[Smilebud]

So we were low on aspen, and our landlord had a leftover bag in the garage. She said we could have it, and not thinking anything of it, I used it for Pippa and her babies. And for the Rabbits. AND for the hamster. AND a handful in the rat cage for Nelly to play with, which is on top of the boys cage.

Long story short, everyone now has small reddish brown dots crawling on them. God help us. What can I do? We are suddenly extremely low on finances (boyfriends e-bike broke, my bike broke, just paid rent, boyfriend lost a 600$/month source of income, getting a dog we have no choice about in a month, trying to move) and I don't know what to do. I want to cry, it's like the last domino fell. A vet trip for this will cost well into the $2000 range.

I can try natural methods, but does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[j_silv]

Hi there! i might not know much about lice on rats but i do know about lice on people. if they are, in fact, lice they can't live without being on an animal for very long. if you wash your animals with animal safe lice shampoo then brush them (if they'll let you) with a fine tooth comb you can isolate sections of your house. For example, bathe and comb all the pets that live in the bedroom then take them out of that room for 24 hours (it might be less time, i forgot. possibly 8 hrs) then all the lice in that room are dead so its safe to go back in. then do it with all the rooms that have pets

this is what i remember from my cousins having lice a few months ago, I'm not sure if what your babies have are the same insect. I hope that helps

 

[Mojojuju]

Before you try all that, try olive oil!

I had an infestation in my mischief this month, and gave all of them olive oil baths. Just took a couple of palmfuls of olive oil and smeared it all over the indignant rats. The fur has to be saturated, though I left most of their heads untouched (lice tend to congregate near the rump). They hated it, but it suffocated those lice sure enough! I changed the bedding (I have fleece) and had to repeat a week later on one, but it got me through till my box of Revolution came in the mail.

Revolution can, I believe, be bought over the counter where you live in Canada, but I had to order mine online from Sigapore through a great site called Joe's Pet Meds. Either way, three tubes of kitten revolution only cost 40 bucks with the shipping included (from Singapore!). Revolution is vet approved for rats, and it is non-toxic to them. Just put a few drops between their shoulder blades and hold them for five minutes so that they can't lick it off (even if they did it wouldn't be toxic, it just wouldn't be effective) and it is absorbed through the skin. It starts killing those mites and lice, and they should be gone within a week. The treatment lasts six months. For six rats, I used one and a half tubes, so for forty bucks I have a years' worth of mite/lice treatment for all six of my babies.

Don't pay 2k at the vet! Just olive oil baths (they will just lick it off themselves and each other) and get some revolution.

Good luck!

 

[Mojojuju]

Also:

Rat lice are a different species than human lice, so don't worry about them transmitting to you. Don't go through the human lice battle plan until you have tried the olive oil. If it doesn't work, more desperate measures may be in order. But it worked like a charm for me.

 

[Amph]

relax this will work =) http://www.amazon.ca/Beaphar-Anti-P...aphar+Anti-Parasite+Spot+On+For+Small+Animals