skin spots on the pet rat

Question
QUESTION: We noticed one of our rats developing dark spots on his skin (on his back and
head but none on the belly). It started after he lost a bunch of hair and had a
bold spot for a while. The hair grew again, the dark spot reduced in size but I
noticed several more spots, of smaller size. We also noticed that he is being
bullied by his body, another rat, who dominates him and often takes his food
away. We try to feed them separately now but he might have been deprived
for a few days until we noticed the bullying. We usually feed 1 pellet of rat
food each twice a day  and give them snacks in between, mostly cheese and
vegetable - is that enough food? And do we need to worry about the dark
spots - the rat himself doesn't seem to be bothered by them - they don't
seem to itch and he doesn't seem to be bothered when I touch them.
Thanks.



ANSWER: WHat color are the spots?  Are they dark brown or orange or blackish blue?

also, you are really starving the rats without knowing it. I know you would never do this on purpose which is why I am telling you.  I know you dont realize this but rats can self feed and MUST be allowed to do it. No wonder the other rat steals the food, they are not getting nearly enough.  What you need to do is fill a dish of pellets and leave it full. When you see it gets low, fill it again.  Self feeding is the only way to safely feed rats. They only eat when hungry and wont over eat. Some folks worry rats will eat too much and gain weight but the only thing that makes them gain weight is bad food.  So, you need to put at least a  handful of rat blocks in a dish and when you notice that there are some missing and they are eating them, add more every day.  A healthy rat will eat up to 4 or more blocks a day and even more depending on the age and size of the rat.  Stop with the cheese.  This leads to lactose problems. BElieve it or not, its an old nursery rhyme about the mouse and the cheese. Veggies and fruits along with some meats such as chicken breats and canned oysters a few times a week for quality animal protein are also needed.  Check out my website for info on feeding properly. A good diet is one way to be sure your rats are healthy and will keep their vital organs healthy. Foods high in protein cause too much stress on kidneys and lead to kidney disease later in life. I am not sure what kind of pellets your using but do check the protein content and be sure they dont exceed 18%.  If it is Mazuri, they are pretty good rat blocks and although it is 23% if they dont get much more protein in their diet, this is acceptable. Here is the URL to my site about proper diet.

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

Hope this helps.  Also please let me know what color the spots are.

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

QUESTION: I am so grateful for this information! Thank you so much! We were afraid to
give them more food because it said on the food bag - 2-3 pellets a day. The
food that we give them is Forti-Diet (by Kaytee) and lists 21% protein. Should
we still give them as much as they want?
The spots on the rats are almost black, with bluish tint. Could they be black-
and-blues from the bites of the other rat? Again, thank you very much for
your help, I certainly will check your site for more info on the diet.

ANSWER: My rats have the exact bluish black spots. They are very old, 3.5 years old. Is your rat old, by chance? I would apply neosporin ointment to them as this is necrotic tissue often from trauma from scratching or possibly just having thin skin due to age. Also the kaytee is fine and yes, give them as much as they want every day.

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

QUESTION: Thank you so much! I feel awful that we were unknowingly starving the rats! I
think, our rats are about 1.5 year old, if the pet store was correct telling us their
age. Is there a way to stop the bullying? Even with their feeder full, the bully is
moving the food to the other side of the cage and the weaker rat is afraid to
approach the food.

Answer
Dont feel awful....you read the back of the package but usually lab blocks are used as part of a diet, not an entire diet.  They are the staple in some cases but usually there are other foods added. A healthy male should weigh around 500 to 650 grams depending on its frame size. My males tip the scales around 700 grams plus. You should not be able to feel or see the spine of the rat nor should you see their rib cage or feel it. They should not be waiting eagerly for food if they have no food available. Snacks and stuff, yes, rats will wait eagerly for them but they should not have an empty dish and go ballistic when you feed them or that means they are not getting enough food.  As for the bully male...you can take the other boy out and feed him alone. Do you have a spare cage that you can feed the other boy in? I think once they see they dont have to hide the food and know more will always be there, the bully rat also known as the alpha male will stop hoarding. The reasons rats hoard is because they dont get enough food so when they do they hide it for later.  He may continue this behavior for a while but the other rat needs to eat on his own which I am sure he will eventually. Does the alpha rat bite and hurt him?