Rat with skin irritation (revised)?

He's been to the vet for a general check up but the irritation was minimal at the time. The vet was informed of it, nonetheless. He came to me with the irritation, therefore I don't think it's anything I've done to cause it. It is not mites, as my females aren't affected. I'm not looking for a diagnosis, I'm looking for something that'll help relieve his discomfort between bathes (they soothe %26amp; heal, but only for 2 weeks per bath). He was adopted from PetSmart, due to skittishness/aggression making him ''unsellable''. I've owned rats for many years, but this is the first I've had that has this problem, so the treatment is unknown to me. I've considered hydrocortizone spray (or lotion), and just want to know if anyone has options to share with me.


Here is Jigsaw (he has minimal irritation here, but still 'noticeable'):


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/P...





Here are my girls, just for fun:


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v440/P...

Rat with skin irritation (revised)?
When it comes to mites, not all of the rats in the same cage need to be affected. If the girls have a stronger immune system then he does then they will not show signs of mites. If he does have mites then it was due to being stressed out at the pet store. A rat that is skittishness/aggression would be under constant stress living in those conditions. It could be that now that you have rescued him and have him living in a better environment the hydrocortizone spray (or lotion) will put an instant stop to the itch and he can heal.





On that same note, and speaking holistically, his skin condition could be due to his emotional state. Now that his mind has time to quiet down, he can begin to heal without too much intervention.





I understand that you feed your rats cat food. Do you think that the protein, or any particular ingredient in the cat food, is causing a sensitivity in this one particular rat? The same skin condition that one sees with mites is also due to too much protein in the diet. If the mite treatment fails then our next thought is this.





You can apply all the lotions in the world to recondition his skin but until you get to the root (no pun intended) of the problem, it will never go away.





Try to eliminate the cat food and do a detox for this one particular rat and see if there is any improvement.





Whatever you decide on, in the meantime, you do need to stop the vicious itch cycle, so that the healing can begin, and I do recommend the hydrocortizone spray (or lotion).





About the baths..............could he be sensitive to the shampoo? Shampoo made for humans changes the pH of the skin and this could also exasorbate the problem. The pH of the rat's skin is more like a dog's skin, therefore, a dog shampoo would be better.





Maybe his skin condition does not favor the frequent baths, maybe the baths are exasorbating the problem? Opt instead for a real oatmeal bath, oatmeal cooked in so much water it's like a soup. The bonus is that he can lick it off his coat and oatmeal is soothing to the digestion and the mind, as well as the skin. By that same token you can opt for a warm Chamomile or Calendula bath sans the soap, and therefore no need to rinse. Both of these herbals sooth and heal the skin, are harmless (actually beneficial) should he groom after the bath, and they will make him smell wonderful.





Is Jigsaw a Blue? He looks like a Charcoal Bareback on my monitor, and a very handsome boy he is too. Blues are just one of the many varieties of fancy rats available to us and I have never heard of Blues having a skin sensitivity any different from other rats. I have many Blues in my mischief at the moment. May I know the source of your info for future reference?





Ok, you expert rat-wrangler you. Be honest, how many pictures did you have to take of your rats before you got them to stay on the teddy bear?????? :)





Note: The flesh of avocado is not toxic to rats. Many rat keepers give it to their rats as a treat, or when the rats are sick due to it's high calorie/fat content. Contains EFAs to benefit the skin. Now I'm picturing Jigsaw slathered in an avocado mask.





Edit:


Thank you for the sources Yelliez.


Re: http://www.ratbehavior.org/AustralianBlu...


Australia has had a lot of difficulty with their Blue Rat lines. Hemophilia is another problem that has cropped up. A Blue rat there can bleed to death with a minor nick on the tail. Australia has a law against imports of rats into that country so the breeders can't get any new blood to resolve these issues.


Re: http://www.afrma.org/bluerat.htm


This is a 1996 article. Blue rats were so popular in the UK at the time that mass breeding for the color was causing some health issues. There has been some improvement since then and the Blues no longer have these health issues.





spazrats


"my life has gone to the Rats"
Reply:A massage of extra virgin olive oil is recommended by rat owners who own blues. Blues tend to have skin irritations simply because of their genetics. PetSmart buys their animals from a breeder who breeds fancy and blues so there is a possibility that you got one from a blue/fancy combo. Either way, the irritation usually is helped quite a bit by the oil and it is non-toxic to rats so grooming it off is no problem (they also very much love the flavor).


=)


That Christmas pic is beyond adorable





Edit:


Spazrats, these are just two sites that make remarks in regards to blues being predisposed to skin irritations.


http://www.ratbehavior.org/AustralianBlu...


http://www.afrma.org/bluerat.htm





Individuals that have put their rats on healthy diets in attempts to fix any imbalances and frozen their Carefresh to make sure they couldn't get mites from the bedding have been told the olive oil works. I spoke with one individual that said she was thrilled with the results.





Of course, this was after trying everything that you stated. More often than not, I would assume it's one of the problems you listed and what you talk about should be tried before just tending to the symptoms.





=)





Edit 2: Spazrats had another good point with the cat food. Debbie Ducommun "The causes of itching are fur mites, an allergy, excessive dietary protein (such as fish or cat food), eczema, and a fungus infection. A bacterial infection of the skin may also be involved, but it is rarely the primary cause."








Spazrats is an incredible source for information for your rats- definitly listen to her!
Reply:I love those pics. Maybe you could do one like that for my guinea pig %26gt;.%26lt;


There are some baby shampoos that you can buy that have oatmeal in them, you might try that along with his next bath. You can also feed them oatmeal. It's very soothing to the skin. You might check to see whether avocado is poisonous or not to rats, if not then you can feed them that as well as it it also very good for the skin.


It's good to know that there are people out there who take such good care of their small animals. Some people on YA are veeeery different.
Reply:All too often animals are treated for mites or bugs when that is not the problem. Some rodents have a sensitivity to too high% of protein in their diet. This can cause among other things..hot spots, scratching, hair loss, etc. Common places are around the head and neck area. I suggest changing your rats diet and protein%. See if that helps. Another issue could be an allergy to the bedding. I would start with the diet first and go from there. Below is a diet that is good for all rodents. Good luck to you and Jigsaw (love the name!).


dave%26lt;:3}~...OWNER/ SHAGGYMOUSE YAHOO GROUP

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