Can I use this on my pet rat ?

Question

I have a pet rat . and once i got older i kinda neglected it for a long time . now i feel bad for it and started taking care of it . but i now notice its fleas got REALLY bad, like you can see them onthe outside of her fur . its pretty nasty but from them there is a bunch of soars and stuff from scraching... and shes pretty old too . so can I use flea control stuff on her?

Answer 1

No! Rats are small animals that should not be treated for fleas like a dog or a cat would. Advantage or Frontline products could be fatal.  A mild puppy or kitten flea shampoo will be okay.  Wash the cage in hot water and change the bedding out. Put flea powder around the cage (where your rat cannot get to it) to discourage any future fleas still in the area.  If you have another animal in the household, make sure to bathe them for the fleas as well. You want to get rid of the entire problem.

Dawn dish soap has also been known to have positive results in getting rid of fleas on rats (not Dawn Ultra, but the regular as the Ultra is a bit too harsh for them).  Bathe her in this careful not to get water in her ears and then go through her fur with a fine tooth comb to get rid of the dead fleas.

A vet visit is a must. Please take her in to get a proper check over.  The vet can give you meds that are suitable for your rat.  Rats should see a vet every six months anyway for a wellness visit and as it sounds like you haven't brought her in in a bit, now would be the perfect time to bring her in for that visit as well. Two birds with one stone.... er... one rat.

Answer 2

use mild kitten or puppy flea shampoo to give your rat a nice bath

Answer 3

you cant use normal cat and dog flea stuff but you can used cheapy puppy flea shampoo but is gotta be cheapy and puppy coz it will be really weak for the rat keep the shampoo away its eyes nose and mouth.

Answer 4

Use bird flea/mite spray with the same directions that are on the bottle. Anything else is going to be way too strong. Also since they constantly groom themselves, its best to use something made for animals that also thoroughly groom themselves (ie:birds, or any "small animal" spray made for bunnies, guinea pigs, etc.)

Answer 5

You can, but you have to have the right strength & dose. Please go to a vet clinic (that handles rats!) and ask.

Poor rat. Until then, give the poor guy a soothing bath with baby shampoo. He may not realized it at first, but he'll feel much better after.