Hair loss?

This is a medium rat i bought for a feeder, but its gonna be a breeder.
Anyways, she started with one bald spot about 2 weeks ago, i thought she got into a fight with the male she was with, but i fed him off, and 2 more spots popped up.

What is it? and it is contagious?

Sorry for the bad pics, but she wouldnt stay still.
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...6/CIMG5625.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...6/CIMG5627.jpg
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f2...6/CIMG5629.jpg

What are you feeding your rats? There could be too much protien in their diet or she may have lice/mites. I can't remember the product off hand as to how to get rid of them mites/lice but it's a paste that you give to them....maybe someone else can help me out.

Not sure if rats can get ring worm,,,but I bought 2 kittens years ago that had hair loss like that and when I took them to the vet he said it was ring worm. Best of luck in getting her treated

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Originally Posted by Reptilian

What are you feeding your rats? There could be too much protien in their diet or she may have lice/mites. I can't remember the product off hand as to how to get rid of them mites/lice but it's a paste that you give to them....maybe someone else can help me out.

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Im feeding them a good dog food that has everything needed, but just a little high in fat.
She is housed with like 15 other female rats, I also have others in tubs right by her, if it was something like bugs, i wouldnt think she would be the only one affected.

Here are some links for you to look at. Just because the other rats aren't yet showing symptoms doesn't mean they haven't been exposed if this is indeed something contagious like ringworm. You should seperate and quaratine this female until you know what's going on.

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

http://ratguide.com/health/figures/d...s_figure_1.php

It could be protein sensitivity causing a scabbie coat, worsened by her scratching at it and those other rats climbing on her sore spots. Bit hard to tell from the pictures what's going on, only a vet could likely tell you for sure but a good search on Google for fancy rat sites will give you tons of information about rats and health issues.

Looks like ringworm to me. They ALL need to be bathed in an antifungal shampoo such as a povidone iodine scrub or a betadine scrub, you can also use a chlorhexidine scrub too. You can find these at your local vet. Take one rat in and let them use the Wood's lamp on him/her, and see if the rat glows green. If so... It has a fungal infection and everyone needs to be treated. All cages need to be bleached and all accessories bleached/rinsed as well.

Dog food is for dogs and doesn't include everything rats need to be healthy and thrive. Find a feed store that sells Purina Products(call around), and have them order you some 50lb bags of Mazuri Rodent Block 6F or 9F. They are formulated for rats and mice and will be a much better food source. Dog food, especially crappy dog food, contains alot of by-products, artificial preservatives, "meals", and also contain alot of corn, which makes them feel full, but they aren't getting any nutritional value out of it. Most dog food is filled with fillers and junk. Not healthy for the rats, and not healthy for the snakes who eat them.

Ringworm was the first thing that popped into my head when I saw that. It usually has a side effect of almost perfect circles of missing fur.

I got it from one of my animals and it wasn't fun! :P

It's molting... No biggie, be back to normal in a couple of weeks..

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Originally Posted by jasbus

It's molting... No biggie, be back to normal in a couple of weeks..

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That looks nothing like molting.

Looks like mites, hot spots, or ringworm perhaps

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Originally Posted by Rhasputin

That looks nothing like molting.

Looks like mites, hot spots, or ringworm perhaps

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It's molting.
I just noticed someone reopened a 5 year old post...

Elena! This post is OLD! :mad:

But it's still not molting, lol. Molting doesn't happen in random patches.

It kills me how a 20 yo can know everything..

I've known 20 year olds that indeed know more than 40 year olds. I also know 20 year olds that know just enough to be dangerous. Age has nothing to do with attitude OR knowledge.

Why not accept that he thinks it's one thing, and you think it's another? The two of you shouldn't be stating 'It's definitely THIS" when you don't have access to the animal anyway. It's your experianced OPINION that it is "molting" or "ringworm", not fact, not unless there's been proof of the molting ceasing and hair growing back, or the ringworm diagnosed or cured, right?

I mean really... restating "It's ringworm" doesn't give any more credance to your opinion. Showing pictures of other ringworm sufferers that look like that, or some pics of rats that are molting in patches... that would lend some depth to your opinion. Restating it is a waste.

I did chuckle when I saw it's an ancient post AND the OP is banned too. The rat would probably be dead of old age if it didn't get culled or die of whatever made the hair go missing.

Stating someone's age, also does not validate your point what-so-ever. :rofl:

I think it does, cause I remember when I "knew it all" too..:D
I've got 25 years experience in raising rodents, that has to say something.
Anyway, long story short. My original post:

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Originally Posted by jasbus

It's molting... No biggie, be back to normal in a couple of weeks..

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I posted my opinion. Leave it at that.
I will.



But you can't, can you?:rolleye2:

I can't let someone post misinformation, and back down, no.

Please show me a photo of a molting rat that looks ANYTHING like those rats. Rats do not molt in random circular bald irritated patches. :confused:

WOW! I was bored the other night and just decided to comment on some posts. I didn't even notice that this thread was sooooo old. And now a debate has begun. Bleh

Sorry everyone

In your opinion.

Please add that to your post...

I'm done with your highness. I posted my opinion, and you've more than posted yours...
Now stop. Cause I am, I'm done.

My opinion is that it's ringworm.

It's a FACT that it's not molting.

I too agree its not molting.... But that's also just my opinion...

Sent from my ADR6300 using Tapatalk

From the website: http://www.rattyrat.com/guidebook/colors.html
"Rats molt throughout their lives, loosing old hair, and gaining new hair. While they are molting they will have patches of lighter, softer hair throughout their bodies. This is more noticeable in babies. If they have a hairless gene in their background, or if they are a rex, they may even develop bald patches while molting."

So it's possible that rats develop bald patches while molting in certain circumstances.

That's not saying it's due to molting, but it's one possibility. The skin in the pictures doesn't look red or irritated or injured as if the rat was scratching itself. Usually if hair is scratched out the skin is damaged, this is true in most mammals and I deal with dogs doing it on a regular basis.

I've had rats molt in patches and low and behold they were doing just that molting, weird no ring worm. Hard to say with the OP's rat since they're banned and the rat in question is obviously not alive and kicking. Plus dude said he had 15 of other rats in with her and none of the others had it, isn't ring worm highly contagious??? So obviously not ring worm get that out of your head quick draw lmao!!!

Just because ringworm is highly contagious doesn't mean that every mammal in contact will get it. We see dogs or cats in a single household where only one will contract ringworm and show signs while no one else ever gets it.

I personally have handled animals with ringworm(I didn't know they had it before, obviously, *skin crawls*) and not gotten ringworm, neither have many owners of cats that handle their cats daily, with the cat having diagnosed ringworm. So it's not a given that all the rats would have ringworm. Additionally, the other rats may not have been showing any signs of ringworm YET, and then shown the ringworm later, but since the OP was banned, we never heard, or he never bothered to post the info. There's no telling.

I guess in the end, we are discussing a rat that's certainly dead by now, from a user that's banned. :rofl:

Alright I just couldn't leave it alone. It's driving me nuts!!!

So, I went out and found some molting rats. I had to go through every grow out rack, and wouldn't you know, the last drawer had this one rat... I usually have at least 800 rats in grow out bins. It is rare that they actually molt like this, but it does happen.
These two pics are from this morning. I will put this rat aside, and I will take more pics of the same rat when the molt is done.
So, is this proof enough? Or, do I have to mail this rat to you, so you can watch it molt??? ;)

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...rat2_thumb.jpg

http://ball-pythons.net/gallery/file...rat1_thumb.jpg

mail it to me :D

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Originally Posted by reptilegirl07

mail it to me :D

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:colbert: :D

You can't mail rodents! That's discussing illegal activities!! Shame!!

*bwah ha ha ha ha, sorry, couldn't keep typing with a straight face.

Thanks for finding patchy molting rat. Is his name now "Patchy"?

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Originally Posted by wolfy-hound

You can't mail rodents! That's discussing illegal activities!! Shame!!

*bwah ha ha ha ha, sorry, couldn't keep typing with a straight face.

Thanks for finding patchy molting rat. Is his name now "Patchy"?

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Yeah, we'll call it "Patchy" until it molts, then it'll just be "Rat".... As in "I'm a normal rat without ringworm that molts in patches". :D

Oh, wait... I just found another rat with patches.. Oh CRAP! My colony has ringworm....What will I do?

Want pictures of that one too?