Rat dandruff & itching

Question
I recently got a rat as a gift and he was itching so i gently blew on his hair to check for fleas and saw little white flakes sticking to his hair, mainly in the middle of his back. He's also itching quite a bit and I've noticed him jumping like hes startled right before he has a scratching fit.

Answer
Sounds more like he may have lice.  Dont worry, its not the same lice that humans get, but it can cause problems with his health and needs treated by the Vet.  Revolution is usually the route to go. In fact, if you have a vet already, all you need to do is call them and buy one vial of kitten strength revolution and I can tell you how much to use if the vet cant.