My rat has what i think is mites.

Question
Hi. I think my rat has mites. I noticed her fur was beginning to thin alot and then she had alot of self-caused scratches. The same thing happened to a mouse i had a long while back which ended up resulting in its death :(. i really care about my rat and i dont think my vet deals with them. i was wondering if there was a definite way to find out if it is mites and how to cure it. There is little black spots on the cuts that are sort of ovalish like i have seen of mites on rats in pictures. Thanks alot and i hope to hear from you soon!

-Michael

Answer
The only definite way is to have a vet do a scraping and check. However, you can treat your pet over the counter using Ivermectrin paste (found at any tack/feed store for horses). Mind you, I am not a vet, nor am I alluding to be -- however I treat MY rats this way. For an adult rat of average/standard size (NOT a dwarf), they get approximately the equivalent of a grain of rice, once a week, for 2 weeks. If at the end of 2 weeks you feel they still need another dose, do it two weeks longer.

Good luck.