scabs on my rat

Question
QUESTION: what do you think it is and how can I treat it? My female rat about 10 months old has scabs around her neck and under her chin. sometimes they are bleeding. She is eating and drinking fine.  We just lost her sister to a respritory illness so im not sure if she is stressed or what. thank you
ANSWER: Scabs around the head and chin usually indicate a food allergy or too much protein in the diet. Would you be able to get back to me with a list of the foods that you are giving her?

:) thank you

spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com

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

QUESTION: Here is yje list of foods my rt eats; mostly rat chow rom ur loal pet store which contains nuts, seeds, alfalf, corn, veggie blocks. i also give her fresh foods like carrots, apples. These things havebeen given to here since she was a baby. I have ben putting toilet paper in for nesting material that is one new thing. Thank you

Answer
Ah Huh! I suspect the alfalfa and/or the corn to be the culprits. Both are "hot" foods meaning that they have so much nutrition in them that, for some rats, they are too much of a good thing. I would agree with you that this was a very good food for her as a growing baby, but now as an adult, she doesn't need all that extra protein.

Alfalfa is VERY high in protein and many pet rat experts agree that rats cannot effectively digest alfalfa.

Alfalfa is also very high in Vitamin A. An overdose of Vitamin A can cause the same skin problems as it is meant to correct for a vitamin A deficiency.

Is it possible for you to find a rat food that is based on wheat instead of alfalfa?

Adding a wider variety of fruit and veg would also appeal to her tastebuds.

spazrats
http://spazrats.tripod.com