Rat Losing Fur???

[Rhasputin]

I would go ahead and treat for parasites just in case. A bottle of iver on is only $15-$20 and you dilute it 4 parts water to 1 part medicine for rats, so you can keep it around for a long time. It's really a must have if you're breeding rodents.

[Balls Out Morphs]

For RI, you can mix Tetracycline powder into their water. Tetracycline is an antibiotic that clears up infections. You can find Tetracycline in the fish section of pet stores. Each box usually has a couple packets. The one I get comes w/ 10 packets.

I don't know if you have an automatic watering system or individual bottles, but 1 packet can be used in a 16oz water bottle. But be sure to check the box for dosage to water ratio.

A few vet techs and I have used this method to cure mild and severe RIs. I've treated rats who were sneezing till their noses bled with this stuff and it worked great. Rats may take 1-3 weeks to recover.

It definitely saves the trouble of going to the vet and buying meds from them.
Also it's totally safe for rats of all ages and pregnant/nursing rats. Most vets will prescribe baytrill for RI, and that is not safe for growing/pregnant/nursing rats.

I use a water system that I purchased through RBI so would it be safe to mix this and give it to everyone as a preventive measure? There were a few with a slight redness around the nostrils when I first brought them home but that seems to have cleared up.

Is there anything that you would recommend to rid the group of mites/lice/fleas etc as a preventive measure?

[jasbus]

Pour on treatments work, and they work great, but, you have to follow a schedule, and it only keeps the mites off of the rats that are treated... So, you have to keep treating them, and figure out how to keep up with all of the offspring as well..
Even at a dozen rats, this is tedious... The ingestible, I can't even imagine the pain in the arse...

I can't even fathom doing 300-400 rats, and their offspring... much less keeping up with who/when/how much. I know not everyone keeps that many, but holy cow, that would be a nightmare.
Spray the tubs with permitherin, keeps the little buggers away completely...

[RichsBallPythons]

If you dont want to deal with the HotShot Gallon Mixing, Pick up Bedding Spray for Lice. It will work for the Mites,fleas,lice rats get.

Just spray the bare tub, toss in bedding and spay top layer of bedding. Do so once a week depending how bad it gets.

[Balls Out Morphs]

Pour on treatments work, and they work great, but, you have to follow a schedule, and it only keeps the mites off of the rats that are treated... So, you have to keep treating them, and figure out how to keep up with all of the offspring as well..
Even at a dozen rats, this is tedious... The ingestible, I can't even imagine the pain in the arse...

I can't even fathom doing 300-400 rats, and their offspring... much less keeping up with who/when/how much. I know not everyone keeps that many, but holy cow, that would be a nightmare.
Spray the tubs with permitherin, keeps the little buggers away completely...

If the mites are killed off once and if there are no outsiders brought into the colony how would the mites come back? I keep my rats and snakes in the same room on the second story of my house and no one comes in contact with them prior to washing up outside the room and then applying hand sanitizer once they're in the room. To keep my kids from playing with the rats I allow each of them to house (2) each in their rooms as pets so they don't disturb mine. I just don't understand how they would keep coming back if they were all killed once? This is the reason I keep asking about what preventive measures I can take now to wipe sickness/parasites out of my colony before it gets any bigger.

[RichsBallPythons]

If the mites are killed off once and if there are no outsiders brought into the colony how would the mites come back? I keep my rats and snakes in the same room on the second story of my house and no one comes in contact with them prior to washing up outside the room and then applying hand sanitizer once they're in the room. To keep my kids from playing with the rats I allow each of them to house (2) each in their rooms as pets so they don't disturb mine. I just don't understand how they would keep coming back if they were all killed once? This is the reason I keep asking about what preventive measures I can take now to wipe sickness/parasites out of my colony before it gets any bigger.

Eggs laid before the livign ones are killed. You need to keep on the treatment to keep killing them and the eggs. In winter time keep your bedding outside in garage or somewhere. The cold will kill the living ones and any newly hatched ones. Treat the rack and bedding with spray and your good to go.

[jasbus]

Once they lay eggs, it's tough to kill them. They will travel a pretty good distance to lay eggs. they like to go high and in a tight area, like the edge of an aquarium or the rail of a rack, etc. Even if you manage to spray the egg, it doesn't always kill it off. So, by the time you realize they are back, it's too late.
I spray every week, I don't miss a week.
My reptiles, I spray every month, I don't miss a month.

I've dealt with both reptile mites and rodent mites, I will never deal with them again!!! I spray.

[satomi325]

I use a water system that I purchased through RBI so would it be safe to mix this and give it to everyone as a preventive measure? There were a few with a slight redness around the nostrils when I first brought them home but that seems to have cleared up.

Is there anything that you would recommend to rid the group of mites/lice/fleas etc as a preventive measure?

It is safe to use for everyone, sick or healthy. However, I don't think this could be used as a preventative measure. Only as treatment. There are dosages for single animals, but the the dosages I use are more diluted to use for group housing. I forgot to mention above, each of the packets I use contain 500mg. And I use 1 packet/16 oz. You can change the concentrations depending how severe the infection is, but I had no problems with 500mg/16 oz. A box of 10 packets was $12 for me, but I'm sure prices vary from place to place. It's always handy to have just in case there are sneezy rats.

For a preventative measure, the only thing you could do is keep a clean and well ventilated environment. Don't neglect weekly cleaning. If you have to, you may have to clean twice a week. Ammonium build up is one of the lead causes of RI next to incorrect bedding material and lack of ventilation.

I don't have anything else to add about the mite/lice/flea preventative that others haven't already said.

[Annageckos]

The best preventive measure is keeping everyone clean and healthy. It is a bad idea to give antibiotics unless you know what you are treating. That is how resistant strains of bacteria/viruses come about. If your animals are healthy and clean then mites or lice shouldn't be a problem. But check them over for mites, I can't tell from the photo if the specks on that rat is scabs or mites. It looks nothing like ringworm. I have had ringworm before, got it from digging in the garden.(it's a fungus) It wasn't too hard to get rid of, took maybe a two weeks.

[Balls Out Morphs]

I greatly appreciate everyones input. I got gloved up and checked out the "infected tub" which is now the we're in "heat" tub. I combed through their fur and didn't find anything, honestly they're amazingly clean. The only place I found anything on the "infected" girl was just around the bald spot which seemed to be stuck scab and it rubbed right off. The other two in the tub are spotless under and in their fur. I'm gonna keep my eye on um for a few days before I go feeding off anybody.