Tea Tree oild for rats?

[Dee_Dee]

Just found out today my poor little guys have mites or what looks like mites. I don't know how they got them unless from bedding but I'm not seeing anything on my other rats that aren't in with the 3 rats that have the mites. Can rats get dust mites? I don't know how I would of got them my room is always dust free and cleaned since of allergies.
Since tomorrow is a Holiday I don't know if the vet will be open or not. Would tea tree oil be too strong for the rats?

 

[Jherek]

You just have to dilute it. A drop in a bin of water for a bath. Home remedies don't really ever work on all levels...

Or just treat the symptoms specifically until you can get some Rev., if it's really bothering them- olive oil + some lavender oil and a drop of tea tree, massage it in then rinse out.

 

[jorats]

Make sure it's very diluted because it's quite toxic to animals. Mites can come from anything that comes from the pet store or a warehouse. Revolution takes care of it with a one time dose.

 

[Dee_Dee]

I tried that and it didn't work. I did call a vet but since its a long weekend none of them are open and the one I called (not my regular vet) didn't seem to concerned about it and had a poor attitude. He did say it sounded like lice. Can Lice live in the bedding? I don't have any carboard in their cages but we are bringing cardboard boxes home to pack up the house (going to do renovations soon) I can get some rev today hopefully if I can get a hold of another vet but how much do I get the rats? only a drop on the back of the neck?

 

[lilspaz68]

If you can see them its most likely lice.

What do you use in your cages? Anything paper or wood-based can be the culprit as before its packaged its often loose in silos and wild rats run over it leaving the little stowaways.

When you get the Revolution, I usually part the fur right beside the ear and put a drop on the bare skin so it absorbs faster

 

[jorats]

The kitten/puppy vial right? 60ml. Not the big dog ones which is 120ml.

 

[lilspaz68]

Yes the mauve one...kitten/puppy...should dose about 8-9 rats easily with the 3 vials.

If you get Dog by mistake see if you can pour out the tubes into a container and syringe up the dose instead (it would be about .03 cc's instead)

 

[Dee_Dee]

I just got revolution and yes it's the kitten/puppy one so one drop should do it?
the vet that I was able to get a hold of told me to weigh them and if they weight say 300 grams then they get a syringe up to 3 I don't want to overdose them I heard it killed a kitten once because they gave too much to it.

Edit: Didn't see the other question. I am using Hartz Aspen bedding.