The most common is barbering, a behavior where a rat obsessively grooms itself or another rat to the point of nibbling off the hair. Mar 08, 2009 one of my gerbils has started to develop a bald patch on his head. To learn how to inspect your rat s belly for tumors, read more from our veterinary coauthor. If your rat isnt keeping up with the shedding hair, or he is old, ill or has an injury, he may need. Keep calm and squeak on pet rat humor parody patch.
Hairless rats make playful, inquisitive pets, but they may require a bit of extra attention due to their lack of hair. Your veterinarian will diagnose barbering based on a physical examination of the barbered rats and sometimes by observing the whole rat community. Cat bald patches may be caused by a rare inherited condition that causes periodical hair loss. You dont say if there were any normal smoothcoated rats in the litter or if the entire litter was rex or if any of the curly ones did not go through the patchybald stages. I have a pet rat he keeps scratching all the time and has. Handling rats also gives you an excellent opportunity to give them a regular health check and make sure that there are no issues such as scabs, cuts or bald patches in their fur. These three are the first rats ive had so im not sure of bald patches are generally something that can happen to them later in life. Some of these patches are protective, such as the bald heads and necks of many carrion eaters, like vultures, where feathers would otherwise become infected with bacteria. Rex rats have taken the fancy pet rat world by storm. Rats may barber each other, in which case frequent areas of barbering and subsequent bald spots on other rats are the head, face, neck and shoulders.
The key is to introduce your pet rat to handling slowly, over a period of time, and to make it a regular occurrence. Apr 08, 2020 additionally, lethargy, decreased appetite, and red or bald patches of skin are all general signs that your rat might be sick. The most common ailments in rats and mice are respiratory infections sneezing, runny nose, wheezing, skin problems excessive itching or bald patches and tumors. Owning or choosing to have a hairless rat is just basically contingent. If you have your heart set on lush curls, choose a male. Fancy rats as pets best rat cage uk pbs pet travel. A pampered pet shih tzu dog was left bald after a hong kong salon accidentally shaved him when he was taken in for a grooming, a news report said yesterday.
Rats often are so fastidious about their fur that you may never notice that they actually are. Barbered stomach in case of selfbarbering barbered front legs in case of selfbarbering causes. Dec 30, 20 molly, a four year old female boxer who had bald patches along both sides of her back december 30, 20 case studies, dogs, skin petethevet molly was a young, healthy boxer, in her prime. Aug 08, 2019 the only drawback of having them is that as they get older, they tend to get thinner fur or bald patches. Typically, other than the loss of hair, the barbered rat will otherwise be completely healthy. If your rat has any of these signs, take it to the vet as soon as you can to get a proper diagnosis and treatment. Those rats which have two copies of the rex gene are known as double rex rats and are sometimes recognized as a separate variety of rex rats. Jul 21, 2019 fungus can cause bald patches, scaly skin, and hair loss. Other moults may not be as apparent, but your rat may have patches of soft new fur that is slightly lighter than the surrounding, coarser fur. The nostrils, undertail area, underchin area, ears and eyes should be clear and free of discharge fur should not be damp or stained in any way.
Bald patches and irritated skin are not part of a normal moult. Cats are creatures of habit who like their routines, and any change in their environment is difficult for them to adapt to. Additionally, lethargy, decreased appetite, and red or bald patches of skin are all general signs that your rat might be sick. In rare instances, overgrooming can be a sign of a neurological disorder, particularly in older cats but, more commonly, it is a behaviour triggered by stress. The submissive rat appears cleanly barbered, even bald in spots, and has no. A vet will be able to tell the difference, and will likely recommend an antifungal cream or shampoo, or give oral medication for severe ringworm outbreaks.
The name fancy rat derives from the idea of animal fancy the promotion of domesticated animals or the phrase to fancy meaning to like or appreciate. Hairloss in rats rats can lose their hair for several reasons. It is unusual for a rat to lose hair in one particular region, and this is usually a sign of allergies or some other problem. Lice in particular are large enough to be seen as mobile dark brown spots in the coat.
Healthy rats have a rounded, full body and smooth, even fur with no bald patches. Black and white rat with kind of short and straight fur, no scabs or anything that we noticed but it has a nice sized bald spot ton the back of its necktop of head. Using a magnifying glass can make them easier to spot. If your rat lives alone and the bald spots are on the legs, your rat is chewing off its own fur. The best idea is to take your rat to the vet just to be on the safe side, as youll often require the opinion of an expert to find the root cause of the. Two of my three rats are losing hair in patches and have quite a few bald patches. A rat going bald could be something as simple as a unique coat variety, or as serious as a deadly infection, parasite, or severe bullying. She had 4 sutures, which she pulled out that same day, and then had 4 staples put in by the emergency vet to replace them. While dwarf rats have a decreased occurrence of tumors and generally live longer than averagesized rats, they can still get mites, allergies, or other ailments.
Beaphar has a good and simple to use mite treatment, you can buy it in pet shops but you have to get the right one for the weight of your rats, one of our girls needs the hamster one as shes so small. There can be sores on the head, ears, and front legs, but in more serious cases it can infect the cats whole body aaaaringworm can be acquired through touching an infected cat, or its bedding and dishes. Get it a friend, toys, more playtime, something, anything. Or, they may have small patches of hair in certain parts of the body. The result is bald patches or areas where the hair looks like its had a bad haircut.
Provide more spaceenrichmenthiding places so they can avoid one. This fur usually will fall out in patches, leaving behind bare or nearly bare skin, or may appear as if the rat has been given a close shave. The most common ringwormcausing fungi are tricophyton mentagrophytes and microsporum species. That penchant for dressing bald rats in sequins and leather is a different story altogether. My rat is getting a bald spot on her back that does not have. Provide more spaceenrichmenthiding places so they can avoid one another.
Unusual shedding of fur also may be caused by allergies, health problems, stress and even other rats who chew on the fur of their cage mates. An adult agouti rex male 26 months old showing the typical thinning of coat on the back due to age. This generally leaves bald patches on the face, head, neck or shoulders. His sides do seem to go in and out a bit too rapidly at times but he has been treated with baytril before and it hasnt affected it. We have established a phased plan to resume normal services to see our patients for healthy pet exams, all procedures and surgeries and urgent care needs. Owners across the world love hairless ratties, as they dont produce shedded fur like most other rats, and are particularly favorable for people who have allergies to pets. The patches are randomly shaped and are not harmful. He still climbs about with his brother biffy and is happy to come out for cuddles. This condition doesnt require any treatment, as the hair will grow back in a few weeks. Apr 24, 2010 they most likely are suffering from some sort of sickness. A mouse is a common, easytocare for small pet that rarely requires vet visits. Watch out for other possible causes of cat bald spots such as the administration of certain drugs or treatment i. Keeping your rats busy with exercise and play activities is also important, as it can distract them from becoming bored, stressed, and prone to acting out in destructive ways.
Oxbow animal health oxbow animal health rat health. Ringworm commonly starts around the head area, unlike mites, which often presents as a v shape on the back. Two of my three rats are losing hair in patches and have. Bald patches may also be related to courtship and mating, such as bare skin that can change color with sexual readiness or attract a mate, like the lores of a great egret. Do the bald patches look irritated, like is their skin pinker looking in those areas. Jun 16, 20 or, they may have small patches of hair in certain parts of the body. One of my gerbils has started to develop a bald patch on his. Pet store rats are usually from mills and little consideration is taken for their health. Hairless rats, or sphynx rats, are a very special type of bald pet rat. Because hair loss is not an emergency and in some cases will not seem to affect your dog particularly overall, the problem is often overlooked, as other than being unsightly, hair loss will often have no other associated problems. External parasites lice, mites and fleas diet excess protein, lack of essential fatty acids, food allergies contact allergies to bedding, cleaning products, etc. This condition may be easily distinguishable by appearance alone.
These patchy spots may look as if the rat has a hot spot as dogs get. Be prepared for your pets visits by making a list of any questions or concerns you may have ahead of time. Hair loss around the eyes, nose and face could be caused by a number of problems. They are very unique, and may have slight traces of hair or fuzz, depending upon the genetics that. Injuries from long claws, barbering, fights with cagemates dry skin and dandruff skin infections bacterial, fungal, etc. Wildcaught specimens that become docile and are bred for many generations still fall. Unfortunately, not many people know much about their mouses health. Hairless rats have mostly bald, smooth skin, except for a few patches of hair, such as around the face or on the genitals. But, for the most part, they are completely hairless.
Bald patches or hair loss across parts of the body is a surprisingly common problem in dogs, and can range from minor to severe. The ringworm infection is characterized by bald patches, which commonly occur starting from the head. Apr 16, 2016 a rat going bald could be something as simple as a unique coat variety, or as serious as a deadly infection, parasite, or severe bullying. If a rat suddenly begins losing hair, his or her age, coat type, sex, overall health, and relationships between cage mates must be noted. If you have been noticing bald and scabby spots on your rat, and you think it might be allergic to a treat or the food you are buying him or her, to help speed the process of healing, a topical ointment such as neosporin can. This can result in the thinning of fur or complete bald patches, particularly on the front paws. Many owners feed their pet rats a diet far too high in protein, thinking that they are. It can cause patches of scratchingbarbering too so it may be worth treating them for mites just in case. The third rat doesnt appear to have any issues with hair loss.
For this reason, lice cant reproduce on hairless rats. When problems such as fur loss, excessive scratching or scabbing appear, many pet owners dont know what to do. A rat going bald could be something as simple as a unique coat variety, or as. My rats hair is falling out causes and treatment animalwised. All animals should have a veterinarian checkup soon after you bring them home. So i stopped giving them yogies, and the results have been great. In truth, there are a lot of different genes around the world that can cause a rex fur mutation.
If your rat lives with others, particularly females, and has bald spots on its head andor shoulders, then theres really not much you can do. Even when pet rats enjoy good health overall, sometimes they may suffer from hair loss. Jan 14, 2020 it spreads like wildfire and can cause patches of hair loss with little rings in the middle. They sport their best coat between 612 months of age. Do check their food and water twice a day, making sure you clean any droppings and woodchips out of their food bowl. Its behaving just like normal and playing, i watched it eat and drink even just today. Molly, a four year old female boxer who had bald patches along both sides of her back december 30, 20 case studies, dogs, skin petethevet molly was a young, healthy boxer, in her prime. Jun 19, 2010 keeping your rats busy with exercise and play activities is also important, as it can distract them from becoming bored, stressed, and prone to acting out in destructive ways. Usually there is no damage to the skin, but sometimes there can be scabs. Caring for pet rats 15 question trivia quiz, authored by rattiemama.
This typically leaves hairless patches on the stomach or front legs. Reasons for bald patches on cats argos pet insurance. Jan 08, 2008 if your rat lives alone and the bald spots are on the legs, your rat is chewing off its own fur. If you do decide to buy from a pet store, avoid rats with the following problems. It is rare for a rat to be allergic to or sensitive to most litters though, beside pine or cedar shavings. Some birds naturally have bald patches in their plumage. My rat is getting a bald spot on her back that does not. Most healthy rats dont require any special grooming during a moult. One of my gerbils has started to develop a bald patch on his head.
The only drawback of having them is that as they get older, they tend to get thinner fur or bald patches. Many rat health problems are preventable with proper diet and care. Looking for the ideal rat patches to express yourself. Fungus can cause bald patches, scaly skin, and hair loss. Small amounts of reddishorange discharge around the eyes and nose.
If the bald patches are on the face, neck or shoulders, it will probably be another rat doing the barbering. Molly, a four year old female boxer who had bald patches. I have two so they may have just been playing and a little bit of hair got pulled out but the spot is about the size of her ear. Bald patches are also a big nono when it comes to healthy rats. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Your rat normally will groom himself, which keeps him clean and removes any loose or dead hairs.
They can range from extremely corkscrewed to subtly rippled. Sneezing, labored breathing, scabs on the skin, bald patches in fur, lethargy. Occasionally, rats and mice selfbarber, chewing off their own hair. Dec 12, 2011 if spunko and spiffo are double rex rats theyre going to lose their hair in patches around 3 months previous. My rat is losing hair and has scabs walkerville vet. Ask the breeder or puppy keep the place you obtain them approximately their mom and dad, in the event that they are double rexes that often is the respond.
Hair loss in rats is very common, especially when they are itchy. Feb 21, 2012 hair loss in rats is very common, especially when they are itchy. Fancy rats are crepuscular which means they are awake on and off throughout the day and night, and they have a life expectancy of 2 to 3 years, but have been known to live much longer. These are the most noticeable molting periods, because the rats color may change or the fur may appear to be streaked with various colors.
Barbering is where one rat excessively grooms either themself or. It could be a few things, but mange mites and vitamin c deficiency could be two very likely culprits. In the face the patches appear around the eyes, nose, and ears. Ringworm infection occurs when a hamsters skin becomes infected with a fungus. If this concerns you, call your rat vet or knowledgeable pet store for.