Need rat help NOW

[Kavyrie]

Was just holding my two adult male rats, and when I was done I went and took out one of my babies. I noticed on my white rex that she is LOADED with tiny brown bugs, which I am suspecting to be mites. Checked my other two, both also have them. My males don't seem to have any. Is there any way to get rid of them?! I don't want my babies to be harmed by this.

[lady_bug87]

On the rats? Do your snakes have any on them?

[EmbraceCalamity]

Are you sure they're not fleas? (Assuming "white rex" is a rat.)

~Maggot

[Kavyrie]

Yeah, I'm a dog groomer so I've seen plenty of fleas, definitely not fleas. And they look different than mites on snakes, and all my snakes are mite free right now.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Yeah, I'm a dog groomer so I've seen plenty of fleas, definitely not fleas. And they look different than mites on snakes, and all my snakes are mite free right now.I found this:
Rat Tails - An Itchy Rat is an Itchy Nat (http://www.ratballs.com/RatTails/Tails085.html)

I can't say how well it works though.

~Maggot

[Kavyrie]

Well that looks like the same exact thing they have, I will probably take them to the vet though since they are really young

[EmbraceCalamity]

Well that looks like the same exact thing they have, I will probably take them to the vet though since they are really youngYeah, vet's probably a better option if they're young. I don't think Ivermectin is very safe for young animals.

~Maggot

[Aaron_S]

It's rodent mites.

No idea how to get rid of them. Maybe flea powder?

I have no idea how well it affects mammals but you can look into pest stripes stuff like vapona. Like I said I HAVE NO IDEA how it affects mammals (not safe for herps) so you'd have to look into it.

Personally, I'd nix the poop outta them.

[KORBIN5895]

Use nix on them.

[totheend]

Advantage works very well.

[rmfsnakes32]

Use nix on rats also treat the cage with zodiac take it outside sparay down with zodiac allow to dry and will prevent/keep mites away for 7 months

[Aaron_S]

What's zodiac?

[Jay]

What's zodiac?

A brand of mite/tick prevention priducts.

[Aaron_S]

A brand of mite/tick prevention priducts.

Thanks Buddy!


So, instead of 2 products I stick with Nix. Spray everything.

[mykee]

Throw them in your freezer. Rodent mites only feed on rodents, eliminate the ability for them to reproduce by tossing the rodents. All of them.
BTW, they bite humans and it's itchy as all hell.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Rodent mites only feed on rodents...BTW, they bite humans and it's itchy as all hell.Wut.

~Maggot

[Lankyrob]

Wut.

~Maggot

Biting and feeding are to separate operations! :p

[EmbraceCalamity]

Biting and feeding are to separate operations! :pWhy do they bite then?

~Maggot

[Kavyrie]

I'm not killing my rats.

[Sorraia]

There's no need to kill them, it is treatable. The vet can do one of several things, but basically boils down to a topical or oral medication. I personally prefer oral ivermectin, but that can be tricky getting the right dosage. Many people use a topical product (which still needs the right dosage, but isn't quite as easy to overdose at the oral). If you are taking them to the vet, he/she will be able to prescribe the appropriate medication for them.

In the mean time...
You can bathe them with a kitten shampoo that contains pyrethrin. The pyrethrin is toxic to the lice or mites (depending on which your rats have) and will help kill some of them. An oatmeal shampoo can also offer your rats temporary relief from the itching. You can also put olive oil on them, which is completely non-toxic to the rats, will offer them some relief from the itching, and is said to suffocate the mites/lice. It will make a greasy mess too.

Make sure you clean their cages well. Any clean substrate needs to be microwaved or put in the freezer to kill and mites/lice living in it. That's the mostly likely way they got into your home in the first place.

[Aaron_S]

There's no need to kill them, it is treatable. The vet can do one of several things, but basically boils down to a topical or oral medication. I personally prefer oral ivermectin, but that can be tricky getting the right dosage. Many people use a topical product (which still needs the right dosage, but isn't quite as easy to overdose at the oral). If you are taking them to the vet, he/she will be able to prescribe the appropriate medication for them.

In the mean time...
You can bathe them with a kitten shampoo that contains pyrethrin. The pyrethrin is toxic to the lice or mites (depending on which your rats have) and will help kill some of them. An oatmeal shampoo can also offer your rats temporary relief from the itching. You can also put olive oil on them, which is completely non-toxic to the rats, will offer them some relief from the itching, and is said to suffocate the mites/lice. It will make a greasy mess too.

Make sure you clean their cages well. Any clean substrate needs to be microwaved or put in the freezer to kill and mites/lice living in it. That's the mostly likely way they got into your home in the first place.

That's a lot of work. Nix the damn things including all caging and furnishings. Done deal. No microwave. No freezing. No rubbing rats down.

[EmbraceCalamity]

That's a lot of work. Nix the damn things including all caging and furnishings. Done deal. No microwave. No freezing. No rubbing rats down.I'm not killing my rats.That's already been stated. Some people don't kill animals just because it's easier than giving them treatment for a simple issue.

~Maggot

[Sorraia]

That's a lot of work. Nix the damn things including all caging and furnishings. Done deal. No microwave. No freezing. No rubbing rats down.

Whether or not YOU think it is worthwhile is irrelevant, because you are not the one doing the work. Hope you don't feel the same way about any other pets you have...

[EmbraceCalamity]

Whether or not YOU think it is worthwhile is irrelevant, because you are not the one doing the work. Hope you don't feel the same way about any other pets you have...It's interesting how rats have a greater capacity for empathy than some humans, isn't it? :)

~Maggot

[iBaman]

haha, i think he was thinking they were feeder rats, not pet rats. a common mistake on a SNAKE forum. ;P

[Sorraia]

It's interesting how rats have a greater capacity for empathy than some humans, isn't it? :)

~Maggot

lol I also see it from both sides, since I have/have kept both animals. So many people even keeping pet rats won't bother to treat them for easily treatable illnesses. "It's a $10 rat, why would I take it to the vet? I can just buy another one." Then so many people hate snakes. "It's a snake! Just kill the darn thing. The world needs less of them any way." But then there are people who treat ALL animals that way too... Not saying anyone on this forum feels this way, it's just something I've seen too much of. :(

haha, i think he was thinking they were feeder rats, not pet rats. a common mistake on a SNAKE forum. ;P

That could be, and if so, my mistake! It's just not easy seeing someone speak in such a way about pets you love, and especially tough when you have more than one animal that is generally maligned by the public! ;)
(I'm convinced people think I'm crazy... I went from keeping and breeding pet rats to keeping pet snakes! Why can't I just be "normal"? lol)

[mykee]

My rats are feeders, not pets. If they can still serve their higher purpose of filling my snakes bellies WITHOUT causing any distress to me; awesome. In the freezer they go.
If you're a bleeding heart who wuvs her widdle watties so much, then good luck, you're on a huge uphill battle.

[Aaron_S]

Whether or not YOU think it is worthwhile is irrelevant, because you are not the one doing the work. Hope you don't feel the same way about any other pets you have...

Do you normally go through extra work to get the same job done? Do you do dishes by hand or with a dishwasher if it's available? No! That's foolish and a longer way to get the same result. Waste of time. That I could be spending doing other things for my pets.

[EmbraceCalamity]

Do you normally go through extra work to get the same job done? Do you do dishes by hand or with a dishwasher if it's available? No! That's foolish and a longer way to get the same result. Waste of time. That I could be spending doing other things for my pets.So you're comparing living, intelligent, feeling, empathetic creatures to dishware. I see you're continuing your tradition of poor and offensive comparisons. Good job.

~Maggot

[Gungirl]

Aaron gave you a method that will work well. You are being a block head.. stop taking offence to what he is saying and reread his other post. Using nix will not harm or kill the rats but simply take care of the mites..

[EmbraceCalamity]

Aaron gave you a method that will work well. You are being a block head.. stop taking offence to what he is saying and reread his other post. Using nix will not harm or kill the rats but simply take care of the mites..I'm not sure who you're talking to. I just posted, so one would assume me, but the lack of use of the "Quote" function makes it difficult. And since you said he "gave you a method that will work well," but I'm not the one asking for advice, I'm guessing no? Not sure.

~Maggot

[Sorraia]

Whether or not YOU think it is worthwhile is irrelevant, because you are not the one doing the work. Hope you don't feel the same way about any other pets you have...

Do you normally go through extra work to get the same job done? Do you do dishes by hand or with a dishwasher if it's available? No! That's foolish and a longer way to get the same result. Waste of time. That I could be spending doing other things for my pets.

Aaron gave you a method that will work well. You are being a block head.. stop taking offence to what he is saying and reread his other post. Using nix will not harm or kill the rats but simply take care of the mites..

I see where *my* mistake and misunderstanding is coming from now. After reading a comment (NOT from Aaron) about killing rats, I misunderstood what "nix" meant. After re-reading (I did read the whole thread before replying the first time), I see where the mistake and misunderstanding happened. I personally am not familiar with the product "Nix", so seeing that after the comments about killing the rats didn't translate well in my head. So for that I apologize for any offense I've caused. Hand shake? :)

All of that out of the way, if the product "Nix" can be used on rats, then sounds like it will be easier than going through the other process of dosing individual animals, freezing or microwaving bedding, and bathing.

[Aaron_S]

I see where *my* mistake and misunderstanding is coming from now. After reading a comment (NOT from Aaron) about killing rats, I misunderstood what "nix" meant. After re-reading (I did read the whole thread before replying the first time), I see where the mistake and misunderstanding happened. I personally am not familiar with the product "Nix", so seeing that after the comments about killing the rats didn't translate well in my head. So for that I apologize for any offense I've caused. Hand shake? :)

All of that out of the way, if the product "Nix" can be used on rats, then sounds like it will be easier than going through the other process of dosing individual animals, freezing or microwaving bedding, and bathing.

Nix is a product for headlice. Safe for humans, safe for snakes (with dilution) so I would believe it's safe for rats.

[Aaron_S]

So you're comparing living, intelligent, feeling, empathetic creatures to dishware. I see you're continuing your tradition of poor and offensive comparisons. Good job.

~Maggot

:rolleyes: Doesn't make my point come across any less.