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I think my rat is sick

21 17:43:31

Question
I need help, im very worried for my rat, he is 2yrs old and ive had him since he was a baby, in the past few months he started to loose hair and i just thought that he was just shedding but now he is bald in the bottom portion of his body, he started loosing hair on the top now and his skin on top looks scalpy and red.. my mom told me that a few days ago she saw some little red thing on him so she bought a flea and tick liquid and out it on him.. today i just came home from college for the weekend and i washed him and observed his skin, its red and scalpy like alot of red dots all over his upper body where he has a little bit of hair..i called a few vets but theyre closed i dont know if somethings is wrong with him or if hes just old..please help me

Answer
 It's common for an older rat to lose hair, but if his skin is reddened then it is probably not normal hair loss.  My guess would be that he has some external parasites such as mites or lice.  I wouldn't recommend using flea and tick shampoos, those are not formulated for rats and can actually be harmful.  Your best bet is to pick up some Revolution or Advantage from your vet (I think some pet stores may carry it as well though not in single doses).  You only need the smallest tube, and you can use a syringe or eyedropper to place a single drop on the back of his neck.  Then give him another drop in two weeks.  This treatment is safe even if he doesn't have parasites.  If after doing that he doesn't improve within a week I would take him to the vet for an exam.  It could be an allergy, dermatitis, or a sign of something more serious.  As long as he is acting fine otherwise it is probably just parasites, hopefully he can be easily treated and will turn out just fine!  Good luck!