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Pet Forum / Mammals / Rats / September 2003Black moving dots on their skin
I knew it. I fuckin' knew it... I just had a close-up of Timmy and he has black moving dots on his coat. :o( Damnit... I assume they've had these ever since I got them as they've seemed to me to be over scratching, nibbling themselves etc right from the word go. I'm going to do a bit of research now... feel free to fire any wisom to me. Thanks, Pete. > I knew it. I fuckin' knew it... I just had a close-up of Timmy and he > has black moving dots on his coat. :o( > Damnit... No need to swear. :-) >> I knew it. I fuckin' knew it... I just had a close-up of Timmy and he >> has black moving dots on his coat. :o( >> Damnit... > >No need to swear. :-) Oh yes there is. ;o) Any ideas Derek? Pete > I knew it. I fuckin' knew it... I just had a close-up of Timmy and he > has black moving dots on his coat. :o( [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > > Pete. Black moving dots? Mites, you can't see... lice is a light brown. Do they have nits on their fur? Black... I wonder if it could be fleas? I know it's really "icky" finding out your pets have bugs... but don't despair, it is easily treated.  SignatureJoanne Mom to 14 rats http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca remove "no spam" >> I knew it. I fuckin' knew it... I just had a close-up of Timmy and he >> has black moving dots on his coat. :o( [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] >fur? >Black... I wonder if it could be fleas? I was in touch with the breeder the day after I got them about the over scratching/nibbling as I saw it and he mentioned the mother had 1 flea bite on her and suggested there could be a rogue flea about... well it seems my boys have them. I can't seem to find much about getting rid of fleas on the internet with rats, but lots of information on mites and lice. I'm a bit stuck as to what do next really... anyone had experience with fleas? Thanks, Pete > I was in touch with the breeder the day after I got them about the > over scratching/nibbling as I saw it and he mentioned the mother had 1 [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Pete Hi Pete, your best bet would be a trip to the vet. And then you have do a massive house cleaning... vacuuming all corner and baseboards all carpeted area... they could be everywhere. Do not use anything over the counter for fleas, it is usually not for rats especially since they are so young. SignatureJoanne Mom to 14 rats http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca remove "no spam" >Hi Pete, your best bet would be a trip to the vet. And then you have do a >massive house cleaning... vacuuming all corner and baseboards all carpeted >area... they could be everywhere. >Do not use anything over the counter for fleas, it is usually not for rats >especially since they are so young. Oh dear. So soon and young and a trip to the vets already for fleas. This can't be good on them. :o( Luckily there's a few not too far away so I'll call round tomorrow to see which are best for my boys. Should I be looking for one that recommends Ivermecin, but not injection? I can't wait to tell my mother about my clean rats. Thanks Jo, Pete Fleas & mites migrate in & out of cages, & eggs can be dropped anywhere to hatch into flea larvae. It is often sufficient to get a vapona pest strip & hang one in any room where a fleat-bitten rat has been. The strip is active for a month, so it kills the immediate population of fleas or mites. As dropped eggs hatch in the weeks that follow, the larvae are killed before they turn into fleas & look for a host. Read the warnings on the pest strip carefully. It is one of the safest methods of controlling external pet parasites & insects, certainly safer than any contact pesticide or oral medication. But it is dangerously toxic if it comes in contact with skin, or is eaten by a pet. The strips should be hung where no accidental contact is possible. You'll find them in the pesticide sections of most garden or home improvement centers. -paghat the ratgirl Signature"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher. "Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature. -from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers" See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/ >Fleas & mites migrate in & out of cages, & eggs can be dropped anywhere to >hatch into flea larvae. It is often sufficient to get a vapona pest strip [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > >-paghat the ratgirl Oooohh thanks for this! I live right near a garden center. Are you saying I could just hang one of these up with no other treatment for my boys? This is intersting me a lot... Have you had good personal results with this method Pag? Thanks, all this is building my knowledge no end. Pete > >Fleas & mites migrate in & out of cages, & eggs can be dropped anywhere to > >hatch into flea larvae. It is often sufficient to get a vapona pest strip [quoted text clipped - 16 lines] > Are you saying I could just hang one of these up with no other > treatment for my boys? Usually, yes, though if skin irritation or evidence of parasites continues past a week, you should go to a vet who'll give you an oral medication that will get rid of mites or fleas. > This is intersting me a lot... > > Have you had good personal results with this method Pag? It is a standard remedy among many breeders of many species of animals, & safe enough if used strictly within the directions that it is used as a preventative so there'll never be fleas in a room or breeding shed ever. It is essentially the exact same product you buy as a "cat & dog flea collar." > Thanks, all this is building my knowledge no end. > > Pete Signature"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher. "Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature. -from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers" See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/ > Usually, yes, though if skin irritation or evidence of parasites continues > past a week, you should go to a vet who'll give you an oral medication [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > It is essentially the exact same product you buy as a "cat & dog flea > collar." Hi Paghat, so there's no need to go nuts cleaning your home? How should you hang it? high up or close to cages? Something I'll have to look into for sure... SignatureJoanne Mom to 14 rats http://community.webshots.com/user/joanneb70 j-s.b@nospamsympatico.ca remove "no spam" > > Usually, yes, though if skin irritation or evidence of parasites continues > > past a week, you should go to a vet who'll give you an oral medication [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > hang it? high up or close to cages? > Something I'll have to look into for sure... Read all the warnings & instructions on the label. It has to be nowhere near enough a cage that it might get licked or chewed or reached even by an escapee. It is usually hung from a hook inside a pierced cardboard container so that the vapona strip need not be directly handled. It will state the cubic feet on the packaging & is different for different brands; a really big room might need two on opposite sides of the room. Signature"Of what are you afraid, my child?" inquired the kindly teacher. "Oh, sir! The flowers, they are wild," replied the timid creature. -from Peter Newell's "Wild Flowers" See the Garden of Paghat the Ratgirl: http://www.paghat.com/ |
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