Rat lice?

Question
I work at a veterinary clinic that has recently treated a rat for rat lice. I am now suspecting my 8 week old male rat has caught it from me. My vet told me that it wasnt' possible to transfir it from my body by carrying the rat with lice, to my rat Stryker. I am reading up on the life cycle of lice and it says that it is about 21 days, which means it is possible that he contracted this from where I got him. He is also.. maturing, so it is possible that it is buck grease. I think that I am a little paranoid due to the recent rat at the clinic that had it, and to me it seems like the red stuff is moving. He has no leisons as today is the first day that Ive noticed it and has otherwise NAF on his skin. I have noticed that he has decreased drinking but that could be due to the green peppers he enjoys eating. His urine has recently become more noticible scent wise, and I'm wondering if he is lacking nutritionally. Sorry for the bombardment of questions.
Kristen

Answer
Hi Kristen



Your vet is right, the lice are species specific and will not survive on you at all, not even to transfer the lice to your rat.  
However, lice are like silver slivers that cling to the hair shaft. Mites are the itty bitty tiny red bugs that travel on the skin but live in the litter or bedding, in cardboard or wood toys etc...  I prefer treating either parasite with revolution or ivermectin.

As for his urine having a stronger odor; a decrease in drinking can cause the urine to be more concentrated and may have a stronger odor and color.  He really needs to drink more in order to keep his kidneys healthy.  I would cut back on the green peppers some.

Buck grease is an orange waxy residue on the back of the rat, usually in areas the rat cannot reach very well due to being a bit chubby, or if he lives alone he has no other rat to groom him there. Its caused by hormones for the most part. He seems a bit young for buck grease though, but with rats, nothing shocks me any more!   :)