skin problems

Question
hi
in reply to your question about our own skin problems the answer is yes, an itchy red rash with raised bumps very much like tiny bee stings, this lasts for an hour or so then subsides
thanks
steve

Answer
Your allergic to your rats. The good news is, its common.  What is going on is this: The rat steps in his or her own urine.  The protein in the urine adheres to their claws. When their claws scratch you, sometimes so slight you do not even notice the scratches, you break out into hives and itch like crazy, welt up or get red bumps all over with red skin under the bumps.

The best way to avoid this is to wipe their feet before holding them using unscented baby wipes, wear long sleeves or dont let your rat walk all over you or scratch you.  How old are the rats? Usually this occurs more when they are younger. As they age, their nails tend to become more dull and the allergic reaction tends to subside.

You can wipe yourself off right away with the baby wipes and apply cortisone cream or any anti itch cream topically to the areas that are itchy.

Being truly allergic to rats is when you sneeze and have runny  eyes and nose and sometimes feel so sick you feel like you have the flu.  This is not as common as the local skin reaction, however.   hope this helps!