :giggle: because otherwise it doesn't seem to bother our furkids.
One thing that seems to help inbetween cleanings is wiping with a warm wet washcloth, going with the grain. You can see the pee and grime that comes off when you use a white one. Its kinda gross lol

Good luck! :thumbup:

 

[ryelle]

I just ignore tails now. Sometimes they look clean, sometimes they dont. Even after a bath i dont think my boys tail looks any different

 

[maria-mar]

Sometimes i clean my boys tails with humid tissues, but only when they are really dirty XD

 

[jorats]

Oh, I see what you mean now... I've never worried about the tails when they get like this. I didn't think it was something to deal with. But if you do find something do let us know.