rattie bumps

Question
i have a 5 month old female blue agouti dumbo rex rat.  since we got her we noticed a bump or two on her ears.  its gotten worse, and she scratches them.  now we noticed that they are on her nose and tail also.  i saw a question from another person about her hairless and bumps on its tail.  this is not a hairless but i was wondering if regular rats can also get acne?  her brother has it also just not as bad.  he is a double rex dumbo male.  they were bought from a lady who bred a couple of rescue rats she got.  they are eating seeds and pellets and we are using pine bedding.  so i dont know if that may have anything to do with it also.  they are unaltered and 1/2 brother and sister.  different moms. just wondering if it could be worse and need to go in to see a vet?  thank you very much for your time

Answer
For starters, all rats can develop acne. However, your using bedding that is very bad for rats. Pine bedding can contribute to respiratory disease and problems with liver.   This can also cause problems with skin. Cedar is also bad for rats.  The best litter to use is either yesterdays news, aspen or carefresh. If it smells good, its not good for the rats.

The diet also needs changed. This may also be the culprit for the skin problems. Rats need vegetables and fruits, some high quality protein meats as well. They must be on a low protein diet and also a low fat diet too. High protein will destroy the kidneys and cause kidney disease as they age.  Please refer to my website for more info on proper diet.

Once you change the diet and litter, I am confident your rats skin will clear up.
High protein diets, which is found in the seed mix will cause rat acne, itching and loss of fur.
You can rub the sores with antibiotic ointment several times a day to help clear them up and avoid infection.   Here is the URL to my website.  Please let me know how it goes.  You should see positive results in a few weeks once the diet and bedding are changed.


http://www.sandyscrittercity.com/