[thegrotto]

My eldest Minttu is 3 now and a month ago her fur around her neck was getting thinner. Atfirst I thought "Old age?", then it became more noticable, I quickly checked everyone over for mites and gave them all bathes anyway, just in case. But now, she's bald on her shoulders and now she's starting on the sides of her neck. Her toenails are not any longer than before (infact, they seem more dull than they were in her younger days). She has a tumor between her leg and her vagina, which she's also licked most of the fur off of.
Does anyone know what is wrong/What can I do? (She's still just as active as before, still happy to see me, still eating, and diet, location, etc is still the same.)

 

[lilspaz68]

If there's no little scabs then most likely its not mites.

Could she be barbering? It does sound like it. My girl barbered her tumour as well.
I only had one habitual barberer, and that was Ariel, she was an active little girl and I only have one bad pic to show you...

If its them doing the barbering they can do the forearms, the shoulders as far as they can pull the skin forward, sometimes the belly and especially tumours.

 

[dkirschling]

You might want to try applying clove oil to the areas. It tastes bad and is antiseptic. I have used it on my rats on tumor stiches, barbering areas, and wounds. Obviously, don't use it on areas that are too compromised-infected, draining, etc... The oil must be therapeutic grade; I recommend Young Living brand. Young Living's oils are edible (if they have a food name, like basil or clove or tangerine).Try a natural food store. Good luck!

 

[thegrotto]

Alright, thank you both very much, I had not heard of barbering, but with what you (lilspaz) said, yeah that's what it is then.

 

[lilspaz68]

Barbering is a compulsion either driven by boredom or just a habit. They groom/chew the fur off of themselves and sometimes their cagemates. I would imagine with teh tumour it feels weird or uncomfortable and rats will often overgroom something that doesn't feel right.

As long as they aren't making themselves bleed there's very little you can do.

from the ratguide.com
http://ratguide.com/health/integumentary_skin/barbering.php

 

[thegrotto]

She has a few scabs. They seem to be gone after a few days, be scab free for a few days, then another appears.

 

[lilspaz68]

If they are tiny and just come and go it sounds like she is nicking the skin, sometimes they do it, but when they are raw thats different. If any excessive itching starts though, I would treat for mites.