cagemates grooming until the point of sores?

Question
QUESTION: hi,

i have a pair of young female rats (littermates). i've had them for a couple months. about a week ago i noticed sores near their mouths and under their chins (they're very small, but getting worse). i think that the sores are being caused by them grooming each other? but i'm not sure. i do know that their grooming is making it worse. is this normal?? i am planning to seperate the two and see if things heal up, but i don't want it to reoccur when i put them back together...what should i do?

i've had other rats in pairs and this hasn't happened before. :/

ANSWER:
To be honest, this sounds more like a reaction to something, possibly a reaction to bites from mites.  Also, diet can play a huge role in this because of scratching.  A diet high in protein is usually the culprit.
What type of food do they eat daily and what is the amount of protein they are getting on a daily basis.  

You can read more about skin problems and also proper diet on my website here:


http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/ratsandahealthydiet.htm

http://www.freewebs.com/crittercity/skinproblemsabscesses.htm

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi,

i'm feeding them harlan teklad rodent diet -- it's an 18% protein. i am about to switch them to the 14% lab blocks...will that help the problem.

i don't think they have mites...but i'll inspect it further...they don't like me looking at their sores, and they're very squirmy!  

Answer

Good deal on the Harlan teklad. This is the best rodent block on the market.  If your using the 18% block along with other foods that carry a higher amount of protein, going down to the 14% is fine, but 18% is not that bad either, really. Young rats, hairless rats and pregnant rats can benefit from added protein.

Also, dont separate them. I am sure its not from grooming each other. I believe its either food related (allergies or high protein) or mites that are causing itching.  Dab the scabs with neosporin first, hydrocortisone cream second, which will help itching.

What other foods do they eat daily?

If it were ectoparasites, they usually cause scabs all over the trunk etc.... and allergies is more around the face like your girls.