i think my rat has lice

Question
I have 3 male rats and one of them has not been acting like himself..He has lost a lot of weight and his hair is very thin..I picked him up tonight and noticed these red dot like thing all over my shirt and they looked to be moving..Yuck, ugh what are they and can humans or dogs get infested with them too?  We also have an unwanted wild mouse somewhere in our house, could the infestation come from the wild mouse?  How do i get rid of these things?  My rat doesn't really want to eat anymore, he used to be quite plump and gorge himself.....Please please get back to me asap..thnx

Answer
Hello,
it sounds like the rate has either mites or ticks. You need to buy a flea and tick spray for small animals and clean the cage more often to keep them from coming back. If your dogs use flea and tick medication then I doubt that they will get them.