[cjshrader]

Hey all,

I got home today to notice two separate issues with two different rats. Not a good homecoming! (I'll post about the other in a separate thread)

The first rat, Poopsmith, has gotten a bald spot on her face. Within the bald spot are some scabs.

This website (http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/pet_rats/32970) says:

"If your rat lives with others, particularly females, and has bald spots on its head and/or shoulders, then there's really not much you can do."

She lives with four other ladies. When I looked at her this morning, I noticed scabs but did not see any baldness. I've seen minor scabs on the other ones occasionally too, so this morning I figured it was just power grooming.

Does anyone think this is all it is? I took a picture, but can't get it off the camera right now. I will later if requested.

My question is, should I take her to the vet tomorrow or wait to see if it gets worse?

 

[cjshrader]

Here is the picture:

Sick Poopsmith Picture

(I recently formatted my computer and have no method of resizing this image, so I apologize for that)

(Edit: Made the picture a link since it was so big)

 

[Forensic]

That looks like mites. The site you referenced is refering to barbering, I think.

 

[Lesath]

Here's a barbering pic of one of my ratties, Sylvester, just for some instant reference. He had mites also and those left scabs, he never really gets scabs from the barbering.

 

[cjshrader]

Hmm...yeah, it looks worse than that. The one part I don't understand is why the other rats are messing with her.

Looks like I'll take her to the vet too to get checked out.

 

[lilspaz68]

I would treat for mites, since barbering usually does not leave scabs just bare skin.

 

[cjshrader]

Apparently in this case it is a case of them being too rough on each other. Her scabs have been healing nicely. The vet checked for mites but didn't find any.

I'm glad I took her in anyway, in case it had been mites.

 

[cjshrader]

Well, after Jordan and Poopsmith went back for their recheck, it turns out that Jordan (Who was having teeth issues) has lice. So Jordan and Poopsmith have been quarantined in my spare cage for a couple weeks, and the other three gotta be brought in next weekend to be checked as well. What's strange to me is why didn't they find this on Poopsmith when that's what I brought her in for?

The interesting thing here, though, is that the vet made it clear that these were lice and not mites, which I've never heard of on rats. But oh well, hopefully it'll get cleared up soon enough. Until then, I gotta make a bunch more hammocks as I don't have enough to support two cages, and I gotta clean out their cage every single day. So much work!

 

[Forensic]

I hope the vet gave you meds for all three?

Sometimes checks for mites/lice/fleas, etc, give false negatives. And they're very catching.

 

[cjshrader]

The vet injected the two with lice with something and has me separating them from the other three for two weeks. In one week I will bring in the other three to also get checked and I imagine if they need it, they'll be injected as well. Then in two weeks I'll be bringing in the original two for a checkup to see how they are doing. And finally, in three weeks, I should be bringing in the other three for their checkup.

So I got quite a few Saturdays of not sleeping in lined up