What could be causing my rat to do this?

[Lourice]

First, I noticed a few days ago that my rat Louis had a small round wound looking thing on his side, under the fur. It looks scabbed over, so i haven't seen it bleeding. I have no idea where THAT is from.

And now, I once in a while see a little faded red in his fur, and i'm starting to believe maybe he scratches himself too hard? or grooms himself too rough?

i don't know, but it's worrying me a little

he's been fine up until now, and i haven't changed anything. :\

what could it be?

also, i would take a picture but he's so squirmy that it doesn't work. lol i tried.

 

[temblabamomo]

Intact males tend to build up a reddish-orange substance on their skin called buck grease. Perhaps do a forum search for that and see if you turn up any pictures to compare to Louis. Could be that and the scab are completely unrelated. Scabs can come from itching at mites, fights, etc. If it does not look infected, and there is only one, there may be nothing to worry over.

 

[jorats]

I think he's got mites/lice. I'd do a treatment just to be sure. Revolution works great.

 

[Lourice]

Intact males tend to build up a reddish-orange substance on their skin called buck grease. Perhaps do a forum search for that and see if you turn up any pictures to compare to Louis. Could be that and the scab are completely unrelated. Scabs can come from itching at mites, fights, etc. If it does not look infected, and there is only one, there may be nothing to worry over.

i know about the buck grease, and it's not that. he seems to just be scratching, and i've looked but i see no mites or any bug of any kind. also, if he had it, wouldn't the rat that lives in the cage right next to him also have it? and my other rat is perfectly fine. louis has a new little scratch today that is scabbed over but very very small; much smaller than the first one.

i'm wondering if maybe it's the changes in temperature in my room, because the weather has been making my room go from hot to cold, and vice versa. or maybe from the humidity?

if it doesn't get any better in a week, i'll take him to the vet... :\

 

[RattusNorvegicus]

Mites are microscopic so if your rats have them, you wouldn't be able to see them. Rats can have mites without any symptoms. Could you get a picture? It might be porphyrin that he's smeared whilst grooming.

 

[Lourice]

Mites are microscopic so if your rats have them, you wouldn't be able to see them. Rats can have mites without any symptoms. Could you get a picture? It might be porphyrin that he's smeared whilst grooming.

where can i get them medicine for it if they have it?

and he has some porphyn smears, and those aren't it. they look like he's just scratched himself and accidentally scratched a bit too hard. however, i never see him scratching excessively.

maybe it is mites. i'll go to the vet.

 

[RattusNorvegicus]

You can get the Revo from your vet. Just one drop between the shoulder blades of each rat and you're done. Hopefully they don't want to do a skin scraping as that is painful, and not always accurate.