Help Please :(

Question
Hi, I just recently bought a new rat... its a light colored rat and i noticed that he had little scabs all over his body and he sleeps alot... when i took a closer look at his fur i noticed a little bug.  I have another rat that i had for a year and he was always really active and since i got the new rat he sleeps ALOT.... i was wondering if you could help me by telling me what it may be and how i can get rid of it... and are the bugs and the new "lazyness" of my old rat related? I would really appreciate it if you could help me.... I would take him to a vet but there is no vet anywhere near where i live....

Answer
 The little bug is probably a louse, which drink the blood of rats and cause itching which is probably causing the scabs.  Lice are very easy to treat, however.  Buy a single tube of the puppy / kitten Advantage or Revolution (flea killer solutions for dogs and cats) and put a single drop on the back of his neck right against the skin.  You may want to use a small syringe or eyedropper to get the right dose.  This will kill any lice or mites he has.  If he's living with your other rat you'll want to treat them both for sure.  The one tube should have enough for both of them and for the second dose, which should be applied 2 weeks later.  Make sure you clean the cage really well between the two applications to get rid of any that may have jumped off.

 It's possible that the increased laziness in your other rat is being caused by the lice.  If the infestation is bad enough they can actually cause the rat to be anemic from drinking so much of their blood.  It could also just be him getting older and slowing down a bit.  After the treatment see if he improves at all.

 Well I hope that answers your question, good luck with your rats!