[ari3189]

so, i was noticing the other day that both my buys had scabs on their back. it's probably mites again, right?? so i figured i would wait a few days until i can save enough tip money at work to take them to the vet. then, i just now saw that remi has a huge scrape on his back. it's not bleeding, but it looks pretty fresh. is it mites, or what?

 

[ari3189]

OH MY GOD.
could this be Dermatophytosis??????? I was just reading up on it, and I have a rash on my hand that the doctor told me to put this perscription lotion on. Dermatophytosis can cause ringworm in humans. that is probably what my rash is. good lord. petsmart has screwed my life.

 

[BekahBear]

i dont know it its what your guys have but i got a rat from petsmart a while ago and he had ringworm. i got it from him and so did my boyfriend. its horrible to get rid of if you have multiple pets. you can get an antifungal puppy shampoo from your vet for them if it is ringworm. my advice is to take them to the vet for a skin scrape and culture to determine if its just mites, if its ringworm, or if its something else. good luck..i hope its something easy for you to fix


also, could you post a pic of the rash you think you might have got from them. i can let you know if it looks anything like the ones we got when ratchet had ringworm.

 

[ari3189]

also, could you post a pic of the rash you think you might have got from them. i can let you know if it looks anything like the ones we got when ratchet had ringworm.

this is the one on my hand. i have a couple on my chest, but they are much smaller. it's kind of hard to get the full effect with the picture. it looks a little different in person. the edge is a little more noticeable.

 

[beanieboo-rattles]

I got that on the back of my neck..3 lil circles just after i got my second rat..


But anyway the scrape on the rats back doesnt look like mites...more like a fighting scrape...

Do your guys get on well ?

 

[lilspaz68]

This is how ringworm presents on rats typically

http://ratguide.com/health/figures/dermatophytosis_figure_1.php

That doesn't look like it on your rat's back. fighting wound where fur was pulled out maybe?

 

[ari3189]

they get along pretty well. they sleep together and everything. when they play they tackle eachother. but gus is bigger than remi, and i think he gets a little too rough when they play because remi gives him warning squeaks sometimes. which i'm guessing he is telling gus "you are hurting me, relax!"

 

[Stephanie]

Well you definitely have ringworm on your hand (no fun at all i'm sorry!!) but jsut use the over the counter athletes foot meds and it shoud clear up pretty quickly (3 times a day or more)

The gash on your boys back looks definitely like a defensive wound to me. My boy rats get those when they fight during introductions.

How long have your rats lived together?

 

[BekahBear]

that rash on your hand DEFINATELY looks like ringworm to me. the scratches on your rats are more than likely related to the ringworm because they seem to get really itchy when they have it. Ratchet scratched himself pretty good in a few places when he had it. for your rashes you can go get any athletes foot remedy. i used lotramin AF (anti fungal). it worked great for the ringworm on me and my boyfriend. for you rats, like i said before i would take them to the vet. they can give you an antifungal puppy/kitten shampoo. i know the one they gave us you can only get through a vet. you cant just go out and buy it. the vet also gave us a spot treatment to put on any obvious areas of hairloss or scratching. it helped to sooth the itching for them.
gool luck with treating it. i'm sorry someone else has tro go through this because it was not a fun experiance for me. just be happy you don't have 15+ rats like i do. even with proper quarantening it spread to everyone. once me and my boyfriend got it everyone was exposed. we even had to wash the dog and cat with the antifungal shampoo as a precaution. (if you think rats hate getting baths just imagine how happy my cat was about it. lol)

 

[ration1802]

Looks like ringworm - and ringworm sucks.

I've had a nightmare struggle with one of my hairless boys jake who picks it up (although it looks like only a redness of the skin - but glows under UV so ringworm is present), gives it to me, and even though I try my damndest not to return the favour, it's turned into a vicious circle. (I blame my mother who catches it occasionally from my laundry and never puts enough effort into getting rid of it) We have a medicated shampoo for him and I use Lamisil cream on the effected area and that usually clears it up. But it's a pain to get rid of! We have months free - and then BAM it's back!

Luckily, none of my others seem effected. Only Jake

And I agree with the wound - it looks like a fighting scrape vs any skin condition I've seen.

 

[ari3189]

The gash on your boys back looks definitely like a defensive wound to me. My boy rats get those when they fight during introductions.

How long have your rats lived together?

they have lived together for about a month and a half.
but, i have never seen them really fight... could it just be that gus sometimes plays a little too rough and is bigger than remi?
also, what can i do to make it better? is it hurting him? does he need a trip to the vet?

p.s. i knew that on campus doctor was a retard. now i'm off to get some over the counter stuff rather than that stupid "allergy" lotion he perscribed.

 

[ration1802]

Just bathe it in warm salt water and keep an eye on it. Rats are amazing good at healing quickly from cuts and scrapes - usually my vet will not close a relatively open wound straight away. He'll say leave it (unless it's absolutely obvious that it needs to be closed) for 24 hours and it should sort itself out and if it's going to heal, you'll know.

As for the ringworm - doctors for some reason are blind to it. I went to the doctors for months whenever I got really painful 'rashes' on my hands - they said it was an allergy, reaction to something - they even tried telling me I was allergic to my rats and should get rid of them! In the end it was my vet who diagnosed it as ringworm and told me what meds to get!