Friday, February 5, 2010

Is it okay for rats to scratch themselves?

I just got two rats. Ive never owned a rat before. Somtimes they will just start scratching themselves like somthing has bit them. I know its normal for animals to scratch themselves. I have had dogs that have gotten fleas and they scratch themselves in the same way. They will act normal and then all of a sudden start scratching one spot repeatedly. Is it normal for a rat to do this ? They already have fidgety movements so is this how the itch themselves ? Is it possible for them to get any kind of bugs ?Is it okay for rats to scratch themselves?
As long as you dont see any skin issues, like redness or scaliness or even yellowish spots, they are rats being rats. Rats can get fleas, and other parasites. You'll have to look them over and if they do have bugs, I would ask the vet what is the best way to treat them. My rats never had fleas so I dont have any idea what to treat them with, I would guess something for cats because they groom themselves much the way cats do. But consult your vet first before doing anything, have fun with your rats, they make great pets!!Is it okay for rats to scratch themselves?
Domestic/pet rats can and do get lice/mites. This can cause itchiness to skin disease.


The solution lies in purchasing a lice/mite spray and treating the animals and the enclosure at the same time.

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It's very likely they have some sort of external parasite. This site goes through all the possibilities and describes what to look for. http://www.rmca.org/Articles/bugs.htm
No, it is not normal, you should do it for them. Be careful not to get any mange on yourself.
Not fleas, but very commonly mite in rats. If they starting losing any hair you know it's that. Take them to a vets for some treatment - no animal scratches loads unless there's something wrong.





Chalice
yes this is normal rattie behavior. i even had one that i named itchy because she would scratch all the time. i took her to the vet and she had no fleas, mites, or allergies that she could find. rats are very fastidious groomers, so don't worry about bugs
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