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Fleas
Rats can be infested with fleas from coming into contact with wild rodents, cats and dogs. Never allow contact with wild rodent as they are believed to carry a number of diseases that our pet Rat population has not been exposed to. We also recommend isolating or quarantining any new Rats brought into the colony, such as rescues, if it is suspected that they carry any parasites or illness, until those issues have been treated and corrected. Treatment for fleas is the same as with parasites.
Mite and mange spray by Aristopet is specifically formulated to safely control lice, sarcoptic mange and mites on small animals including Rats & Mice. We have found that this spray doesn’t clear up the mites however if you have this spray it can be used inside the cage, around toys, bedding etc while the rats are not in the cage and allow it to dry. This does help eliminate parasites within the cage that you may have missed while cleaning everything. Treatment of the cage is best twice weekly for 2 weeks and then once a week thereafter.
Ivermectin is nearly always prescribed by vets for mite infestation, generally given orally or via injection. Too many side effects have been reported using these methods of administering this medication, even resulting in death with some very sensitive Rats. Present recommendations are to use it topically as the Rats tend to ingest a certain amount of the Ivermectin when the Rat is grooming, which will enter the bloodstream and subsequently enter the mite when it bites and draws blood.
Do Not use Permethrin, this is a synthetic version of pyrethrin and has been shown to be toxic to small animals
Some people also use revolution for puppies and kittens and have good results using it however we recommend speaking with your vet before commencing with this type of treatments as you could over treat your Rat and cause illness. Revolution is generally used at a dosage rate of 0.02ml every 4 weeks if there is an active parasite problem.