Pet Rat Skin Disease
Pet rats are susceptible to various forms of skin diseases, mostly because of their excessive scratching. The scratching is usually caused by mites or another problem not obvious to the owner, and if not treated on time can result in further complications like abscesses and scabs resulting in a skin infection.
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Treatment for Mites
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A common cause of a skin problems are skin mites. The most common ones are the fur mite and the rat mange mite. Both of these can be treated by using Ivermectin which can be bought via a prescription directly from your vet. The medicine can be either painted onto the skin of the rat or injected. While vets prefer to inject it, as this ensures the entire dose is absorbed, some rats develop a reaction to the medicine. The best thing to do is ask your vet for the correct way to give this to your rat. It is given every two weeks till the mites disappear which can take from one to two months.
Treatment for Fleas and Lice
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If your rat has fleas, you will need to treat not only the rat but also every pet in your house to make sure you avoid a re-infestation. The best treatment for rats is oral Ivermectin. You can give this to your rat by squeezing the correct dosage (0.01 ml/lb) onto a piece of bread and feeding it to the rat. Other treatments for fleas include Advantage, Program and Revolution.
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Fungus
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If you have put your rat on Ivermectin only to see no improvement in the skin condition, it is possible your rat has a fungal infection. Fungal infections cannot be diagnosed accurately, so it is best to start the treatment straight away. The most common cause for fungal infections is ringworm, which can be treated with an over the counter treatment like Lotrimin.
Diet Related Skin Problems
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Skin problems can be related to the diet of the pet rat, the most common cause being an allergy to protein rich foods like peanuts, or additives in commercial pet food. If you think your pet has developed an allergy to the commercial food you are feeding it, start by putting it on a home-made fresh diet for a few weeks. If you are right, the irritation and scratching will stop completely.
Other Allergies
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Pet rats can develop allergies to non-food items as well. The most common ones are pine and cedar shavings from their litter and fur mites. If you are able to figure out the cause on your own, you can remove the offending item from the environment, otherwise you can take the rat to the vet for extensive testing. Usually steroids will stop the itching.
The biggest reason why skin problems in rats result in major complications is ignorance on the owner's part. As soon as you see your rat showing any symptoms of a skin condition, look into possible reasons and start treatment immediately.
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