my rat might have mites

Question
I wanted to know how to check if my rat has mites or what because he has scratches and marks on him he is in a cage with just him we also have 2 chinchillas and a gerbil which have no signs of anything so can you please tell me specifically what i can do or how to get rid of them? please thank you very very much

Answer
Hello Tiffany,
do you see anything crawling on his fur? If so then you either have mites or fleas and you would need some to buy some flea and tick spray for him. The other type of mite which you can see on the skin is known as mange mites and mange mites live under the skin and cause the animal to scratch until they bleed sometimes. The animal will usually have what looks like dandruff and scabs from scratching. The best thing to treat mange mites is Ivermectin which you can buy from horse supply stores over the counter but the thing is that you have to dose it just right and only a vet can really give the correct dosage. I wouldn't try Ivermectin without taking your rat to a vet to confirm it's actually mange mites. The rat could also have a skin irritation going on and could be having allergic reactions to his bedding or something around the cage.