my rat is scratching alot

Question
hey there my pet rat named booger is scratching a lot and i don't know if it is an health issue or not..when ever she scratches in her ears she licks her toes...i was wondering if pet rats could get mites...or something...and also if you now what it is...is it spreadable because i have got another rat named bashful in the same cage with booger...but it is a constant scratch...every time you look at her she is scratching...could she have fleas...but please help me out!! and also is it treatable

Answer
Hi Jessica,
It's very common, especially when litter materials are sitting around in pet stores, for mites to appear on the backsides and behind the ears of our little furballs.

Rodent lice looks like little  orange skin flakes...that move! Fortunately, it's very treatable, and the medicine is not very expensive at all. You can contact your local vet, or even a petstore, and ask for a horse paste called Ivermectin. It's about $8 a tube, and you only need to give about a rice sized dollop to your ratty once a week for about 8 weeks. You can also rub a  little bit on the areas by their ears, bottoms, and base off their tails.

You can also clean your cages out with white vinegar to help  keep the lice eggs down.

I hope that helps, keep me posted!

Cathe