LICE!!!! ewwwww

**king2005** · 06-12-2006, 03:44 PM

my females were fine when I got them.. however Grissim has brough lice with him.. all they do is scratch & scratch. I feel bad, as I've never had an pets infested with lice or fleas & never thought to make sure the male was lice free.. So does anyone know how to get rid of the lice on a rat????

**Miss Z** · 06-12-2006, 04:16 PM

All I can think of is get them to a vet where they can be given the correct dosage of a certain medicine. I don't suppose that kind of thing for rats is easily obtained otherwise, and they would just need a tiny dosage.

Are you sure they have lice, have you seen them or their deposits or are you just going on the fact that they are scratching? It could be something entirely different, and Tia sort of scratches when she washes herself. You'll need to clean the cage thoroughly once they have medication, especially in their sleeping quarters as this is where many eggs and young fleas/lice develop.

**king2005** · 06-14-2006, 06:33 PM

I went to the pet store near my place (its like a ma & pop pet store, very clean & animals look happy & loved dearl).. I asked about the lice & mites on my rats. They had a spray, but thought the bird one might be better. It was only 6.00 so I bought it.. its a little tin that ties onto the cage & emits fumes into the cage.. at night I have to cover the cage to allow the fumes to chase off the lice & mites. If this stuff works I'll keep using it at all times except I wont cover the cage, I'll just hang it near their beds.

I also spoiled the rats rotten tonight.. they got raw & cooked pasta, processed cheese, frozen veggies (thawed) & clean bedding.. I have a water bottle in the freezer that I'll put in there tomorrow before I go to work to help keep them cool, as the were all spread out & hanging 1/2 way out of the hanging baskets trying to keep cool (VERY CUTE!!)

**wolfsoul** · 06-14-2006, 07:52 PM

My rats have had lice -- in fact, I just got rid of some last week.I use coconut an peppermint shampoo on them everyday to get rid of lice. It isn't as effective as pesticide shampoo, but it's chemical-free. I freeze and wash their bedding and keep their cage as clean as possible. I also make sure to give them Nutri-Cal to boost their immune systems so their bodies can fight the lice off. Poor Oliver gets the nutrition sucked right out of him when he gets lice.