Okay all you rat enthusiasts...

[moosmom]

I need advice on Winkie. I had him on my shoulder the other day and was petting him. He had these little bumps, like pimples, on his shoulder near his right ear.

Is this something I should be concerned about??

[Hellow]

No, i believe that is just his bone.

[Whisk_Luva]

I dont know much about rats but is it like that on the other side?

[CathyBogart]

Hmm....Is he itchy at all? Are they red or just raised? Do you have any new pics of him?

[luckies4me]

If he is excessively itchy and keeps scratching he could have a mite infestation, or possibly lice. How is his protein intake? Male rats can get really itchy if they have too much protein in their diet so you may want to cut out meaty treats and avoid giving him too many sunflower seeds. If you part his fur and look at his skin you should see a little bit of yellow tint. If it is orange/oilish then he has too much protein.

Anywho, if you have any other questions let me know. Mites/lice are easy to take care of. Just two doses of Ivermectin should take care of it.

[Miss Z]

I agree with luckies4me, could be a mite infestation. Maybe he could also be reacting to some substance or a type of bedding that irritates his skin.

Tia had some bumps similar to what you described on her left flank a while back. They were tiny bumps in three almost perfect lines. They didn't last very long, a couple of the larger ones scabbed over and soon fell off, the others just went down. I put it down to the fact that she could either have been scratching or cleaning (she sometimes cleans herself by licking her toes and then scratching) and just forgot how sharp her claws can get!

[moosmom]

Thanks Cass and Zara.

Zara,

His nails do get pretty sharp. I try to clip them whenever I can. I'll look at them again when he wakes up to see if they're raised, etc.

Any suggestions as to what other kind of food I can get for him? I've tried giving him broccoli, carrots, fruits, nuts, saltines, you name it! He's the best fed rat in the universe!!

Should I bathe him? How can I do that and what kind of soap is used?

[Miss Z]

Thanks Cass and Zara.

Zara,

His nails do get pretty sharp. I try to clip them whenever I can. I'll look at them again when he wakes up to see if they're raised, etc.

Any suggestions as to what other kind of food I can get for him? I've tried giving him broccoli, carrots, fruits, nuts, saltines, you name it! He's the best fed rat in the universe!!

Should I bathe him? How can I do that and what kind of soap is used?

I clip Tia's pretty often too but as I'm sure you know, it's no easy task! As luck (or perhaps misfortune) would have it, Tia's scratched herself a little too hard again and now she has some little bumps behind her ears.

Tia eats like a queen too, ratties really don't know just quite how spoilt they are, do they? The fruits and veggies should always be the main treats, but Tia likes a bit of pasta or spaghetti every now and then. They can also have biscuits, either of the human or dog variety!

As for bathing, my experiences with Mizz Tia have shown me that I get a better bath that she does. I'm sure Winkie would be a much better behaved boy. I wouldn't bathe too often as it can make their coats too soft and flimsy, and you can use special animal shampoos that will most likely be available from your vet or perhaps a pet store. Tia would love to see some pics of her heart-throb Winkie having a bath!

[Muddy4paws]

My rats nails get so long too he hates them being done but try using a brick in his cage under his water bottle I find it wears them down a bit, My rats are on pets at home nuggets because its all they will eat (rat food wise) Try some dried pasta or dog treats, mine love dog biscuits lol


You can get something called anti parasite spot on made my beaphar, I take mine to work with me so mine get that just incase any dogs that come in have anything on them. its very easy its just like the front line on the back of the neck and it lasts for 4 weeks.1 Pipette should be enough. Im not sure if this is only sold in uk or not so if it is look for something with Ivermectin as thats the mite killer.



We need to see more photos!!

[luckies4me]

As for bathing, my experiences with Mizz Tia have shown me that I get a better bath that she does. I'm sure Winkie would be a much better behaved boy. I wouldn't bathe too often as it can make their coats too soft and flimsy, and you can use special animal shampoos that will most likely be available from your vet or perhaps a pet store. Tia would love to see some pics of her heart-throb Winkie having a bath!

Bathing a rat does not make their coat too soft or flimsy, and if it did make them too soft I'm sure a lot of us rat breeders would be bathing their ratties a heck of a lot more to get them ready to show. We all strive for the best well kept coats, and having a nasty coat can cost you a lot of points in the show ring.

As far as shampoo goes the best thing to use on a rat is baby shampoo. The PH is very similar to rats and if any gets in the eyes it doesn't hurt. Most small animal shampoos tend to be a bit drying. And if his coat gets dryer he will just produce more oils. More oils=more stink.

Muddy4paws offered a great suggestion in regards to keeping the nails short. A brick in the cage works wonders!

[Miss Z]

Bathing a rat does not make their coat too soft or flimsy, and if it did make them too soft I'm sure a lot of us rat breeders would be bathing their ratties a heck of a lot more to get them ready to show. We all strive for the best well kept coats, and having a nasty coat can cost you a lot of points in the show ring.

Oops, my bad. Guess it's just the shampoo I use. Tia's coat always seems to become lighter and sort of fluffier, as if there's less depth to it, when she has a bath. I always thought if I bathed her too much she would turn into a giant poofball.

[moosmom]

I feel so bad for him. I'm watching him now and he IS licking his feet and grooming himself. I just wiswh there was something I could do to help him.

Okay, level with me...HOW do I bathe him? I'm good bathing cats, but a rat?? That's a new one for me!!

[luckies4me]

Oops, my bad. Guess it's just the shampoo I use. Tia's coat always seems to become lighter and sort of fluffier, as if there's less depth to it, when she has a bath. I always thought if I bathed her too much she would turn into a giant poofball.

Heh, but just imagine how cute she would be lol.

[luckies4me]

I feel so bad for him. I'm watching him now and he IS licking his feet and grooming himself. I just wiswh there was something I could do to help him.

Okay, level with me...HOW do I bathe him? I'm good bathing cats, but a rat?? That's a new one for me!!

Rats licking their feet and grooming themselves is normal, and you will even see them stick their tosies in their ears.

As far as bathing I would answer that right now but I'm off to take Kai to the doctors. He has a cold. I will answer when I get back.

[moosmom]

I clipped his nails and took a closer look. Poor little guy has a bunch of these little scabs and they look sore. Time for a vet visit perhaps?? Everytime I rubbed the area, he'd close his eyes as if it felt good.