Wonka

Question
Hi.. I have the most amazing pet rat. She is my little baby.. and just Now I noticed she has tiny red sores on all over body and Im really worried. I dont have alot of money...and a past rat that I had ended up costing me around 500 dollars. So Im worried about going to the vet. What should I do? Do you know what this could be?

Jame and Wonka

Answer
This sounds like 1 of several things...

Most typically I would say she has lice or mites. The scabs are caused by the constant itching and she could also be losing a bit of hair here and there, or atleast it might be thinning out a bit. If lice or mites are the problem it can be very easily treated by your vet at a low cost (I would estimate to be UNDER $50 if this is the case, with vet visit fee and all). Check her fur more closely and see if you can see little red or white specs. The white specs will look like flakes but they are extremely hard to see.

The other thing this could be is protein itch. DOes she get a lot of protein in her diet (kittie chow, dog chow, lots of nuts, deli meats, cooked meats ect...?) If she is getting too much protein she could be suffering from Protein itch. This is where the rat has too much protein in their system and causes them to feel rather itchy which will cause scabs and hair loss as well. The remedy to this is simply changing her diet to a low protein diet. If you are using a store bought mix stay away from high protein mixes, and especially mixes with seeds in them. If using dog kibble in your mix find something that is low in protein, preferably 17% but you could use 19% as well, it's more common, just feed less of it in a days time. Never give cat chow if you have a healthy rat, since it's VERY high in protein. Generally the only time cat chow is ok is if you are feeding a pregnant or nursing female. If no specs in her fur are present try lowering the protein in her diet for a few weeks and see if the scabs heal over...

Now, if these are actual SORES and not scabs like I suspected, it could be an allergy to her food. Store bought mixes are terrible for rats and contain a lot of preservatives and pesticides that can wreak havoc on a little rats body. Corn often found in the mixes can contain fungal contaminants and be toxic to your rat. Changing her diet would help her out a lot. I recommend mixing your own food as well as providing her with daily fresh veggies and weekly fresh fruits. You can read about a healthy diet for your rat on my website here: http://www.pixiesworld.com/dietnutrition.htm

It might also be the type of bedding you are using. Just so you know, pine and cedar are very bad as they contain phenols that produce harmful gasses, it's very bad for their respiratory system but I can't imagine it being good for their skin either. Maintaining as clean a cage as possible is best for your rat. Keep in mind that naturally rats have a lot of bacteria in and around their cage and even on them. Keep the sores clean and dry, try giving her a bath in some baby shampoo and putting a small amount of neosporin on the scabs/sores. This will help them heal and keep them clean.

Off the top of my head those are the only reasons I can see for sores on a rats body. I say clean her up and her cage up, change bedding if you have to (aspen is great and I use it, and its safe) and change her diet to a home made mix like I describe on my website. After 2 weeks you should see a major improvement if it is a food allergy, or protein related. If not, I suspect mites or lice and you should definitely get her to a vet for treatment.

I hope I was able to help you out a bit. If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask me. And don't forget to rate my answer when your through. Good luck with your sweetie girl :)