red dandruff

Question
Hi. My male rat has red flakes on his back that look a lot like dandruff. The severity comes and goes. He doesn't seem to be bothered by it but I'm not sure it's normal. Can you tell me what it is and how I can heal it? Thanks!

Answer
Is it right along his spine? If so, its probably 'buck grease', which is entirely normal. If there's a ton of it, you can take a soft bristled toothbrush and scrub very gently to break it up. Too much can cause some skin problems, but I've only seen that once in the last 3 years.