Need rat help NOW

Sorraia · 12-10-12, 03:46 PM

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** · 12-10-12, 10:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

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 · 12-10-12, 11:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

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.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Kavyrie

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 · 12-11-12, 10:29 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

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 · 12-11-12, 10:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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...

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

~Maggot

**Aaron_S** · 12-12-12, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 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.

EmbraceCalamity · 12-12-12, 06:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aaron_S

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

**Aaron_S** · 12-13-12, 11:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by EmbraceCalamity

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

Doesn't make my point come across any less.